Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

From the National Archives website, you can download RAF Squadron ORB's (AIR27 file series) and pilots' combat reports (AIR50 series) but (a) it's hard to work out which are the bits you actually want and (b) you have to pay for them and the cost can quickly mount up. At Kew you can view these items onscreen and print only the pages you need and it's a bit cheaper per page (25p last time I used the system), so if you want a really large number of items a trip to Kew might work out cheaper overall.

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

Or if you go to Kew, take a digital camera/smartphone and take photos of the screens. Works out a bit cheaper.

Simon

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

Depends what sort of quality you want, especially if the legibility of the originals isn't great (you get the impression that new typewriter ribbons were in short supply sometimes).

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

There is a new digital preview option available for RAF ORB's in AIR27 in the UK National Archives Discovery Database

(AIR27 is operational Squadrons, not OTU's, not training units, not Groups, Wings stations etc, just Squadrons)

I put together a little guide from my experience of using them.

http://www.ww2irishaviation.com/TNA_...guidelines.pdf

They have a text water mark still but I've provided a few examples of what you might find.

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

The National Archives are currently giving a free (limited to 10 documents at once and a total of 50 by month) access to their digitalized archives. If you download 49, you can order 10 more so in fact you can download 59... per mailing adress.

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

And since my old post the on-site system At Kew has changed too. Now you can select the various items you want and email to yourself in a batch rather than printing them out, all free of charge. (Not that this matters while TNA is shut down!)

Re: RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version)
 

Hope this doesn’t interrupt the thread. I’m trying to pull together a full record of my Uncle’s service in 619 Squadron RAF (Bomber Command) in 1943.

I’ve got the AIR27’s from the National Archives (via the download quoted above) but they don’t tell you a hell of a lot - they’re short-form notes about how the attack went from each aircraft’s POV. “Bombed the Green TIs, lots of smoke” etc.

It’s as though they are one desk of many in the post-op interrogation. Are there more detailed (or other) notes somewhere? I know from my Uncle’s diaries and letters they experienced fighter attacks etc. none of which is in the AIR27s.

Many thanks, Don