[SteveB]

The individual record card for each RAF aircraft (Form 78) which was held in the UK does not record allocations to squadrons in North Africa or MTO. Normally the card will record only the date despatched from UK to wherever (Takoradi or Casablanca) and the date that it was confirmed as arriving ie the details in Stig's (b). The card may record other bits of info for example from censuses that were undertaken or the date the a/c was lost or SOC.

The details of sqn allocations for a/c sent to MTO and recorded by Jim Halley in the AB books will have been collected by going through all the sqn ORBs so that is almost certainly where the details "601/225" in Stig's (a)come from.

I would say that it is quite possible that both sets of info at (a) and (b) apply to the same a/c ie it was shipped to Takoradi; it was presumably air ferried to Egypt and then confirmed "on charge Middle East". AB suggests that it was then issued to 601Sqn and at some point transferred to 225Sqn.

Like all clerical systems there is always room for error and board members will be aware of many errors in recording of a/c serials in ORBs.

Steve