[rafcommands]

Hi Jerry,

It took me over two years to make some sense of the muddled ORBs and Form 1180s for the Blenheims. I'm still not satisfied that I've solved all the problems yet but I feel that I've made a good 80% or so.

The problems are compounded by ORBs that list letter only, later audits of aircraft that attributed serials in the Form 1180s to aircraft listed on Form 78s that had not been delivered to the RAF yet.

There is also an element of deliberate clerk error. One ORB recorder from No.59 Sqn told me that he correctly used the letter and used the serials he could remember rather than the actual.

Also I am in contact with a No.53 Sqn Observer who was shot down early in 1941 and although he knows the letter from his log book he cannot recall the serial. He says that there was a considerable movement of aircraft and repainting of letters as modifications were carried out at the makers.

It's no wonder from the confused records that some publications use previous lists warts and all.

Regards
Ross