Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

This 'post' is directed to any new visitors / members who may be -

Looking For Details On ...

* Stirling aircraft serial numbers / Squadron codes.
* Aircrew personnel / crew members.
* Operation losses - Crews / Aircraft.
* Other request.

In the first instance, if you can provide a little detail, every little bit helps in tracing information on a crew / aircraft.

Helpful Starting Details

* Name of Crew member.
* Name of Squadron.
* Any known Dates.
* Aircraft Codes / Serial Numbers.
* Other details.


If you are unable to supply any of the above data, depending on the request, with our resource base, we will endeavour to answer your query to the best of our ability.

Regards,
John, Dom, Chris & Bruno

Well, anything on this person would be a bonus:

Henry (Harry) Enright
RAAF
service number 418079
Flying Officer.

He was a rear gunner and definitely with 295 Sqn and may well have been involved operationally with 570 as well.
His period of service finished with war's end and may have commenced as early as late 1943 but was more probably from 1944.
He may have been involved in the Tonga, Market, Varsity sequence.
He may have been involved in separarte operations involving Lysanders.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael

Hi Micheal,

I sent a 'PM' to Max, from the Lancaster-archive forum, being that he is a wizz on accessing data from Australian govt. site and so on.

Max sent me these details for you to follow up ................

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi John,
Not too much instantly available: brief details on the Nominal Roll as shown below:

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/vetera ... ID=1046742

His service records (A9300) are not yet digitised but Michael can request, and pay for this to be done. It will give all the postings, courses etc though they are rather cryptic and sometimes difficult to decipher - further searching is required to understand the abbreviations etc, but I could probably help if Michael wants, he's been very helpful to me with photographs. The NAA website is this one:
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explor ... licts.aspx

Go to Record search (link on left side of their webpage), then put in the service number of 418079. From there Michael can order the service record.

Hope this helps,
Regards
Max

www.ordinarycrew.co.uk
www.galgosgallery.co.uk

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hope these details are some help.
Regards,
John

My apologies for causing a fuss over this.

The personal information from the AWM is well within my capabilities and I should have made this clear in my original request.

What I am after is the kind of sorties he would have been involved in.
I suspect that the ORBs are the sole way to this information. I presume those for 295 and 570 reside at Kew and it is to this source that I should have more properly directed my inquiry.

Thanks for the generous offers of help. Again, my apologies for any misdirection of your efforts on my part.

Michael

i think 630 Squadron ORB Nov 1943 - July 1945 is on microfilm at National Archives at Kew.
I can take a look (hopefully in the next couple of weeks).
Do you have specific dates?

K for Kitty Crew wrote:This 'post' is directed to any new visitors / members who may be -

Looking For Details On ...

* Stirling aircraft serial numbers / Squadron codes.
* Aircrew personnel / crew members.
* Operation losses - Crews / Aircraft.
* Other request.


Helpful Starting Details

* Name of Crew member.
* Name of Squadron.
* Any known Dates.

Well, I have finally managed to get a copy of some of my Dad's Service Records from Library and Archives Canada.
My father's name is Mark Borthwick GARVEN.

From what I can gather from the records (PDF of pertinent sections available, if this would be any help), he arrived at 3 PRC 2 Sep 43, then eventually through P.T.S. (Pilot Training School ?) Ringway and 42 O.T.U. to 296 Sqn on 20 August 44.
He was then attached to HGCU from O & RTU from 18 Sep to 1 Dec 44. Seemingly in the middle of this, he is attached to Fairford (26/10/44), and then TOS 1665 HCU on 4/12/44.
From there, he seems to go to 38 Grp W.T.S. (Wireless Training School ?) on 18/2/45 until he goes to 299 Sqn on 6/3/45.
There are a couple of unreadable entries, picking up again when he seems to come back to Canada 23/7/45.

There are a couple of abbreviations that I can't seem to figure out - on 7/7/44 there is an entry " GTBD (might not be D) from ORTU to 42 OTU "
Then on 4/3/45 the entry read " C + BA 38 Grp WTS ".
I have no idea what those two entries mean.

Looking at the records, I see that he was on Privilege Leave at a couple of interesting times - 31 May 44 to 3 Jun 44 and 13 Jun 44 for 7 days. These are either side of D-Day.
To me, that is an indication that he flew on D-Day missions, but certainly not confirmation of same.

The records I received are a wealth of information (WOI), if you have taken the military acronym course (MAC).
The "genealogy package" I received from Library and Archives Canada is almost 30 pages, and includes so much information it is amazing.

If anyone can give me any ideas where I should be looking at Kew when I am there in August, I am sure it will save me many hours of research time.

This is a little rambling, I realise, but I thank everyone for any suggestions or information they might be able to provide.
If you want a copy of some of my dad's record (maybe you can glean more info from them), just drop me a note and I'll email them in PDF format to you.

Chris Garven
Inuvik, NT, Canada

Hi Mary and Chris and welcome to the forum.

Mary, I've sent you a PM, thank you.

Chris, thinking out aloud, you may wish to contact the National Archives online to query your request to them so that when you do arrive, you will be armed with all relevant information when you arrive.

Dom ( Skintman ) our friendly & informative forum member, may be able to assist you with some local knowledge, in that regard.

Regards,
John

Hello,

Unfortunately I won't have access to my 38 Group files until my come back home on Wednesday evening.
I expect I'll find what means GTBD and "C + BA 38 Grp WTS ".
I'll also look if I can find infos about Henry (Harry) Enright.
Best regards.

Bruno

K for Kitty Crew wrote:Hi Mary and Chris and welcome to the forum.

Mary, I've sent you a PM, thank you.

Chris, thinking out aloud, you may wish to contact the National Archives online to query your request to them so that when you do arrive, you will be armed with all relevant information when you arrive.

Dom ( Skintman ) our friendly & informative forum member, may be able to assist you with some local knowledge, in that regard.

Regards,
John

I will do that - thanks for the suggestion. My problem is "what do I ask them for?"
I am new to the National Archives holdings - I know they have ORB's, but am not sure how they are arranged. eg - are they by aircraft, base, squadron or ???.
We leave for the UK next Sunday (16th), but I won't be in London until 1 Sep, so I have some time to spend online looking for the records or sending the information to Kew.

With probably only one day at the Archives, I hope to make it as efficient and productive as possible, so any suggestions you might have in that regard will be more than appreciated.

Chris in Inuvik, NT, Canada

North of 60 wrote:From what I can gather from the records (PDF of pertinent sections available, if this would be any help), he arrived at 3 PRC 2 Sep 43, then eventually through P.T.S. (Pilot Training School ?) Ringway and 42 O.T.U. to 296 Sqn on 20 August 44.
He was then attached to HGCU from O & RTU from 18 Sep to 1 Dec 44. Seemingly in the middle of this, he is attached to Fairford (26/10/44), and then TOS 1665 HCU on 4/12/44.
From there, he seems to go to 38 Grp W.T.S. (Wireless Training School ?) on 18/2/45 until he goes to 299 Sqn on 6/3/45.
There are a couple of unreadable entries, picking up again when he seems to come back to Canada 23/7/45.

There are a couple of abbreviations that I can't seem to figure out - on 7/7/44 there is an entry " GTBD (might not be D) from ORTU to 42 OTU "
Then on 4/3/45 the entry read " C + BA 38 Grp WTS ".
I have no idea what those two entries mean.
Chris Garven
Inuvik, NT, Canada

Hello,

Thanks to the help of Joss Leclercq here is the meaning of some the abbreviations:

PRC is Personnel Reception Centre, a place where people in transit would wait before starting a new course, especially after crossing the ocean. You knew when you left, not exactly when you would arrive, so there was some delay between them.

TOS : Taken on Strength (SOS : struck off Strength).

GTBD : Flying Training and Support Units since 1912, Sturtivant & Hamlin, Air-Britain, doesn't show this acronym. Closest is GTPS : Glider and Tug Pilots School. That would make sense for someone later posted to No. 38 Group.

WTS had a double meaning : Wireless Telephony School or Weapons Training Squadron. Probably the latter as the former disbanded in 1919.

To add: P.T.S is the Parachute Training School.

Here is for the moment.
Best regards.

Bruno