Background

Royal Air Force

Servicing Commandos 1942 to 1946

WHO WE WERE - 1942 to 1946

The units were formed in 1942 and 1943 during the time of the expansion in Combined Operations Command. A full description is to be found on the Alrewas Forest National Memorial page

THE UNITS

UNIT	COMMAND	FORMED	TRAINING	OPERATIONS
*3201 3202 3203**	Fighter	March 1942	U.K.	North Africa Sicily Italy * Sth France
3225 3226	Army Cooperation	August 1942	U.K.	Sicily / Italy
3204	Fighter	February 1943	U.K.	North Africa
3206	Army Cooperation	April 1943	U,K,	Europe
3205 3207 3209 3210	Fighter	April 1943	U.K.	Normandy India Burma Indo-China Malaya Thailand Java
3208	Fighter	April 1943	U.K.	Europe
3230 3231 3232	Middle East	April 1943	Palestine	Sicily Italy

MEDIA QUOTATIONS

H.M.... Stationary Office " Combined Operations 1940-1942. Published 1943
.
There are Naval Beach Commandos, Military Commandos and Royal Marines. There are Royal Air Servicing Commandos whose work on the airfields of Egypt and French North Africa is an earnest of things to come

"Daily Mail- April 1944."

One ofthe most hazardous jobs will be handled by the R.A.F. Servicing Commandos, a picked body of highly skilled volunteers. When the Allied Expeditionary Force moves into Europe these "tough technicians" will come into action as soon as sufficient ground has been won to lay down landing strips. They will keep in the air the fighter squadrons providing close support to the advancing troops. They have to be thoroughly trained fighting me and if counter attacks come they will help to defend the airfields.

"Royal Air Force 1939 - 1945 Volume 3 The Fight is Won." "Normandy.
A step forward was taken when the first airfield, made by the Royal Air Force Servicing Commandos and Construction Wings, of which 3207 and 3209 Commandos came ashore on 7th June, was finished at St. Croix-sur-Mer. When the commandos arrived at St. Croix there was not a gallon of petrol or a round of ammunition to be had. Flight Lieutenant W.J.F.Fenton said " We went ourslves to the beach dumps or waylaid "ducks" on the road until we had everything we wanted". They first had to dig themselves in, a task the old soldiers performed automatically and the young as soon as the shells began to fall near them. The airfield was operational on 10th June.

Training. "From Royal Air Force Journal, August 1944"

The unit personnel were nearly all volunteers. They were mostly Group 1 tradesmen who were not only experts in their own jobs but had learnt a variety of jobs other than their own.. They were trained to work on a wide variety of aircraft - Typhoons, Hurricanes, Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Mustangs, Beaufighters and Mosquitos.

As well as the battle training they had accustomed themselves to meeting sudden urgent demands for technical assistance on airfields all over Britain. They were rushed to these airfields at a moments notice not knowing in advance whether they were to stay for hours, days weeks or what sort of job they were to tackle.

The whole unit was completely mobile and self contained with its own medical service, field kitchen. The lorries were fitted out as workshops e.g. each flight had an armourers truck.

Battle training.

Although their main job was to service front line aircraft all units received training along Commando lines. Battle training was supervised by Army Officers seconded to the R.A.F. Regiment. "There were special weapon training courses and all had been toughened up by 30 mile cross country route marches and schemes. We've practiced loading on tank landing craft and disembarked on to beaches in the night . We've fought for long periods without food, worked without food - just to toughen us up to get us in trim".

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