Form 543 - No. 2 R.C. Cardington

[SpikeCov]

Hi

I wondered if you could provide some information with regards to two entries on my Grandad's Form 543.

Attachment 10540

He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserves and his date of enlistment and service commenced on 22/04/1940. According to the Form 543 he was sent to No. 2 R.C. Cardington. The Mustering column shows A.C.H. G.D with the same date 22/04/1940.

I presume No. 2 R.C. Cardington is where he would have done his initial training having arrived there for duty. I understand that A.C.H G.D is Aircraft Hand General Duties.

I would be grateful if anyone could provide details for the following:

1. Does R.C. stand for Recruiting Centre or something else?
2. What would their initial training entail?
3. How long did the initial training last and was they then posted to squadrons/units?
4. Referring to my Grandad's Form 543, the second entry shows G.D.G.S? what does this stand for? Not sure if last letter is an S. He was only with G.D.G.S for less that two weeks because on 4/06/1940 he was then posted to A.M. Unit (I'll set up another thread to ask questions about the A.M. Unit at a later date)
5. What does 'General Duties' consist of?
6. My Grandad said to me 30 years ago that when he did his training, he manned the rear machine gun on a Fairey Swordfish. Was this something they put recruits through? As it transpired my Grandad became a Ground Gunner (GG).

Thank you.

Spike

[Larry]

Spike,

Your Grandfather did the same training at Cardington, as my late father in law who also became a Ground Gunner before getting 'transferred' to the RAF Regiment once in came in to being on 1st February 1942.

I can confirm that 2 R.C. was No.2 Recruit Centre but I cannot recall exactly how long the training was but I seem to remember it was not very long and only a matter of 2-3 months. Training was the usual recruit stuff, getting shouted at, marching, saluting, bulling boots, room inspections and having your kit emptied over the floor by an NCO who was red faced with rage over some minor indiscretion, such as not having the stripe in a blanket lined up with the others in the bed pack! As everyone agreed it was just the kind of thing they needed to prepare them to fight the enemy!

General Duties was, as the name suggests, was a bit of a dogs body type job, and one without an official trade like rigger, armourer or engine fitter. Strangely at one time pilots were also GDs as they were not tradesmen either!

If your grandfather was a Ground Gunner it was possible to be sent to a Sqn as my father in law was posted to 103 Sqn at Elsham Wolds, in mid 1941 and helped defend the Station from air attack.

GDGS was Ground Defence Gunnery School and I know that 1 GDGS was in IOM but I'm not sure how many there were and where others may have been located.

[SpikeCov]

Hi Larry

Thank you for your response and the information provided. It has given me some idea what his training would have been like and his duties on the commencement of his military service.

It is great to finally know what GDGS stands for. I had a look on the net and it looks like 1 GDGS was initially based at North Coates in Lincolnshire before moving to Ronaldsway in the Isle of Man. According to one website it was up and running in the IOM on 7 July 1940, so that would put my Grandad at North Coates. Furthermore according to the IOM Government website (gov.im) it said '...accommodate the only school of its kind' so it looks like 1 GDGS might be the only one.

It does look like both my grandad and your father in law followed similar paths, as my grandad first went into the AM Unit on 04/06/1940 and was in London during the Blitz and, then on 16/08/41 he was then transferred to 2701 Defence Squadron, which later became part of the RAF Regiment as 2701 Squadron LAA. At the end of the war when 2701 Sqdn was disbanded he transferred to 2729 Sqdn and when they disbanded he moved to 2814 Sqdn.

Interestingly I found a site that explained that in Autumn 1940, a new trade of Ground Gunner was created for airfield defence, pre RAF Regiment. This was good as I could date some photos, however I am not sure when they dropped the GG badge as I have a photo of grandad wearing the GG badge dated 24 February 1942 (however the 42 is very faint that it could be 43) on the back.

Much appreciated. I hope when I get around to posting a thread on the A M Unit in a few weeks' time, you might be able to help further.

Thanks

Spike

[Larry]

Thanks Spike.

For my father in law he did not want to be in the Forces and got conscripted. I think it may have been some kind of Administrative 'cock up' that led to him being sent to an active Bomber Command Squadron, as a GG. They did ask him if he wanted to do circuits and bumps in a Wellington and go on a Air Gunners Course but he declined as he had seen so many of the aircraft crash land or come back with the rear fuselage skin burnt off, that he was put off.

After RAF Elsham Wolds and the formation of the RAF Regt he was sent to Burma and served in No 8 AWOU, about which I have very little info except that it was something like Aircraft Warning Observation Unit. The idea was that the unit trekked in to the Jungle and set up an OP on a high hill and gave early warning of approaching Japanese air raids. I believe this was visual detection before radar was available.

[SpikeCov]

Hi Larry

It must have been tough in the Burmese jungle with the humidity and being miles away from civilisation. I suppose with radar in its infancy and probably a logistic nightmare getting the equipment to the far east, that men like your late father in law were the eyes and ears transmitting reports and sightings to headquarters.

I found a form Pro Forma 181 amongst papers my grandad had and its typed as follows and repeated three times on one sheet of paper:

Date 4th February 1944
This is to certify that No......... Rank ......Name...........
Trade ...Gunner... has been tested and found educationally suitable for remustering as ...Air Gunner...
........................
Education Officer
R.A.F. Station, Manston. Kent

So my grandad did do air gunner training and I am not sure why he did not carry on in this role. Do you know if the RAF still used the Fairey Swordfish as late as February 1944?

I also think he was in 701 Defence Squadron on 16/08/1941 and the service records clerk added the 2 when the RAF regiment was formed in February 1942 or shortly afterwards.

Spike

[Larry]

Strangely the RAF did use Swordfish aircraft on night ops over the North Sea and 119 Sqn in particular used them from Jan 1945. However I think if your granddad did Air Gunner training his Swordfish flights would have been done with an Air Gunners School. If he never became an Air Gunner it may be that he either decided it was not for him, or he got air sickness or perhaps just a suggestion that he might be suitable!

[SpikeCov]

Hi Larry

Thank you for confirming that the Swordfish aeroplane continued in service through to 1945. I do recall my grandad 30 years ago telling me that it was 'windy' as the cockpit and gunner pit was open to the elements and that he made a comment that summed up that the plane belonged in an earlier war, namely the 1914-18 war.

Knowing my grandad, he would try something new or exciting, especially the latter as I know he did Commando training and also took part in large scale Combined Ops Exercises.

It might be like you say that he decided it was not for him or perhaps a suggestion he might be suitable.

Spike