I am writing about my father's WW2 service with the RAAF, who upon arriving in the UK and further training, was posted to RAF 357 Squadron in India. His rank after training in Australia as a Wireless/Air Gunner (WAG) was Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight/Sergeant on 11/05/45. Then appointed as a Pilot Officer on 28/03/45. Finally promoted to Flying Officer on 28/09/45. I would like to understand the process of each appointment or promotion? What did my father have to do to progress through these levels? He uses the word "Commission", what does this mean? What changes to his uniform would each change bring? He was discharged as a airman on 27/03/45, just prior to being appointed as a Pilot Officer. My father made the comment in some notes that on his appointment as a Pilot Officer, "flying was a thing of the past". I have been confused by what he meant, does anyone know what he means? Any assistance would be appreciated.
If you search for "RAAF Promotion" at Australian National Archives you get three pages of examples of promotion of individuals, but general files of the RAAF on promotion topics are not digitised. Will send you a PM.
Thank you John for your reply and PM containing segments of the "RAF Kings Regulations". As you say very convoluted, let's hope someone can add to this discussion to further my understanding on these queries.
Think of appointment to Commission as a change of contract conditions. Before accepting the conditions of a Commission he needed to cease his original conditions of service. Hence Discharge as Airman and Appointment to Commission. Also explains why he stopped using his OR service number and began using his Officer personal number. Progress as an Airman was mostly aptitude and passing trade tests. Progress as Officer is mostly by seniority eg 6 months service/1 year unless local conditions demand early promotion to give seniority for role fulfilled. Ross
Commission in terms of armed service officer, is an appointment - usually from a ruler of state (dominion or commonwealth) in the form of a legal parchment with associated oath - to carryout duties of office. Commission (document) - Wikipedia When the conditions of service for the RAF and subsequently mirrored for commonwealth and dominion Air Forces were set by Trenchard he recognised that the Air Force would be technical based and took steps to prevent a gathering of upper officers promoted by service seniority but lacking relevant technical knowledge of current equipment. So pre and post war most Commissions were to Short Service Commissions (SSC) (3 or 5 years duration) with only a few entry commissions on longer Permanent Commissions (mostly Cranwell). At the end of SSC officers may choose or be suggested to apply for extension of SSC or transfer to Permanent. In this manner progress to Group or Air Rank was restricted to those the Air Force wanted to retain. In War the commission appointments were "for duration of current emergency" so retention of rank and job would cease as soon as authority decided after peace declared. Ross
Potential officers had to attend a Commissioning Board interview where they would be assessed along with their service record as to their capability to be come a commissioned officer. Attendance at a Commissioning Board would follow a recommendation from a candidate's commanding officer. (There were many cases in Bomber Command where an NCO pilot would be commissioned after a number of ops with the commissioning recommendation being put forward by his Squadron Commander. I know of one case where a F/S sat a Commissioning Board interview after 6 ops. Unfortunately on his 7th op, returning from Turin his aircraft crash landed in Brittany, the crew surviving. Meanwhile his commissioning interview was successful and he, as a POW was imprisoned in Stalag Luft Sagan,a POW Camp for officers while his NCO crew were imprisoned in Stalag Kopernikus,a POW Camp for NCOs) In the RAF commissioned structure ,there were variations of commissioned status.... On probation; Temporary; Non substantive and Substantive. For the RAAF, there would be something similar. The airman's service record should contain this detail. "Flying was a thing of the past" may have meant that when he was commissioned, he was directed to some ground role. He would retain his Wireless Operator/Air Gunner brevet. On the other hand is the manning of aircraft relating to the No 357 Squadron inventory. Looking at the aircraft types on charge, new types of aircraft were took on charge in 1945 which on the face of it did not require a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. The squadron was a Special Duties Squadron whose role was the dropping of supplies and agents behind enemy lines. From having an inventory of the heavier aircraft, the squadron received new light aircraft from January and March 1945 which would affect crew manning. Looking at their principal base of Jessore in the Bengal and from this base on 15 September 1944,the aircraft of the squadron were as follows.. The squadron had many detachments from their home base, many into Burma as the Japanese were forced to give up the northern territory. The chief one, was at a time when Mingaladon airfield, north of Rangoon was in Allied hands. Liberator V1 until the squadron disbanded in November 1945 (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner would be included in the manning. Dakota until the squadron disbanded in November 1945 (Wireless Operator required in the manning of the aircraft) In January 1945 the squadron received the Stinson Sentinel but by March 1945,the aircraft which was used for communications, spotting and as an air ambulance was taken off strength. This was followed by the Lysander 111A in March 1945 which was used to drop agents into enemy occupied territory and looks to be aircraft ex SD No 161 Squadron. In Europe the manning of the Lysander dropping agents did not include a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and the practice would have continued in South East Asia.
Thank you Ross and Harry for your informative replies to my queries. Your contributions have certainly helped me understand my father's Commission and time with the RAF. Apologies, I made one mistake with my dates, my father was promoted to Flight/Sergeant on 11/05/44 not 11/05/45. The details around Commission prompted me to review some papers my father left me and sure enough, there was his document appointing him to be an Officer. 1. The Officer parchment states the date of 28/03/45 which was when my father was appointed to Pilot Officer. The document was signed 23/12/46 (By His Royal Highness's Command) and on the side it was entered in the Register of Patents on 28/03/47. Both these dates are well pass the original date, is this common? Also the Register of Patents date of 28/03/47 is exactly two years from his appointment date, is this just an coincidence or is it something to do with the duration (term)? 2. Ross in your reply you say "Also explains why he stopped using his OR service number and began using his Officer personal number." What does OR stand for? I have not seen any other number used other than my father's service number, where do I find his Officer personal number? 3. Once his commission was recommended, my father was given a role in the preparations needed for a training area for the new C Fight Lysander's, so that does explain the comment he made about "flying was a thing of the past". 4. The thing he did not understand was in May 1945 he was posted back to the UK as a instructor. He went by troopship from Bombay arriving in the Clyde, Scotland and then travels to RAF West Kirby (1PDC), before being sent on 2 weeks leave to Brighton (11 PDRC). When his leave was finished he received a telegram to report to RAF Catterick (ACAC), to be "assessed for future duties". From here he is sent on "Special Leave" to September 1945? He never was an instructor in the UK, so maybe the need was not there by the time he arrived back in June 1945? Why send him to West Kirby and then to Catterick? 5. By 1945, photos of my father show him wearing the "S" Signals brevet and not his original Wireless Operator/Air Gunner brevet. Did this change happen around this time? I would value your thoughts on any of these queries.
OR is Other Rank - the standard descriptor for an airman who is not a Commissioned Officer or Warrant Officer ie designators/ranks ACH to F/Sgt inclusive. Apologies - I missed the RAAF bit - RAAF personnel only had one number, RAF separate OR service number and Commissioned personal number. Despite the hostilities in Europe ending in May 1945 it was thought that the War in the Far East would need a concerted effort to resolve so Tiger Force was being formed in the UK with the intent to deploy to the Pacific. Tiger Force (air) - Wikipedia It looks like his experience was required as part of this deployment. West Kirby was a very busy transit camp for the Liverpool docks area and also used to gather together drafts ready for embarkation/disembarkation of all the west coast ports. As such units spent as short a time there as possible - just enough for all the associated men and material logistics tasks to be done. As soon as possible the personnel were posted out and posted in as late as possible which explains the move to Brighton where 11PDRC was specific to RAAF. The Royal Air Force in Brighton, an overview He was required to take remaining leave and possibly tiger force embarkation leave (after Catterick assessment) but while on this the sudden Japanese Surrender happened and Tiger Force main personnel movements cancelled. Ross
Thank you Ross for your further information, I had never heard of Tiger Force and found this very interesting. It seems possible that my father with his experience in India, could have been required to train aircrew in the UK or in fact be part of the deployment to the Pacific? West Kirby seemed a 'bit out of the way' to me to send someone to from arriving in Glasgow from India, but your comments that it acted for all the west coast ports, makes this possible. You say in your reply about West Kirby, "the personnel were posted out and posted in as late as possible which explains the move to Brighton". What do you mean by "as late as possible"? Do you or others viewing this post, have any comments on my previous queries of the different dates on my father's Commission parchment or the change to the "S" Signals brevet? I would appreciate any further comments.
Thank you Ross for your further information, I had never heard of Tiger Force and found this very interesting. It seems possible that my father with his experience in India, could have been required to train aircrew in the UK or in fact be part of the deployment to the Pacific? All are possible in the realm of what you have posted on this thread - without more context from his service record I cannot narrow down more and can only respond to your reading and retell. West Kirby seemed a 'bit out of the way' to me to send someone to from arriving in Glasgow from India, but your comments that it acted for all the west coast ports, makes this possible. Clyde does not specifically mean Glasgow - there are numerous other ports that were in use on the Clyde for Embarkation/Disembarkation of transports. You say in your reply about West Kirby, "the personnel were posted out and posted in as late as possible which explains the move to Brighton". What do you mean by "as late as possible"? To prevent congestion at RAF West Kirby and ease loading/unloading operations at the ports. Do you or others viewing this post, have any comments on my previous queries of the different dates on my father's Commission parchment or the change to the "S" Signals brevet? Adoption of badge introduced in January 1944 RAF Flying Badges_U All appointments were posted (gazetted) in papers published By Authority - they were then repeated on periodic Air Force Lists. This was the official seniority (gradation) date - paper followed when admin staff got round to it. There was also periods of probation before confirmation where acting rank may be in force. eg Commonwealth Gazette ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE. - PERMANENT AIR FORCE. GENERAL DUTIES BRANCH. - Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 - 1973) - 20 Dec 1944 Each case is specific to that man - not all records of the time have been retained in archive - it's a matter of reading up about local procedures and events that would have impacted on him at that specific time and place. What you consider practice and rote now may not have been applied in the past. Ross
Thanks again Ross for responding with further information. I appreciate you clarifying a few points and for answering my queries. One new question from 'right field', my father said he was billeted at 'The Park Lane Hotel' in Piccadilly, London on one of his visits. I believe this is an upmarket hotel. Your opinion/thoughts please, would Australia House have organised a billet there (upmarket hotel) or do you think he would have decided to stay there using his own resources? On other visits to London he stayed at a YMCA Hostel in Arundel Street, Strand and the Dominion Officers Club in Berkley Square.
Again could have been either but more probably it would have been an arranged military billet. With war came the reduction in civilian travel dramatically reducing the number of rooms/suites that were occupied in hotels but this was offset by the need for transit military billet. In Brighton the RAF used the Grand Hotel for office/admin space as well as transit billet accommodation and the Park Lane hotel was used in a similar fashion by the tri-services. Most RAF and Commonwealth/Dominion personnel use was as overflow accommodation for the duration by the nearby RAF club. Although the pre war quality was opulence the shortage of reinvestment cash, repair/staff trades and food rationing would have had it's toll over the war years in the quality of surrounds. So as I have said, do not consider that the hotel status now and pre war also applied during the war years. Ross
