SAS (Servicing Aircraft Section) meaning on AM 78 cards

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi All
Looking through the AM 78 cards for Douglas Havocs this organization is frequently listed as
a BRD (Base Repair Depot)
Mostly it is listed without any base given, but now and then it does, such as Abingdon and Burtonwood

As far as I can see this organization is not mentioned in Air Britain's 'Flying Training and Support Units since 1912'

Can someone please enlighten me what this was? What did they do that no MU could accomplish (or
civil contractor for that matter)?

Cheers
Stig Jarlevik

[Buckeye30]

Hi Stig. It may have no connection but the RAF repair / maintenance facility at Burtonwood ( USAAF Base Air Depot 1) was officially known as "BRD site" (Burtonwood Repair Depot). Maybe just a coincidence.
Abingdon was home to no.10 OTU, I don't think there were any repair units there.
Regards
Nick



https://www.historicaviationmilitary.com/BRDsite.html

[Chris Goss]

I am not sure but when I was in the RAF, repairs were on base, at depot or returned to industry so is SAS S**** Air Services, a civilian repairer?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Gentlemen, thanks

I have had the Burtonwood Depot pointed out for me and also explained by friends via Air Britain

The SAS was a subsection within either a MU or civilian contractor which handled the daily
paperwork you could say, ensuring the aircraft was taken care of properly and sent to the repair
depot of said MU/Contractor and also handed back to its proper authority (unit) within RAF.

Burtonwood Repair Depot (someone probably shortened it to that and not Burtonwood Base
Repair Depot) was a civilian contractor who, it seems, specialized in US built aircraft and later
during the war exclusively worked for the USAAF.

One odd thing with the RAF based unit (37 MU) at Burtonwood is that they are listed as based
at Burtonwood, while Burtonwood Repair Depot is listed as based at Great Sankey, Warrington.
Yes I know all three places are very close together on a map, but did they actually share the same
airfield?
37 MU went lock, stock and barrel to the USAAF in 1943. What was it called within the USAAF?

Cheers
Stig

[Buckeye30]

When the Americans first arrived in July 1942, 37MU ( Site "G" on the map) personnel transferred to 48MU at Hawarden in N. Wales; the Americans added 3 more hangars.
The airfield (the main one serving these facilities though MUs had Satellite Landing Grounds ( "SLGs")) was between Gt. Sankey and Warrington: Burtonwood was actually to the NW. BRD was at the south end close to Sankey so maybe why that name was used. The parent company at BRD was Fairey Aviation so I assume mostly civilian workers, they processed mainly US aircraft on Direct Purchase ( Lend-Lease from March 1941) contracts.
Burtonwood was officially turned over to VIII ASC as Station 590 on 15 July 1943. I think the only British presence after that were police and security.


Nick

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Nick

Cheers
Stig