National Archives Kew

[David P. Williams]

I know that the ORBs can be found under the AIR 27s.

Once all crews had been debriefed an overall report was written by each of the individual Squadrons as to how the raid went, problems encountered, attacks by night fighters, flak etc.

I also understand a similar report was written by Bomber Command hierarchy.

Could someone tell me what these reports are called and under what AIR section i can find them for an imminent visit to Kew.

Any help would be very much appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

David.

[Alan Clark]

I have not seen any full debriefing reports at Kew but combat reports are in AIR 50.

[phasselgren]

David,
There is a series of documents called Interception and tactics. I have a sample from the night 7/8 September 1941 and includes:

• Main targets
• Other targets
• Bombing particulars
• Weather
• Routes
• Combats
• Encounters & other A/C seen
• ???/searchlights/other aids to defence
• Wireless intelligence
• Observations
• Summary of observations
• Enemy claims/our losses

Information is divided per Group in most of the sections. Squadrons are not mentioned.
You can find these documents on
AIR14/2681 Vol. l, 1941 June- Sept.
AIR14/2682 Vol. ll, 1941 Oct.- Dec.
AIR14/2683 Vol. lll, 1942 Jan.- Apr.
AIR14/3741 Vol. lV,1942 May- Oct.
AIR14/3742 Vol. V, 1942 Nov.- 1943 Apr.
AIR14/3743 Vol. Vl, 1943 May-1944 Feb.
AIR14/3744 Vol. Vll, 1944 Mar.- Dec.
AIR14/3745 Vol. Vlll, 1945 Jan.- May
Regarding the combat reports you propably know already that you search the digital archive on http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...2aircombat.asp . I believe you can download these combat reports without cost when you visit Kew.

Regards,
Peter Hasselgren

[David P. Williams]

Thank you gentlemen very much for the information.

Very much appreciated,

David.

[RodM]

Hi David,

the reports you refer to were called Forms Y and Z. The Forms Y were individual crew reports (practically none of which survive at Kew) sent from Squadrons to the Group HQ, while the Forms Z were collated reports by the Group HQs sent to BC HQ and the BC ORS.

The only Forms Z I have found at Kew (and I've searched extensively) are held in the Raid Plot: Night files in AIR 14. They are the copies telexed to the BC ORS. Sadly, the only files preserved are for selected months only between 1942-45, and even those don't include all raids during a month:

AIR 14/3213 Raid plots : night 1942 Apr.
AIR 14/3214 Raid plots : night 1942 July
AIR 14/3215 Raid plots : night 1942 Oct.
AIR 14/3216 Raid plots : night 1943 Mar.
AIR 14/3217 Raid plots : night 1943 Apr.
AIR 14/3218 Raid plots : night 1943 July
AIR 14/3219 Raid plots : night 1943 Aug.
AIR 14/3220 Raid plots : night 1943 Oct.
AIR 14/3221 Raid plots : night 1944 Mar.
AIR 14/3222 Raid plots : night 1944 Apr.
AIR 14/3223 Raid plots : night 1944 June
AIR 14/3224 Raid plots : night 1944 July
AIR 14/3225 Raid plots : night 1944 Sept.
AIR 14/3226 Raid plots : night 1944 Nov.
AIR 14/3227 Raid plots : night 1945 Jan.


Some Forms Z (only maybe one or two per file) are occasionally misfiled with another type of Group summary in the files:


AIR 14/3063 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 June
AIR 14/3064 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 June
AIR 14/3065 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 July
AIR 14/3066 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 July
AIR 14/3067 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 Aug.
AIR 14/3068 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 Aug.
AIR 14/3069 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 Sept.
AIR 14/3070 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 Sept.
AIR 14/3071 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 Oct.
AIR 14/3072 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 Oct.
AIR 14/3073 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 Nov.
AIR 14/3074 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 Nov.
AIR 14/3075 Group summaries of operations during day 1944 Dec.
AIR 14/3076 Group summaries of operations during night 1944 Dec.
AIR 14/3077 Group summaries of operations during day 1945 Jan.
AIR 14/3078 Group summaries of operations during night 1945 Jan.
AIR 14/3079 Group summaries of operations during day 1945 Feb.
AIR 14/3080 Group summaries of operations during night 1945 Feb.
AIR 14/3081 Group summaries of operations during day 1945 Mar.
AIR 14/3082 Group summaries of operations during night 1945 Mar.
AIR 14/3083 Group summaries of operations during day 1945 Apr.
AIR 14/3084 Group summaries of operations during night 1945 Apr.
AIR 14/3085 Group summaries of operations during day 1945 May
AIR 14/3137 Group summaries of operations: night 1944 Apr.- May

Searching for them in these files would be labourous for little reward.

Anyway, I've attached a PDF with data extracted from Group Form Zs - I presume this is the type of information you are seeking.

Cheers

Rod

[mikew156]

Thanks Rod for posting that useful information.

Even though I have explored several different series of BC records at Kew, those that you have highlighted are still new to me. I'll take a look next time I am there.

I have found several interesting documents in the series AIR24.
They include raid reports, interception summaries, copies of K reports, reports on armaments, tactics, supply, and copies of letters sent between (for example) Harris and Portal.

I thoroughly recommend the use of a digital camera. It increases the amount of data you can during a visit massively.

Regards

Mike

[phasselgren]

Hi Rod,

Thanks, your comments are very valuable for my own research. I have a final question about the Interception Tactics Reports. Do you know if every raid including daylight operations are covered in these documents? I am especially interested in the daylight attacks on Brest in 1941. This period has very few remaining Combat Reports. At least for the squadrons I have researched.

Cheers
Peter

[RodM]

Hi Peter,

I have not worked with the IT Reports from the early war years, but note that the series in the bound volumes did not commence until April 1941. At least in the late war years, each report covered a 24-hour period, so both day and night raids were covered. That doesn't mean it was so in the early reports, and I expect that the format of the report developed over time. It may be that the early reports only covered night raids.

The precurser to the IT Report appears to have been a report entitled, "Phenomena Connected to Enemy Night Tactics", which commenced in Aug 1940, but appears to be only concerned with night raids (see AIR 14/627-628; 634-635)

In addition to the IT Reports, there are also the final Raid reports, but these don't appear to have commenced prior to Dec 1941, after the BC ORS was established in Sep 1941.

There are the Day Bomb Raid sheets (see AIR 14/3360-3364) for 1939-42, but these may not have much on enemy interceptions.

Cheers

Rod

[phasselgren]

Hi Rod,

Once again thank you. There seems to be more information than I expected about the Bomber Command claims if you just know were to look.

All that remains is to find the same information for the bomber units in the Mediterranean area.....

Cheers
Peter

[RodM]

Hi Peter,

in terms of accepted claims, the 'official' figures are known; in a memo dated 28/06/1945 (*) to all Groups the SASO Bomber Command stated:

"The following figures, which have been agreed with the Air Ministry, show the total number of Enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat by Bomber Command during the period of the war, 1939-1945."

(under column headings of Year, Des, Pro, Dam)

1939 17-0-0
1940 93-2-3
1941 87-39-68
1942 74-45-59
1943 241-91-294
1944 536-108-379
1945 143-25-94

Having worked with the 1944-45 figures, I can state that the key to unravelling these figures are the BC Monthly Supplementary Narratives of Operations and the monthly BC Casualties and Claims reports (the former provides data on the claims and confirms monthly totals, while the latter confirms the monthly totals). The figures are not simply an aggregate of all submitted claims, but those accepted/confirmed by BC HQ after assessment, with the application of some (as yet) unknown criteria.

(*) Note - the final Monthly Supplementary Narrative report was issued on 15/05/1945 and the final Casualties and Claims report was issued on 18/05/1945.

Cheers

Rod