Assistance with abbreviations

[78SqnHistory]

I have just received the service record of a chap who was killed in action in 1942 and it would appear that he did the majority of his aircrew training in Canada. Originally as a pilot but washed out and was switched to Observer. I can work out some of the locations and units but am stumped by a couple and would appreciate any assistance people can give. The first abbreviation is:

P T S Toronto, this is the first unit he is sent to in Canada, I'm guessing that the T S part may be for Transit Site or Training School from there he moves to 35 Service Flying Training School, which I believe was in North Battleford, but then there is a second entry of 35 SFTS (A) followed by Maxwell Field, would this (A) indicate a move to the American base at Maxwell Field in Alabama? He then returns to Toronto, no unit specified but I presume he has washed out as a pilot and is then sent to Trenton for 3 days and on to Carberry in Manitoba for two weeks and then to Moncton for three weeks before finally joining 33 Air Navigation School at Hamilton, where he begins his Air Observer course. Having finished training there he moves to 31 Bombing & Gunnery School at Picton, Ontario via 31 Personnel Depot at Moncton. After his bombing and gunnery course he returns to the UK.

He is finally lost on an operation to GENOA on the night of 23/24 October 1943.

Any help appreciated.

Daz

[Phil]

It does seem like Maxwell Field is referring to Maxwell Field, AL. Here is another fellow who went from Toronto RCAF to Maxwell Field, AL, USAAF.

https://wwiiflighttraining.org/Cadets/C ... Daniel.php

He started training as a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as he did not have a college degree and was not eligible for US pilot training in the USA Army Air Force (USAAF) prior to US involvement in WWII.
The following are the dates of his training and travels:
1941-1942 Trenton, Ontario, Canada - RCAF
December 1942- January 1943 - Maxwell Field, AL - USAAF

Here's another navigator's movement and abbreviations discussed,

https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showt ... and-Canada

This also seems like a good resource,

Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy

https://www.amc.af.mil/Portals/12/docum ... 18-055.pdf

Page 26

By April 1940, the AAC had achieved sufficient personnel strength for the twenty-four combat groups planned in 1939. But as Germany continued its advance in Europe, the aviation service turned to the 54-group plan. It needed more installations and facilities to train, maintain, and base such a large force. It established four new air district headquarters: Northeast Air District (later, First Air Force) at Mitchel Field, New York; Northwest Air District (later, Second Air Force) at Fort George Wright, Washington; Southeast Air District (later, Third Air Force) at Tampa, Florida; and Southwest Air District (later, Fourth Air Force) at Riverside, California. It also moved various groups to other stations and municipal airports and inactivated some organizations, including the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, to make room for the new groups and other organizations. The new stations, mostly leased, are listed in Table 1.4

Page 27

For the 54-group training program, in June 1940, the AAC instituted three flying training centers under its training command. The headquarters of the new Southeast Training Center was organized at Maxwell; the Gulf Coast Training Center was organized at Randolph Field; and the West Coast Training Center, at Moffett Field.

This fellow had a simliar path,

https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=co ... Itemid=581

Lt Reginald Smith

Transferred from RCAF where he was a Flight Officer.

Reginald Smith's RCAF Service Number: R99796, At time of transfer to the USAAF he was serving as a flying instructor at No. 5 Service Flying Training School Brantford, Ontario.Reginald Albert Smith transferred to the USAAF May 19, 1942. He was posted to Maxwell Field, Alabama. USAAF # O-535996

I've not found specifically what the (A) stands for. If you could provide the individual's name it may help. Here is the diary of 35 SFTS you can see if you can find where he transferred in, and out, taken-on-strength and struck off strength.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M39rxp ... YDGIM/view

[georgetanksherman]

Greetings,

I've not found specifically what the (A) stands for. If you could provide the individual's name it may help. Here is the diary of 35 SFTS you can see if you can find where he transferred in, and out, taken-on-strength and struck off strength.

Is there a chance what they might be talking about is No. 35 S.F.T.S. is broken down by flights, and the (A) stands for A-Flight, I know many squadrons in different Air Forces do that !

My Last Squadron that I was assigned to had A-Flight, B-Flight and C-Flight, Maintenance and Pilots assigned together to "Ship Out" as a team !

Just thought I might add my 2-cents

Hope everyone is well !

George

[Phil]

Having looked through some other (A) military abbreviations (Armoured, Active, Air, Advanced, Army) I'm beginning to think that in this case it stands for Advanced. Advanced flight training began at Maxwell in 1940.

https://www.maxwell.af.mil/Portals/62/D ... 202019.pdf

Page 12

AdvancedFlightTraining.JPG (44.28 KiB) Viewed 31151 times

[Phil]

PTS could also be a Parachute Training School, but I haven't found evidence of any in Toronto. Could you perhaps post the date of that entry and the entry before and after for context? Is there any ambiguity in the handwriting, could it possible be something else? For instance, ITS, Initial Training School would make perfect sense.

[78SqnHistory]

Thank you all for your comments.

Having looked through the diary of 35 SFTS there is no mention of him, but as he was a Sgt Im not surprised. he moves to Maxwell Field on 3rd September 1941.

He was a prewar regular, starting his career as an Aircraft Handler and serving in UK from 1931 to 1934. He is then posted to Hong Kong where he remains until late 1938. He returns to the UK and commences training as a Balloon Operator at Cardington. At the start of the war he is employed on Balloon duties in Warwickshire before volunteering for Air Crew. He is then sent to No.3 ITW at Torquay in Devon as a U/T Pilot/Nav on 3rd May. There is no entry covering the period of June. The next recorded entry in his file it to PTS Toronto on 19th July 1941. His movements in Canada are as follows:

PTS Toronto 19/07/41
35 SFTS(A) 03/09/41
Trenton 22/09/41
Carberry 25/09/41
31 PD Moncton 14/11/41
33 ANS Hamilton 23/11/41
31 PD Moncton 28/04/42
31 B&G Picton 15/05/42
HQ RAF Ferry Command 09/05/42 - which is how I presume he returned to UK

He then goes through the usual chain of 3 PRC at Bournemouth and then on to O.T.U. and Conversion Unit before going 78 Squadron on 11/10/42. He is then KIA on 24/10/42 on his 3rd operation.

He must have been scrubbed as a pilot pretty quickly unless he began training at Toronto at the PTS.

His details are 514987 Sgt Frederick George Allen.

Regards

Daz