Form E Reports

[Smudger Smith]

Hoping someone can help. I have not previously had the opportunity to view the document(s) listed below, has anyone viewed them and what information is recorded within. Form E reports. TIA

[Hans Nauta]

Dear Steve,

The Form E reports in the PRO (or rather NA) in London are held under the next reference numbers:

No. 1 Group (July 1940-May 1942): AIR14/3141-3147
No. 2 Group (May 1940-Feb 1941): AIR14/3148-3154
No. 3 Group (May 1940-June 1942): AIR14/3155-3166
No. 4 Group (May 1940-May 1942): AIR14/3167-3180
No. 5 Group (May 1940-May 1942): AIR14/3181-3196
No. 6 Group (Jan 1941-July 1941): AIR14/3197
No. 7 Group (Sept 1940-Dec 1940): AIR14/3198

These forms contain the date. target, sortienumber, time and altitude of attack, bomb load and results of the various RAF Bomber Command Groups.

Considering the data given in the Night Bomb Raid Sheets and Operations Record Books at Group or Squadron level, these forms might add extra info.

For some reason these forms end somewhere in 1942 and are not succeeded in another document.

Main problem is to match the sortienumber with an individual aircraft. In some ORB's the sortienumbers are listed for each aircraft, however most of the ORB's don't contain this specific info, so you have to cross check the various documents before you can sort out the individal aircraft.
Up till now I've no idea which method was used to compile the specific sortienumbers which represent an individual aircraft

Below an example of what is listed in a Form E summary of 4 Group. In this case the extracted info of a bombing attack on the Fokker Factory in Amsterdam-Noord, The Netherlands, one of the many subjects of my research.


Z29 Amsterdam (07/08.10.40)

DQ247 458 21.40 8,000 2x500+5x250+60x4
Z29A Bombs dropped in area no results seen

DP764 456 20.53 10,000-8,000 4x500+10x250+120x4
DP765
Z29A Bombs dropped on target area. Three small fires started

DQ246 459 21.58-23.28 8,000-6,000 7x500+20x250+240x4 DQ248 DQ249 DP766
Bursts seen on edge of dock ¾ mile from Z29A and also in target area. Fires started.

DL458 463 01.20-02.05 7,000-9,500 8x500+20x250+180x4 DL459 DL460 DL455
Z29A Bombs observed to burst on targets by all a/c. Large fires seen and small fires started

DT34 465 01.20 8,000 2x500+5x250+60x4
Z29. 150” ¾ Docks area SE of P/T attacked. Continued burning after a/c had left the area. Bombs appeared to burst on basin.

DT343 475 00.15-00.18 8,000 2x500+5x250+60x4
Z29. 180” 1 mile. Fires in docks S of P/T.

DQ244 476 23.15-23.25 7,000 2x500+5x250+60x4 Z29A. Bursts seen on docks west side of North Sea Channel.

After long cross checking I've been able to tie up above info with individual Whitley's of 10, 51, 57 and 77 Squadron.

Regards,
Hans

[Smudger Smith]

Hans,Thank you for your detailed reply, I will be obtaining the 3 Group Files over the next few months. I have all the 3 Group squadron ORB's, Group & Station records for the war so hopefully I will be able to identify some of the entries. :-)Thank you once again Hans.