Nick Thorne from TheGenealogist announces:
TheGenealogist has significantly enlarged its exceptional range of searchable RAF Operations Record Books, incorporating an additional 1.2 million new records related to aircrew operations.
Operations Record Books (ORBs) are official Air Force assets that depict the journey of an Air Force unit since its inception. These comprehensive chronicles were designed to detail the day-by-day operations conducted by a squadron, in and out of wartime. While most ORBs spotlight squadrons formed post-WWI, a selection of early record books dating from 1911 to 1918 is also included. Uniquely, TheGenealogist has made these ORBs fully searchable by name, year, and keywords.
This expanded collection features records from Dominion Air Forces (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa) as well as from Allied Air Force squadrons under British Command. These documents enable researchers to uncover the remarkable stories of heroic aircrew, exploring the missions they embarked on. The ORBs follow a daily journal format which document a range of events – the awarding of honours, aircrew fatalities, crashes, weather conditions, and even the specific waypoints that fighter planes defended or bombers targeted, along with squadron relocations as the war progressed.
As the records mention specific aircrew members, they can be an invaluable resource for those interested in tracing ancestors’ military careers and understanding their experiences.
This information can help you:
- Elaborate on an aircrew member’s journey
- Trace the war location-shifts of staff in air force units
- Determine if a pilot, navigator, radio operator, or gunner is mentioned in the action reports
- Track when an airman received promotions, medals, or other honours
- Identify squadron members who were wounded, killed, or found missing in action
- Conduct hassle-free searches in the transcribed reports and images licensed from The National Archives
This recent addition further enhances TheGenealogist’s vast Military Records collection and is accessible to all Diamond subscribers.
For a glimpse into the life of a celebrated fighter ace and a bomber pilot who undertook 120+ missions, read their story here: LINK
For more details on TheGenealogist, please get in touch with Nick at nick@thegenealogist.co.uk.