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  1. #1

    Default RAF service record

    Hi,

    I am new to genealogy forums although I have been researching various parts of mine and my present and past wives for a little while on and off.

    My brother has recently acquired our father's RAF service record (served for just over 36 years!) and it is proving a bit difficult to interrupt and reconcile with what he would very occasionally impart to us. He joined up in May 1939 and was transferred to 30 MU from 9 London TC. In February 1940 he was transferred from 30 MU to 21 AD at sometime transferred to 58 MU. He was transferred to 16MU. June 1940 there was a transfer to 21 AD(UK) and then in July he was transferred to 58 MU, sometimes at 16 MU.

    At the end of July 1941 he sails to South Africa. Then there is an entry for September 1941 which appears to read AONS+BS and then October AFTC Pollemor and HIAS.

    We know that MUs are Maintenance Units but not where these were located. As for the other abbreviations we have no clue. The Pollemor we think might be Pollsmoor (it was where Nelson Mandela was released from prison) and this would link to something he said when the television pictures were shown of Mandela's release.

    So any help with the abbreviations would be much appreciated, as would be any information about RAF stations in South Africa during WWII. There are other aspects of his wartime service in France that I need to reconcile but that is for another post.

    Thanks,

    Graham

  2. #2

    Default

    Graham, welcome to the British Genealogy Forum. I am also an Air Force Brat, and have acquired a couple of lists of assorted abbreviations...
    AD - Air Depot
    AONS - Air Observer and Navigator School.
    AFTC is not there, the closest are AF(T)S and AF(T)U - Advanced Flying (Training) School and Unit, respectively. There's quite a few starting with AF - Either Air Force(s) or Advanced Flying (whatever).
    +BS does not appear, but BSC is Basic Staff Course. A less official, pan-service list shows BSU as Bombing Survey Unit. It also has BSL - Below Sea Level (I don't think that applies )
    There's nothing near to HIAS. Everything beginning H on the list is either Home... or Heavy...
    MU - Maintenance Unit
    TC - Transport Command

  3. #3
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    Default

    AFTC could either be Air Force Test Centre or Air Force Technical College

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Fo...ege,_Bangalore

  4. #4
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    this article mentions "Pollsmoor Rest Camp"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peo...a7593401.shtml

    as to other RAF stations my father was at Pietermaritzburg for a while

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  6. #6

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    Thank you all for your replies.

    An email my brother has received from a South African military history website it would seem that AFTC stood for AirForce Training Centre and HIAS might be one of the air schools.

    All very intriguing as he was a carpenter!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Playford1651 View Post
    ...
    All very intriguing as he was a carpenter!
    Not that unusual, some of the planes in WW2 used wood in their construction. The de Havilland Mosquito was constructed almost entirely of wood, the Hawker Hurricane used both wood and metal, most propellors were wooden.
    Most of the buildings were also largely wooden constructions.

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