Please forgive a simpleton, but what are the “K-Files” referred to on Ross McNeills excellent RAF Commands website?
http://www.rafcommands.com/home.html
Dean
By: dees01 - 21st October 2004 at 09:43
MACRs
Missing Aircraft Combat Report??
By: skypilot62 - 21st October 2004 at 08:54
I asked Ross McNeill (who runs RAF Commands) this very question back in Sept 2003.. He replied as
The K Files are a series of documents that were created 1943-45 (most in
1945).They are Reports of Loss of Aircraft on Operations.
In essence they are the debrief reports of either evaders or PoWs on what
happened to their aircraft. Some times the info was fed back to the squadron
for inclusion in the ORB.They can be considered similar in detail to the USAAF MACRs.
Only a small number have survived and, up until Derek looked at them, they
had no real catalogue.Well worth a read if you are at the National Archives.
Regards
Ross”
Thank you one and all! Sounds like a valuable resource there.
By: paulmcmillan - 21st October 2004 at 08:45
I asked Ross McNeill (who runs RAF Commands) this very question back in Sept 2003.. He replied as
The K Files are a series of documents that were created 1943-45 (most in
1945).
They are Reports of Loss of Aircraft on Operations.
In essence they are the debrief reports of either evaders or PoWs on what
happened to their aircraft. Some times the info was fed back to the squadron
for inclusion in the ORB.
They can be considered similar in detail to the USAAF MACRs.
Only a small number have survived and, up until Derek looked at them, they
had no real catalogue.
Well worth a read if you are at the National Archives.
Regards
Ross”
By: von Perthes - 21st October 2004 at 08:23
Dean,
‘K files’ or ‘K reports’ were submitted by survivors of bomber crews on the circumstances in which their aircraft were lost on operations. These can be found at the PRO (or is it TNA now?) in AIR14, piece nos 3466-3473.
I don’t know if Hendon also have the ‘K reports’.
Geoff.
By: skypilot62 - 21st October 2004 at 01:57
Probably Air Britains excellent The K File – a listing of all the aircraft order for military use, mainly in the 1930s, that were given a serial in the Kxxxx series.
Flood
That was my first thought but it isn’t that. The list contains aircraft from all war years e.g. 1943, 1944 etc. and are a/c which are way later than “K****” serials.
By: Flood - 21st October 2004 at 01:33
Probably Air Britains excellent The K File – a listing of all the aircraft order for military use, mainly in the 1930s, that were given a serial in the Kxxxx series.
Flood
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October 21, 2004 at 1:02 am