Summary of BC claims including fighter units

[phasselgren]

Hi,

The Monthly Supplementary Narrative of Operations is a document with information about all air-to-air claims made by Bomber Command units. Besides claims by air gunners of the bomber units it also includes all claims by the night fighter units in 100 Group. Even a/c destroyed on the ground are mentioned.

It is the fact that only the officially recognized claims are included that makes these documents valuable to my work (I am trying to list all claims made by air gunners from New Zealand). Several claims I have found in Combat Reports or other documents were either downgraded or rejected by BC. Of course there is a risk that the Monthly Supplementary Narrative of Operations includes errors. I have found at least one case in which the claim had wrong squadron number.

Now to the problem several months are missing (months before Jan 1943, May-Jul 1943, May-Aug 1944 and Jan-Feb 1944). It was distributed to several units as you can see below and I hope that someone has encountered these documents under a different title at Kew or in an archive of another country. Any information about where to look for look for these documents would be greatly appreciated. RodM who has helped me with details about these documents has made an extensive search for these documents at the National Archives but not found the missing pages. He did find some doublets in Australia and USA but not much unique material. I have also been in contact with the RAF Museum and Air Historical Branch without success. Apparently some of these documents are privately owned. “June 1944” was sold on an auction in England last year.

January to April 1943 (Ref AIR50/294) includes information about: date/Group/squadron/a/c identity (only letter)/position/time/height/type of E/A/short summary of combat/claim (destroyed, probable or damaged)
Finally “Distribution As for previous narrative.” indicating that January 1943 was not the first month.

August 1943 to April 1944 (AIR14/3433) has the same information as above for destroyed and probable but less information about damaged - date/Group/squadron/a/c identity/type of E/A.
Distribution;
Air Ministry, War Room; H.Q. Nos. 1,3-6,8, (later also 100) 91,92 & 95 Groups and all Bomber Command Stations in those Groups; RAR N. Ireland; Nos. 1-4 Bombardment Wings; Coastal Command (Reptd Admiralty, C. in C. Portsmouth, Nos. 15-19 Groups).

From September 1944 to May 1945 with January and February 1945 missing (AIR14/3433) the “Distribution;” has changed to:
D.A.T., Nos. 1, 3-6, 8, 100) 91-93 Groups and all Bomber Command Stations in those Groups.

Thanks in advance,
Peter Hasslgren