WAAF Met Office records

Discussion in 'The Women of WW2' started by Sarah Moir Low, Jan 30, 2018.

  1. Good evening.
    My Mum was in the Met Office during the war; I have her service record which details which RAF base she was attached to and when.
    My question is that for my Dad, who was in the army, I can access War Diaries which are great at telling me exactly where he was and what he was doing but for Mum, there are no diaries for the WAAF .... or are there?
    The National Archives are offering me RAF Operation Record Books but I have to know which squadron was attached to the base she was at, and this is not shown on her service record as, obviously, she was attached to the base.
    Are there any records similar to war diaries which will give me a flavour of what she was up to?!
    Many thanks.
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Sarah
    Which base/airfield was she attached too


    regards
    Clive
     
  3. She moved about! After initial training she was at the Air Ministry Unit, then at RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Stn Banff, RAF Stn Wigtown, Bishops Court, West Brough, RAF Snailwell (sp?) and 105 PDC. (She was a Section Officer.)
     
  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  5. OH! That's really lovely, will print that out and read it now. Mummy always said she had to stand at the chart tables. I'm particularly interested to find out whether there is any truth to a story she used to tell: she and her girls were rushed off their feet one day, no breaks, with runners bringing information constantly; she was finally relieved in the early hours and went straight to bed. In the morning when she woke and opened the curtains, the runways of the base were like a parking lot, covered with planes, and she discovered she had been bringing the Americans in. Who knows!
     
  6. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Why not believe her?
    The Americans began to build up their Air Force in England after Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941, so from 1942 onwards, there would be a constant stream of bombers and other aircraft streaming in to Prestwick and other bases.
    Why don't you try and contact the RAF Records Section and explain the situation regarding wanting her records, before "it's too late"?
    With them to hand to help jog her memory, you can build up a much better picture of "her war" for the family to preserve.

    She does seem to have been based at some inhospitable bases, but vital for convoy protection - as well as bringing the USAAF safely here!
     
  7. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Many moons ago, probably the mid-1990's, I wrote to the Met Office at Bracknell with a query about weather reports and WW2. I received a very informative reply from Bill Giles no-less who tried to answer my queries. I wonder if it might be worth doing a similar thing to see if they hold any records about WAAF service, or general WW2 operations.
     
    CL1 likes this.
  8. Thank you both for your responses. I do have Mummy's service records but they are "bare". Another gentleman has suggested someone to email who may be able to help with a flovour of the WAAF Met office work, or maybe suggestions as to where to go next. Am off to Kew this week to look up Daddy's movements - easier as there are war diaries.
    Just as an aside: she also had a story that after she met Daddy, who had gone to RAF Lossiemouth to pick up some equipment, he organised a date. He worked with tanks and "borrowed" one to take her on a trip on the dunes!
     

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