Searching For My Grandfather

I now believe the surname is spelt – Fillion

Thanks for all the help, I will look into all of them. It seems a mixed view that 346/347 squadron at Elvington were RAF or FFAF?? I have had this problem before!

Maj, there was an earlier thread for someone looking for one of the aircrew and it might give a little more background information: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?118050-Seeking-family-history-WWII-RAF-Records-help-needed&highlight=elvington+halifax+france
Here is another: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?91989-Looking-for-information-concerning-Sergent-Chef-BIAGGI
Good luck!

The French aviation history forum that I use is http://www.aerostories.org/~aeroforums/forumhist/index.php. There you’ll find a goodly number of people who are very knowledgeable on their subjects. Even if they don’t have the answers you want, I suspect that they’ll be able to point you in the right direction to find them.

Thanks for the help, I have been given a lot of advice. I need to sit and think what is the best way forward. I did post on the French Halifax forum mentioned above, nothing came from that. If you could send a hyperlink that would be great. I did read a request like mine and the chap had no reply from the French records people after sending payment and many request?? I suppose I have to try every option, and hope one strikes lucky.

Many thanks, Martyn.

He would not have been in service with the RAF / RAFVR, he would have been FFAF within one of their squadrons, it is just they were under the command of the RAF, your record search will have to be with French military records.

Martyn, might I suggest that a post on one of the French aviation history forums might be worthwhile? If you’re interested, I can provide you with the requisite hyperlinks.

Royal Air Force personnel records are held in the MOD archive and disclosure provided via the RAF Disclosure section. Personnel record information will, unless DPA 98 and FOIA 2000 regulation dictate otherwise, only be divulged to the person to whom it refers, or, if deceased to their immediate next of kin (25 year exclusivity period from date of death). Anyone else must obtain written permission from the person about whom they are enquiring, or from the next of kin if falling within the 25 year period, before any information can be given to them.

Those requiring information from a Service record should submit an application in accordance with the MOD FOIA Publication Scheme. An administrative charge of £30.00 is applied per deceased record requested and if cheques are submitted with queries, they should be made payable to ‘HMG Sub-Account 3627’. The only people exempt this charge are the widow/widower, civil partner or parent if the other categories are not applicable.

Requesting Records of Deceased Service Personnel

The RAF Disclosure address is:

RAF Disclosures
Room 6, Trenchard Hall
RAFC Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 8HB

Hope this helps

Moggy

Try RAF Archives then? Or more likely, RAF PMA at Innsworth. Should be able to help any next-of-kin.

Thanks for that info. Do you know what area I should submit my request into on this page please?

Thanks,Martyn.

As far as I’m aware, records are no longer kept at Innsworth. The RAF disclosures department is now at RAF Cranwell, here’s a link to the RAF website where you can submit an access request online.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/community/support/requestforinformationfromservicerecords.cfm

Try RAF Archives then? Or more likely, RAF PMA at Innsworth. Should be able to help any next-of-kin.

Hello, thanks for that info. I know of this site and I have seen this picture before, unfortunately this is not him. I contacted the site and told them my position and they put 2 and 2 together and got 5! The name on the photo was just ‘Filion’ they added the ‘Claude’ when I contacted them. But it needs removing, I have been told that his records may be in RAF archives, not sure if that’s true.

Many thanks.

I think I have found a picture of him…… 🙂 scroll down to

http://halifax346et347.canalblog.com/archives/p220-10.html

Mécaniciens avions Elvington 1944/1945.

(collection: Famille MALHERBE, “André HAUTOT”)

De droite à gauche:

LAFFONT, Claude FILLION, MONTEIL, MANIVERT, SABOUL, SALAS, FERNANDEZ, OUDOT, ESCLAPEZ, BRUTAIL, DESCOTEIX, WACK, HUGUET, CANTIVA, ESTRUCK, PEREZ, DUFOUR, COQUET, Adjt COURTOT, VETWILLER, BLANC, MALHERBE, PEPE.

For 346 try searching for Groupe 2/23 ‘Guyenne’

Here are a couple of sites as starters

http://halifax346et347.canalblog.com/archives/2013/01/22/26220118.html

http://anfas.fr/escadron/guyenne-chapitre-04.pdf

http://www.memorial-genweb.org/~memorial2/html/fr/resultregi.php?nunit=9994&tunit=R.A.F.+346th+Squadron

Hi, and welcome.
I think the Historic forum might have been a better place for this question – if a passing, kindly mod could relocate it there I expect some info would be forthcoming a lot quicker than it would if left here…