RAF Casualty Reports – Limited Public Consultation

Thanks for the advice Ross. I’ll drop the RAFM a line.

Cheers

Michael

Thanks for that up-date, Simon.

Interesting.

Casualty Packs

I have today heard again from the MOD regarding the possible release to Kew of RAF Casualty Records. These were scheduled for release to the TNA but the release was blocked because of ‘sensitivity issues’. The following e-mail from the relevant MOD department refers:

“Further to my (previous e-mail), approval to proceed with the limited public consultation has been received, and a description of the records and the sensitivity issues arising from them been issued to a range of ex service and RAF associations. We have asked for a response by mid November and would therefore anticipate (allowing for a consideration of the responses and further approval) to know an outcome by early 2013.”

The public consultation is, indeed, very limited it seems! Am I alone, I wonder, in suspecting that the organisations consulted have been given a very definite and biased ‘steer’ to ensure that the desired outcome is achieved and that these important archives remain firmly ‘Closed’?

Defence Business Services (DBS) have the job of transferring 56,000 packs to the NA, the first 8,000 are to be reviewed and transferred by the 31st March 2014. 316 were delivered to the NA on the 28th October 2013. Vince Groom the Chief Information Officer of DBS has stated that the first section to be released will cover the 4th September 1939 until 13th May 1940 and will include the raid on the Albert Canal (12th May).
An interesting period which will include ‘The Battle of Barking Creek’ !!

The Stirling F1180s raised for the 10th/11th are

R9357
BF345

So looks like negative on F1180. Try RAFM to see if BC Loss card raised.

Regards
Ross

Thanks for the additional detail Ross. I’m looking to see if the following aircraft will be included: –

Stirling
BF347

It crashed at 02:55hrs on 11th September 1942 while trying to make an emergency landing at West Malling Airfield, Kent, following a raid on Dusseldorf.

Cheers

Michael

Hi VACB,

The two main incident classifications are FA (Flying Accident) and FB (Flying Battle).

AO (Air Operations) was a sub category that could be applied to either FA or FB. This was used when the aircraft was flying an operational sortie.

Usually FB with AO was an incident directly attributed to enemy action eg intruder victory. For Bomber Command it would generate a Bomber Loss Card and subsequently a Casualty Pack.

Where the incident happened some time after the enemy action eg tyre collapsed on landing due to shrapnel over target it would be classed as FB/AO. Depending on crew injuries a casualty pack may or may not be created.

A few incidents were changed from the initial FB/AO to FA/AO where it was thought that the primary cause was not enemy action but that the enemy event was a secondary cause. In this case a Casualty Pack was not created but a Form 1180 Accident Card was.

A quick and dirty go at seeing if a casualty pack may be in the pipeline for release is to see if a Form 1180 had been created. If no F1180 then most likely that a Loss Card/Casualty Pack was used.

What incident are you wondering about?

Regards
Ross

Thanks Andy, I think I’ll just have to wait and see.

Regards

Michael

I think, vacb, that it just depends upon how the incident was classified; ie whether the ‘accident’ was directly attributable to combat damage on the operation in question. Ross McNeil may be a better person to comment on this?

As to the photographs in the article, Whitley Project and D1566, both were supplied by ‘Britain at War’ from their archive or sources and I am not aware what might be known about those images. I’ll ask.

Does anyone know whether an accident on trying to land, following an operation, would be included or excluded? Many thanks.

Lets hope they don’t censor the names like the AHB do. I doubt the national archives would ever do anything as idiotic as that.

Incidentally Andy, the aircraft remains in your second smaller picture look like a Whitley

Also the larger picture?

Lets hope they don’t censor the names like the AHB do. I doubt the national archives would ever do anything as idiotic as that.

Incidentally Andy, the aircraft remains in your second smaller picture look like a Whitley

Bizarrely, one can access (on line!) such records so far as they relate to RAAF personnel.

This has infuriated me, my grandfather flew with an Australian squadron and i can access his pilots records but i cant view his records because of him being RAF…… Its stupid really, would of thought after all these years they could release this kind of information.

There is even a digital copy on line…..

First lot of packs have been dispatched to the NA.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ww2-raf-casualty-packs-archived

OK thanks Andy

Si

No, I’m afraid that accidents are not included.

Hi all

Good news indeed. Do you think that bomber training flights (1942) would be included, or would that fall into the FA category?

Thanks

Simon

Very good news these records have been released.

Yes, exactly so Ross. Good to have that update.

Cheers Andy for the extra info.

Looks like my answer from the TNA has shown things have moved on with the allocation of class and piece numbers.

Regards
Ross

Ross

I compiled a short piece for Britain at War Magazine on this very topic, as below.

Also, I posed a number of questions (here) to TNA on this topic. Here are my questions and the answers from TNA:

Please are you able to advise a release date or programme for release of the RAF casualty records currently being transferred from MOD (AHB) to TNA?

When will they be available for inspection?

The RAF casualty packs are still being reviewed for selection and transfer by the Ministry of Defence. Until this process has been completed, The National Archives is unable to advise on a release date or when they will be available for inspection.

What period(s) will they cover?

The RAF casualty records will cover the period from 1939 to 1945.

What will be the class, document and piece numbers?

The files will be catalogued under the department/series code AIR 81. At this stage, the exact number of piece numbers is undetermined, as the Ministry of Defence is still reviewing the collection. The collection consists of approximately 4000 boxes, and included incidents other than casualties and deaths.

How will they be indexed/listed?

The catalogue details should include the individual’s name, the plane make and number, and the date of the individual/s death or when the plane was reported missing.

Will hard copy documents be available?

The RAF casualty packs will be transferred in their original paper format to The National Archives.

How many files in total?

The Ministry of Defence is unable to give a definite number in terms of total number of files. Ministry of Defence hopes to give an accurate figure and timetable once the selection and preparation phase is complete.

NOTE: The copy below is the un-edited/uncorrected page proof from the magazine and thus contains uncorrected typos and other minor errors. Please refer to the magazine in question for the full corrected version.