RAF WWII Operational and Flying Accident Casualty Files in The National Archives: Exploring their Contents
256
RAF WWII Operational and Flying Accident Casualty Files in The National Archives: Exploring their Contents
256eBook
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Overview
At its height during the Second World War, the RAF totaled 185,000 personnel. All information concerning casualties was carefully complied at the Air Ministry and now, from these the official records, those covering operational losses (in the air and on the ground) and flying accidents are being made available to the public through The National Archives.
This huge collection of casualty files contains a wealth of contemporary documentation from a variety of sources including captured German records. It includes official documents, examples of which are given, accounts of searches undertaken to establish the fate of the missing, places of burial, copies of information received from the International Red Cross and from sources within enemy occupied lands, as well as letters from family and friends some of which reveal dark secrets of bigamy, adultery, illegitimacy, debt and dishonor.
In this groundbreaking book, Mary Hudson has used her expert knowledge to provide an invaluable guide to the understanding of these records for use by researchers and family members alike.
“An intriguing work bringing the fruits of many years of inside experience into the hands of those trying to find the missing piece in the jigsaw of a family tree or any RAF historian.” —The Shackleton Association
“Fascinating . . . illustrates the dedication of the teams who handled the difficult issues of death and the missing in a very compassionate and dedicated manner.” —Journal of The Orders & Medals Research Society
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781526783530 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Pen and Sword |
| Publication date: | 12/14/2020 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| File size: | 23 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements xii
Glossary xiii
Foreword xv
Introduction xvii
Part 1 Casualty Handling of the Dead, Missing, Wounded and Injured 1
Chapter 1 The Air Ministry Casualty Branch 2
First Casualties 2
Pre 1939 3
Sources of information 4
Formation of P4 (Casualty) 8
Responsibilities 8
Far East Casualties 9
Post War 10
Chapter 2 Air Ministry Casualty Branch P Files (RAF Casualty Files) 11
Classification of non-fatal casualties 11
Message formats for reporting casualties 11
Priority of casualty reporting messages 11
Building of the file contents 12
Personnel with more than one casualty file 12
Casualty Files not selected for The National Archives 13
Casualty files reference system 13
File covers 14
Cause of Casualty Prefix 15
Examples of file covers for flying losses 16
Chapter 3 Casualty Files for Non-Flying Battle Casualties 19
Reporting message 19
Ground Operational casualties 20
Non Flying Losses at sea 22
Shipping 22
RAF Marine Craft Section 24
Casualties from enemy action on land 26
RAF Regiment 26
Ground personnel 29
Escapers, Evaders and Internees 30
Definitions 30
Hague Convention 1907 30
Wearing of civilian clothes 30
Chapter 4 Casualty Files for Flying Casualties 31
Courts of Inquiry documents 32
Multi crew Casualty Files 32
Supernumerary Crew & Passengers 32
Signal Message A (Crash Signal) 34
Aircraft Identification markings & Engine numbers 35
Parent Unit 37
Crash details 38
Crew information 40
Condition of the casualties 42
Next of Kin information 43
Location of crew 43
Ordnance & special equipment carried 44
Cause of aircraft loss 47
Category of damage to aircraft 48
Salvage 49
Kin Forming 49
Airfield crash 49
Cargo 49
Passengers 49
Examples of Crash Signals 50
Chapter 5 Circumstantial Reports & Accident Forms 765(c) & 551 55
Circumstantial Reports 55
Examples 58
Form 765(c) reporting a Flying Accident 61
Examples 63
Form 412 Proceedings of Court of Inquiry 70
Form 551 Reporting Accidental or Self-inflicted injuries 70
Example 71
Chapter 6 Kin Forming 73
Nominated Next of Kin 73
"Person to be notified" 73
Next of Kin informed by Unit 74
Non-fatal casualties 75
Classification of medical condition 76
Facilitation of next of kin visits 77
Chapter 7 Funerals & Burials in UK 78
Civil Deaths and Disposal Certificates 78
HM Coroner's Inquests 79
Deaths due to War Operations 80
Definition 80
AM Form AFWD "Air Force War Death" 81
Funeral Arrangements 82
Options 82
Meeting the costs 84
Funeral Provision post 1943 85
Burials 86
Service Burial Plots 87
RAF Regional Cemeteries 87
Record of Burial 88
Example of RAF Burial Return 89
Chapter 8 Overseas Funerals & Burials 90
Funerals at overseas bases 90
Field Graves 92
Air Crew Dead in Occupied Europe & Germany 94
Geneva Convention on Burial 94
Graves Registration 94
Axis Burial Information 95
Locations of graves Europe 95
Graves in Germany 95
Burials by German Authorities 99
Repatriation policy 100
Chapter 9 Casualties Missing Presumed Dead 102
Certification of Death 102
Presumption of Death 103
When Presumed 104
Example documents from a Presumption case 105
Legal provisions for Armed Forces Presumptions 110
Problems in Scotland 112
Example of Certification of Death, Scots casualty 113
Part 2 Tracing the Missing and Identification of the Dead 117
Chapter 10 The RAF Missing Research & Enquiry Service 118
Formation of P4(Casualty) Missing Section 118
Work of Missing Section 120
Establishment of RAF Missing Research & Enquiry Service 121
First Field Units 121
Casualty figures 122
Missing Research Enquiry Units 122
Policy 124
Chapter 11 Sources of information available to MRES working in Europe 127
Casualty P File Information 127
Information received prior to Liberation 127
Information received post Liberation 129
German KE Reports 133
Examples of KE File documents 134
Chapter 12 MRES Documents on Casualty Files 154
AFW3372 Graves Registration Report Form 155
MRES Investigation Report 156
Format 157
Map references 158
Example Report 160
Exhumation Documents 163
Definition of exhumation 163
Exhumation Reports 164
Aids to Identification 165
ID Tags 165
Physical description 167
Teeth 167
Personal possessions 167
Clothing 170
Rank badges & Air crew brevets 170
Footwear 172
Examples of Exhumation Reports 174
American Involvement 188
Removal of non-American remains 189
RAF Liaison Officers 189
Examples of US Army Identification Check Lists 195
Post Mortem/Autopsy Reports 209
War Crimes 209
Example of Autopsy Report for possible war crime 210
Eye Witness testimony 214
Chapter 13 Burial Documentation 215
Graves Registration Report Forms 217
Examples of Grave Registration Report Forms 217
Burial Detail Acceptance Forms 219
Example of Burial Detail Acceptance Form 219
Example Grave Concentration Report Form 220
Chapter 14 Far East Casualty Files 221
Lack of documentation 221
Example of Japanese POW index entry 222
RAF losses in the Far East 222
Rare 1944 ground search report 224
The Missing 235
Air Ministry actions during hostilities 235
Information from released prisoners 236
RAPWI 237
Search Teams 237
Burials in the Far East 239
Still Missing 240
Part 3 Correspondence with Next of Kin & Civil Organisations held on Casualty Branch P Files 241
Chapter 15 Correspondence with Next of Kin 242
Who wrote 243
Correspondence concerning identification & concentration of the Dead 246
Chapter 16 Commemoration of the Dead 249
Letters about type of official commemoration 249
Role of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission 250
Marking of Air Force Graves 251
Types of headstone 251
Use of Air Force Crest 252
Policy for marking Air Force Graves 252
Personal inscription 255
Commemoration of those with No Known Grave 255
CWGC Air Force Memorials 255
Private memorials 260
Chapter 17 Concerning Disposal of Personal Effects 263
Legal basis of disposal process 263
Flying Log Books 264
Disposal of POW effects 264
Disposal of deceased & those presumed dead effects 265
Overseas disposal process 266
Personal belongings recovered post war 266
Chapter 18 Concerning Financial Matters 269
Correspondence with Next of Kin 269
Pay & Allowances 269
Allotments 271
Family allowance 271
Dependents Allowance 272
War Service Grant 272
Pensions 273
War Gratuity 274
Post War Credits 274
Far East Casualties 274
Monies from Previous Employers 275
Chapter 19 Remains Recovered post 1952 276
Authority for the identity of recovered remains 277
Burial arrangements 278
Identity investigations of Unknowns 278
Marking of grave 278
Military Aircraft excavations 279
Overseas aircraft crash sites 279
Appendix A Casualties to RAF Dominion & Allied Personnel at RAF Posting Disposal 281
Appendix B MOD Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre 282
Appendix C Commonwealth War Graves Commission 284
Appendix D DNA Testing 286
Appendix E Next of Kin (Precedence) 288
Appendix F Missing Research & Enquiry Service Areas of Operation 290
Appendix G Location of Aircraft Engine Numbers 292
Appendix H RCAF, RAAF, & RNZAF Casualty Sections Wartime locations in London 294
Appendix I Status of Education Officers in the RAF 295
Appendix J Further Sources of Information 297
Further Reading 301