Abreviations in Service Records

[timlinda@optusnet.com.au]

My father was a founder member of the RAF Regiment.

His service record shows that, with the rank of Flt. Sgt, he was at IPDC on the 10 September 1942 before taking part in operation Torch in N Africa. Prior to that as a Sgt., immediately before the formal formation of RAFR, he had attended "no. 21 course 'C'" on 15 December 1941.

Can anybody tell me what IPDC was, and what was course "C"?

[Forrest Anderson]

My father... was at IPDC on the 10 September 1942 before taking part in operation Torch in N Africa.

This will be 1 PDC, ie No 1 Personnel Despatch Centre. It was based at Uxbridge in Middlesex until February 1941, whereupon it moved to West Kirby in Cheshire.

There is quite a lot on the Internet about West Kirby, although most relates to National Service training. For example, see the following links

RAF West Kirby Association - http://www.rafwka.co.uk/index.htm

Maps of RAF West Kirby - http://www.westwight.clara.co.uk/WK11.htm

A search at www.google.com for...

"1 PDC" RAF

...and similar search terms will also find some interesting links.


Forrest (who has just joined the forum, and is catching up with some unanswered questions!)

[Neil Wilson]

Guessing here C = conversion ?

Have you applied for his service records?

[timlinda@optusnet.com.au]

Thanks for that, 1PDC seems to be the likely explanation, as Kingsley Oliver's "RAF Regiment at war" has the RAFR contingent of the Torch Invasion force assembled at West Kirby prior to embarkation.