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

Just a quick question. Are there RAF Wings ORBs available online? Been looking for No 244 Wing but haven't found anything.

Cheers!

Dominik

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

Hi!
Just want to inform you that the link leading to Polish Air Force ORBs is no longer available and should now read as follows:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100719...b.polishaf.pl/

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

RAF Davidstow Moor:

http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/oper.../introduction/

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

No. 196 Squadron Form 540: (Daily Summary) March 1st 1944 to 16th August 1945
http://flyingpigsteve.webs.com/sorties.htm

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

RCAF ORB's:

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...c_mikan_135766

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

John

Great Find but is there any index for these Canadian ORBS thanks paul

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

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

David

Very Helpful
Thanks


Paul

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

Great asset! Thanks, JohnE. Unfortunately the index link that David Isby gave has too many gaps to be very useful. Here is my index for the 400 series fighter, fighter-bomber and fighter-recon squadrons (sorry bomber boys) during WW2. The "image no." is the starting point of each unit's documents. Any corrections are welcomed.

Reel ID (Image No.) Sqn.
C-12263 (10) 400
C-12264 (10) 400
C-12264 (1601) 401
C-12265 (10) 401
C-12266 (11) 401
C-12266 (762) 402
C-12267 (11) 402
C-12268 (10) 403
C-12269 (11) 403
C-12272 (699) 406
C-12273 (8) 406
C-12276 (1201) 409
C-12277 (6) 409
C-12277 (465) 410
C-12278 (6) 410
C-12278 (1284) 411
C12279 (7) 411
C12279 (515) 412
C-12281 (7) 412
C-12284 (11) 414
C-12287 (7) 416
C-12288 (8) 416
C-12288 (619) 417
C-12289 (7) 417
C-12290 (11) 418
C-12294 (1330) 421
C-12295 (2) 421
C-12304 (675) 430
C-12305 (9) 430
C-12317 (10) 438
C-12317 (1758) 439
C-12318 (10) 439
C-12318 (731) 440
C-12319 (10) 441
C-12319 (1235) 442
C-12320 (11) 442
C-12320 (1192) 443

Cheers,
Tom

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

RAF 211 Squadron Operations Record Books 1937 through to 1943:
http://www.211squadron.org/squadron_records.html

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

I will add this to the list, plus some recent work of my own, and update the list over the weekend. BTW, the scanned films available so far have some data as early as 1919 and as late as 1964.

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

Just realized you are working to an old link Tom... Try this one for now, I will post an update in a few days.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o1v0w8zdix...0_17.xlsx?dl=0

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

AS promised, an updated index to the RCAF on-line records.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5sxry9e0yn...1_06.xlsx?dl=0

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

Next update of RCAF records online. There is a second page added,with Canadian civil registration information, but you will have to view the file in Excel or Excel Online to access it. Link remains the same. I've just started going through the civil files, they contain information on aircraft owned or leased by the Canadian military, and on the fates of ex-military aircraft.

RCAF ORBs available on the Web
 

Royal Canadian Air Force Operations Record Books are all online now - as microfilm images.
(Albeit hard to determine which Squadron each is assigned to.)

See: http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...c_mikan_135766

Stay tuned... It is going to take a few days for me to itemize the more important of these! (To me at least...)

Examples:
RCAF 405 Sqdn, for which it's code number is c12270. It's url is: http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...270/11?r=o&s=1
_____________________

This resource also includes the Administration and Commonwealth Air Training Plan Operations Record Books in Canada during WW2!

Examples:
64 Base Middleton St. George 1 June . 1944 - 30 Jun. 1945 and 76 Base Topcliffe 1 Nov. 1944 - 31 Aug. 1945 and R Depot Haughton Greeen 15 Sept 1942 - 28 Feb. 1946
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...428/11?r=0&s=1

62 Base Linton-On-Ouse 18 Jan. 1943 - 31 Aug. 1945 and 63 Base Leeming 30 Jan. 1944 - 31 Aug. 1945
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...427/11?r=0&s=1

127 Wing HQ 11 Jul. 1943 - 7 Jul. 1945 and 128 Wing HQ 1 Aug. 1943 - 1 July. 1944 and 129 Wing HQ 4 Jul. 1943 - 14 Jul. 1944 and 143 Wing HQ 10 Jan. 1944 - 26 Aug 1945
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...426/10?r=0&s=1

District District HQ Middle East 27 May 1942 - 21 Jun. 1945 and HQ New Delhi India 14 Jan. 1943 - 31 Dec. 1945
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12425/6?r=0&s=1

Stn HQ Wombleton 10 Aug. 1943 - 20 Sep. 1945
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...423/10?r=0&s=1

Stn HQ Dunsfold 1 Dec. 42 - 7 Sep. 1942 and Stn HQ Middleton St. George 1 Jan. 43 - 31 May 1945
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...421/13?r=0&s=1

No. 9 Air Transport Group, RCAF Station Rockcliffe Ontario
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...166/12?r=0&s=1

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

Fred, read the posts above for link to an on-line index.

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

Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1949-1961:

http://rhkaaf.com/index.php/archive/...cord-book.html

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

Most RCAF ORBs are up on Canadian National Archives site.
Follow directions in this rafcommands thread.

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...ine-microfilms

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

OK, so be gentle as this is all pretty new to me from a research point of view, but having looked on here, there appear to be a number of links on this thread that don't now work, which is a real shame when sites go offline.

I am trying to find sources for any squadrons that have been at Manston, including full ORB for 609 Sqn, 3 and 137 but anything covering its history and finding as many photos as possible.

I guess the question is, if the ORB's aren't linked on here, is the only likelyhood to either consider going to Hendon or Kew?

Thanks

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

I started this thread years ago, and yes Internet sources don't last forever and so most links won't work at some times.

This thread is for free ORBs available online. But you can also download ORB of all RAF squadrons from the National Archives website. It is expensive, but depending where you come from, could be worth it if you want only a given period (you pay for each file, covering usually a month of either Form 540 or 541).

By the way, 609 Sqn's ORB is the most interesting I know. Operations are described with many details, and squadron life is also described with a lot of humor (presenting the squadron as a bunch of drunkyards sometimes.... probably close to reality).

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