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By: 29th May 2015 at 14:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Have you looked at the National Archives discovery site?
You may find that any surviving ORB's for this squadron have been digitised and are available for only a few pounds from them. I found Jan-May for a squadron I was interested in and these were only about £3-4 per month IIRC.
WZ862
By: 29th May 2015 at 15:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-No, I have never heard of the NA discovery site but I will give it a try - many thanks.
Ed
By: 29th May 2015 at 17:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I've always found it very difficult to navigate the NA site. There are two parts to an ORB, summary of events and record of events. These are available to download for £3.30 for a single month. So it will cost £6.60 for the complete ORB for one month. They are available here:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C2502813
Ignor the left hand side. On the right hand side are listed the downloads for each month. Click on 'details' and then you find the 'add to basket' button.
There are also some combat reports:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C1912536
same rules, click on details.
By: 29th May 2015 at 20:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-That's very helpful - many thanks antoni.
By: 29th May 2015 at 21:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Ed is your contact Arthur Taylor? Thanks Paul
By: 29th May 2015 at 22:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yes Paul.
He made very detailed notes about his movements in France with the BEF but knows very little about the fate of the squadron's Lysanders.
Ed
By: 29th May 2015 at 23:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Ed you need to try and get a copy of Battle of France Then and Now by Peter Cornwall
Btw does Arrhur still have his log book from the time and do you know service number thanks ?
By: 29th May 2015 at 23:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-He has a diary and I will find out his service number for you.
Will get the book,
Cheers,
Ed
By: 30th May 2015 at 16:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I was at Kew, today, and, unfortunately, there is no O.R.B. A note, in the later book, says that the records for April and May were lost in France, and there were not enough details saved to resurrect them.
By: 30th May 2015 at 21:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It would be worth looking at the ORB for 50 Wing, if that survives.
EI
By: 30th May 2015 at 22:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I met Arthur in Dunkerque last week
What a great bloke.
Moggy
By: 31st May 2015 at 18:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Thanks Edgar, that explains why I couldn't find it!
Thanks also EI, I will have a look for 50 Wing.
Paul - PM sent.
Regards,
Ed
By: 31st May 2015 at 20:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I just had a quick look at Discovery and it refers to a 50 Wing ORB for September '39 - August '40 under ref AIR 26/62. The record has not been digitised and so cannot be downloaded.
Friends of mine recently inspected the ORB for 51 Wing (the other BEF Lysander Wing) for May '40 at Kew. It has lots of strategic information (eg about deployments of flights and squadrons) but, from memory, it does not list individual aircraft losses.
Good luck.
EI
By: 31st May 2015 at 21:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Many thanks for that EI.
Regards.
Ed
By: 25th December 2022 at 18:07 Permalink
-Ed,
I hope you don't mind me reopening this thread. I am currently researching - writing a book on 13 squadron during its time in France, 1940. I was very interested in the diary you mentioned.
I wondered if you could make contact on - burt.danny@yahoo.co.uk
Cheers
Danny
Posts: 460
By: AirportsEd - 29th May 2015 at 14:45
Hello,
I am helping a former RAF wireless operator to research his time attached to 13 Squadron (Lysanders) as part of the BEF in France in 1940.
Does anyone have access to the ORB which might provide information on which aircraft the unit lost between May 10, 1940 and its return to England?
Grateful for any help, however small.
Ed.