Help required RAF kit bag (markings Vengeance Malta) dated 1942

If the service number is from 1949 then surely this bag wouldn’t be anything to do with transporting RAF personnel to the Far East.

For information only, HMS Vengeance was refitted from August 1951 as a troop ship, departing Glasgow on 21/1/1952 with aircraft and men for Singapore. In June 1952, after refitting (again) as an aircraft transport, it left Portsmouth carrying aircraft to…Malta.
http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/vengitin2.htm

Re 812 Sq on Vengeance: sadly the unit is omitted from Vengeance’s summary in the rear of Sturtivant’s book, which I was using as a guide, but its time on Vengeance does figure in the text for 812’s history.

Because of the Admiralty’s failure to prepare for its responsibilities, the FAA continued to use RAF technical staff well into the war, although 1945 is a little late. It is perhaps likelier that the carrier was being used for personnel transport out to the Far East, so he need not have been attached to the FAA at all.

However, the service number information appears more definitive.

A good point Ross,so the Vengeance listed on the kit bag in theory cannot be HMS Vengeance,as like you say Raf personal wouldn’t of been part of the crew. so i take it on board would only be the fleet air arm airman?

Doubt it very much for two reasons.

1. The squadrons are FAA and as such the bods would have been naval airmen in the FAA rather than RAF

and

2. The service number block was 4040000 to 4049999 Oct 1949 Regular enlistments Non ATC Cardington. So the earliest he could have enlisted was 1949 four years after the events you give.

Ross

The date of manufacture is not necessarily the date of use. HMS Vengeance did not enter service until January 1945, with 1850 Sq (Corsairs) joining in February. In March they were at Hal Far, Malta, rejoining the ship in March. So Vengeance did stop there on her way out to the British Pacific Fleet.

Which may or may not be relevant…

Many thanks for the 2 replies,

Thanks for the info,
I also believe that 812 Squadron also embarked on HMS Vengeance along with 1850 squadron during Feb 1945,and were based as you say at Hal Far Malta.812 Squadron then flew exercises over Sicily.
So its possible that Lac Smith may of been part of this squadron.
Hopefully someone can help throw anymore light into this.

The date of manufacture is not necessarily the date of use. HMS Vengeance did not enter service until January 1945, with 1850 Sq (Corsairs) joining in February. In March they were at Hal Far, Malta, rejoining the ship in March. So Vengeance did stop there on her way out to the British Pacific Fleet.

Which may or may not be relevant…

hawker1966,

The Vultee Vengance was an American built dive bomber supplied to the RAF in India in’42, and used in the Burma campaigns of ’43 and ’44. I Post about them on “PPRuNe > Military Aircrew > Gaining a RAF Pilots Brevet in WW2” They never were anywhere near Malta. 046S13 is not an airman’s number (possibly “046” is his “last three” and
“S13” means something else).

I would think there must have been a RN ship of that name. The Draft code would be on all kitbags going overseas – to ensure that kitbag and owner finished up on the same continent ! (When I went out to the States, it was “ATTS TRAILL” – what does that mean ? Lord knows !)

Danny.