French unit abbreviation C.R.R.A.?

[SteveB]

In the ORB for No 218 (Maintenance) Group RAF, during 1944, there are a number of references to a maintenance organisation abbreviated as "C.R.R.A." and usually recorded as "C.R.R.A. Casablanca". CRRA is often referred to in connection with No 145 MU which at this time was based at Cazes aerodrome, Casablanca and the ORB includes a protocol for the supply of equipment from 145MU to CRRA. Air Britain records that in April 1945 145MU was reformed as No 3 French Technical Liaison Unit. It seems that CRRA was a French maintenance unit/organisation of some kind?

Can anybody help with the full title of C.R.R.A. and perhaps with any sources whereby I might be able to find out more about the activities of C.R.R.A?

Merci beaucoup mes amis!

Steve

[CJE]

I assume CRAA took over the activities of AIA (Ateliers industriel de l'Air) - ie repairs, assembly and overhaul - when the Forces aériennes françaises were created in July 1943.
However, I have no idea of what this acronym stands for.

Chris

[Leendert]

It nowadays is the abbreviation for Centre de Réception et de Régularisation des Appels (or reporting and dispatching center for emergency calls), but if it had such a meaning in 1942?

Regards,

Leendert

[CJE]

Don't think so.
Will post his querry on a French board. Hopefully we can have the answer he is expecting.

[SteveB]

Chris and Leendert

Thank you for your responses.

Chris your reference to AIA (Ateliers Industriel de l'Air) is helpful to me. In October 1944 there is a reference to close liaison between 145MU and "No 3 AIA". I had not been able to find "AIA" in any list of RAF/British acronyms but perhaps it was "No 3 Ateliers Industriel de l'Air"? Could CRRA have become No 3 AIA?

Can you say a little more about the role of an AIA? Would it have been in some way similar to a British Maintenance Unit? Would it have been manned by FAFL servicemen or might it have been a civilian organisation?

The 218 Group ORB is not very helpful in unravelling the history of these terms/acronyms. As far as I could tell the diary pages for the period May to Dec 1943 appear to be missing.

Thanks very much for posting the question on a French board I am very grateful and hope that you/we are lucky!

Best wishes

Steve

[CJE]

AIA was a sort of Maintenance Unit but at the upper level. It was a military organization.
For instance, it was in charge of the assembly of the US aircraft (Martin 167 and Douglas DB-7) shipped in crates in May-June 1940.
You cannot speak of Free French, as all these people had worked under Vichy régime in French Morocco.
Will keep you informed if I can get more information.

Chris

[Laurent Rizzotti]

My guess, but I have yet to find a proof of it, is that could be something like the CRAS (Centre de Réception des Appareils de Série = Reception Center for "Serial" Aircraft.. Serial Aricraft here meaning serial production, oppsoed to prototype).

The CRAS was existing in 1939-40 (and before the war) and its role was to test the aircraft delivered to the Armée de l'Air before they were accepted.

[SteveB]

I have received a suggestion off board that it might be "Centre de Reception et de Remontage d'Avions" (Aircraft Reception and Reassembly Centre) but as the proposer acknowledges this does not seem to produce any potentially confirming hits on Google.

Steve

[CJE]

I'd bet two cents on this option.