R.A.F. A.C. Regular

[Pauline1]

Hi

I have been trying to search my father's side of the family for about 2 months, having done most of my mother's side, However I have got my mother's marriage certificate and that of my birth certificate which states that my father was A.C. Regular, what does that mean? I also have his Rank Number as
2306159, he was stationed at the RAF Camp in Ashbourne Derbyshire/Staffordshire at the time of his marriage to my mother in 1950. I never knew a great deal about my father since my mum and dad divorced when I was seven but I have managed to obtain my father's birth certificate from the Scottish GRO as my mother always said he came from Inverness, which I since found out he was born in Glasgow and more than likely joined the RAF Base from Inverness until he came to Ashbourne.

[Neil Wilson]

Hello Pauline
For your father's service records see here (http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/raf.html)

RAF Ashbourne - well it is an industrial site now. There are plenty of photos on the web, but not much as to the role around that time, possibly munitions.

When joining the RAF, all recruits were normally sent to one square bashing station, then posted to their training station(s) before being posted to their first station filling a trade role.

[Pauline1]

Hi Neil, Thankyou for your reply and thankyou for the link :) I'll have a nosey and see what transpires. I think my father made a wise choice having seen the street he was born on via Googles Street View.

[Richard1955]

Hi Pauline
My father was in the RAF for 40 years.
A.C. stands for Aircraftman.
A.C.W is Aircraftwoman

Good luck
Richard

[Pauline1]

Hi Richard.

Thankyou for confirming the A/C for me.

Phew I think I'll need lots of luck, I've reached stalemate |banghead| on my father's side. I have his birth certificate which gives only his mother's name and on my mother's marriage certificate it gives his father as Robert |help|

[Neil Wilson]

Phew I think I'll need lots of luck, I've reached stalemate |banghead| on my father's side. I have his birth certificate which gives only his mother's name and on my mother's marriage certificate it gives his father as Robert |help|
Pauline
If the certificate only shows his mother's name, this could indicate that she was unmarried at the time of birth. Sometime when people got married they gave the name of their mother's husband, without knowing whether this was their true father or not, but maybe to save face at the time. Have you checked his baptism entry?

[Richard1955]

Hi Pauline
2306159 will be your father's service number.
A.C. would be his rank.
He would have joined the RAF at a recrutment office at that time and not an RAF camp so he may not have been stationed in Scotland at all.
You will learn more by getting his service records.

Regards
Richard

[Richard1955]

Pauline
If the certificate only shows his mother's name, this could indicate that she was unmarried at the time of birth. Sometime when people got married they gave the name of their mother's husband, without knowing whether this was their true father or not, but maybe to save face at the time. Have you checked his baptism entry?
Or married before and widowed but it should tell you that on the marriage certificate
Regards
Richard

[Pauline1]

Hi Richard,

Thankyou for your postings, my appologies for not replying earlier. Apart from the place of Recruitment what other type of info would be held on his service record.

Regards

Pauline

[Lincoln Lad]

Service records will normally contain next of kin details, date of birth etc. Postings and time served at postings, awards and fines etc. all sorts of information is usually contained.

[Pauline1]

Thanks Lincoln Lad, much appreciated, It's got to be worth £30.00. then. :)