WW2 RAF Info
 

Hi All,

I have a friend who's Father served in WW2 in the RAF. He was stationed at Ambernath in the state of Maharashtra in India (RAF Kalyan??).

He is trying to find out some info about his service; I know he can request service records, but as this may take several months, I thought I'd try here first.

Any information about the Base, uniform or if anyone has personnel records themselves, would be wonderful. I have attached a photo, but I can't make out the cap badge, but I am sure it will be obvious to you all. I don't have a date for it, so it could be during or post war. I have looked in Ancestry, but there does not appear to be anything there.

The man in question is Eric Butterworth and he was a Dispatch rider, born Nov 1922. My friend thinks he joined up (or was conscripted) when he was 18 (so 1940). He did spend 4 months in South Africa prior to the India posting.

Any snippets that I could pass on, would be gratefully received.

Cheers, Tim

That's a standard RAF O/Rs cap badge - the RAF monogram in a wreath with a crown above.
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks Alex, I assumed it was, but as I wasn't 100%, thought it best to check, in case there was some special dispatch rider badge!

Much appreciated.

Cheers, Tim

I will jus add a clarification, on taking a second look at the pic, the badge appears to have a flat bottom edge - unlike an RAF badge - optical illusion? Fold in the cap? Any thoughts?

Cheers, Tim

Its RAF as stated.

His records will take about 4 weeks at most to obtain, not months, the RAF disclosure section is quite fast.

regards

OK, cheers Simon. Thanks for that

Tim

It's just the angle the photo is taken at Tim.
The bottom of the badge is hidden behind the flap at the front of the chipbag hat.
Craig

Chipbag hat?:confused:

Many thanks Craig, much appreciated.

Cheers, Tim

How far back does the term 'chipbag' cap or hat go? In use in the RAF in the 1980s but by then the FS cap only a private purchase item for other ranks. I expect it died out from when the beret became main headdress. Regards, Paul.

Do you have the address for RAF records?

A relative has just asked me, and I know nothing about the RAF.

His great grandfather was my fathers 1st cousin and was in RAF Air Sea Rescue, in case those records are somewhere else.

From what I remenber my father saying his cousin was based in Suffolk and one of the officers was a member of the Guinness family.

Later in the war he was sent to West Africa.

See here:-

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

regards

Thanks Simon, very helpful. I will pass on this info

Cheers, Tim

Thanks for the information Simon, I will pass it on.