DDM,
Is there no way you can get his RAF service number from someone/somewhere? If there are any surviving RAF documents, passes, demob letters etc. or possesions from his time in the RAF they might have his service number on? You can then apply for his RAF personnel records. The service number is required, but they might do a search for his records, if you can only give them his ‘last three’.
Have you tried his name in the various search engines? If he was bomber aircrew, you could also try as many of the bomber dedicated websites as you can find, for a bomber type, squadron, or group. You could also try posting this query on their forums. Might turn up someone who knew him & could tell you a squadron he was on. When you know that, you could try the squadron’s ORB, there could be a mention of his service number there, such as when he was posted in/out, or on a nominal roll of the squadron.
I have a small book ‘The records of the Royal Air Force, how to find the Few’ By Eunice Wilson (pub by the Federation of Family History Societies, 1991). In it Eunice mentions that she is compiling a list of RAF names, culled from many sorces. At the time of writing parts of the list had already been given to the RAF Museum, the eventual destination when it’s finished (if ever). The aim of the list is to give you a starting point for research on a person. Once you’ve got a reference to a mention of a person in a document etc. you can spread your search out from there. The name of this list is ‘How to find the Few’. An email to DoRIS at Hendon should turn up some info on it. Your grandfather’s name may or may not be on it, but it’s a resource worth bearing in mind with any future research. Perhaps you could let me know how you get on with this list, if you do contact Hendon?
Have just found that the PRO website has Eunice on their list of freelance researchers. Her address is- 143 Harbord Street, London, SW6 6PN. Please enclose an SAE, and two first class stamps.
Hope this is of some help.
Geoff.
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