Military Intelligence 8 (M.I.8) Tracking Illicit German Radio and GAF Beams Transmissions

[Observer1940]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

I started out looking for an Operations Record Book for No. 80 Wing (which did the detecting and jamming for the RAF)...

Thanks Nick
I have been researching this since 2004 and about to finalise my research. This initial counter measures work in mid 1940 was given initially to the Permanent Assistant Secretary, who in turn passed it to the Principal Deputy Director of Signals, who then had engaged the RAF Defence Organisation personally under H C T Dowding at Fighter Command by June 1940. Despite a manual search for Fighter Command's original file reference, it is not on the PRO / TNA Catalogue / indexes.

No.80 Wing was set up when Officials (and by late August 1940 Group Captain Theak of Bomber Command) had begun to realise during August 1940 how severe an effect the Fighter Command Counter measures were having on the safety of his Command's aircraft. Part I of the Bomber Command file covering up to and including August 1940 is also missing, despite a manual search. On 23rd August 1940 Churchill just referred to the situation as teething problems, despite the severe impact on the Command.

But extensive searching of 500 or more files (and other sources) to find some of the information placed in and sent from the files (not in the PRO / TNA), I have managed to piece together what was happening.

Mark