Operational orders for 69 Sqdn RAF

[kettlewell]

Two years ago I interviewed a pilot of 69 Sqdn RAF, a nighttime reconnaissance squadron. I asked him where and how the Squadron received its orders for the targets of each night’s operation. He said he did not know but had often wondered. He suspected the Squadron CO, W/C. Shaw knew of the targets during the day of the operation but did not tell any of the crews. The pilot told me that the operations room posted the crews names on the Order of Battle for each night’s operation, typically for four to nine different aircraft. The crews on ops would take their aircraft for a NFT in the afternoon and wait for briefing in late afternoon when they were told of their targets. The aircraft flew singly to a lone target and the navigator had about two hours to plan his route. 69 Sqdn was reformed at Northolt in May 1944 as part of 34 Wing of 2TAF for nighttime tactical reconnaissance in support of 21 Army Group. Its command headquarters was at Uxbridge from which it presumably received its orders. Does anyone have any knowledge of how 69 Sqdn received its orders, by what mechanical means (teleprinter) and from whom and to whom the message was sent? Would the briefing be given by army intelligence or air force intelligence? Presumably all targets were at the request of the army, both British and US, judging by the locations of the targets which were over both US and British bomb lines listed in the Sqdn ORB. Have any records been kept of any such operational orders and from where might they be obtained?