 | RAF Bomber Code system...| Aircraft Requests Discuss RAF Bomber Code system... in the Aviation forums; ...how did it work?
The picture attached is a Wellington with the squadron code of 'KW' - 'KW' however refers to ... |
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07-06-2005, 12:05 AM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,018
Country:  | RAF Bomber Code system...
...how did it work?
The picture attached is a Wellington with the squadron code of 'KW' - 'KW' however refers to 615 (County of Surrey) Sqn. which was never equipped with Wellingtons - it was in the CBI with Hurricanes, Spitfires then Thunderbolts.
Obviously Bomber Command...or is that Coastal Command...had a different system...can someone explain please...and oh yeah, tell me what squadron the Wellington is from?
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004  To those in that club. | 
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07-06-2005, 06:21 AM
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#2 | | Your ad here. ;)
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
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Country:  | From what I can tell, 5 squadrons used the fuselage code of KW!
615 flying P-47, Hurricane, Spitfire
267 flying Lysander, Hudson, Anson, Lodestar
47 flying Wellington, Mosquito, Beaufort
615 flying Gladiator
425 flying Wellington, Halifax, Lancaster
You would have to look at the individual units to see which one it was, either the 425 or 47.
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
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07-06-2005, 03:32 PM
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#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Country: | 4 Squadrons, you listed 615 Sqn. twice. 615 Sqn. had Gladiators at the start of World War II.
But still...  
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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07-06-2005, 03:33 PM
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#4 | | Your ad here. ;)
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 11,885
Country: | Whoops, you're right. Sorry, I posted before I had enough coffee!  If you need more info, I can look and see what I have.
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
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07-06-2005, 04:18 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,018
Country: | Please do...I officially declare I dislike the RAF coding system...
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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07-06-2005, 04:23 PM
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#6 | | Your ad here. ;)
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 11,885
Country: | It certainly left a lot to be desired. Multiple squadrons using the same codes did not help the situation!
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
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07-08-2005, 11:54 AM
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#7 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | it wasn't that bad!
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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07-08-2005, 01:16 PM
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#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Canada
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Country:  | If only they were not using the same code to designate two fighter or two bomber squadrons, it would be just fine.
I mean, if a fighter with "KW" on his tail crash in a field, you know it is from the 615 Squadron. But if it is a bomber, you have the choice between three squadrons. It would have been better if only one fighter and one bomber squadron had the same code. | |
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07-08-2005, 01:54 PM
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#9 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | it wasn't that bad 
it would be easy to tell what aircraft it was, it'd have the serial number on the tail, and they didn't actually have the same code at the same time, they were often changed in some cases, which i believe is what happened here.........
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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07-20-2005, 11:07 AM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: LONDON
Posts: 457
| RAF bomber code System.
It is MUCH better for the sake of accuracy, if you can trace an aircraft by its serial number or the crews names, rather than by just its code letters, for as soon as an aircraft was lost in a squadron, then when it was replaced, the same code was more often than not, put on the replacement aircraft, you can see that on the following website where there could be twenty aircraft with the same code letters but with all different serial numbers, There were also some instances in bomber command where aircraft were transferred from squadron to squadron, but the code letters werent changed to the new squadrons codes straight away. and if the aircraft was lost in action as sometimes happened, the wrong squadron code was put against the squadron number losses. This also adds to the difficulty. http://www.bomber-command.info/codlnk.htm
Things can also be made difficult when researching US aircraft as well, as they sometimes made one machine out of two!! 
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07-20-2005, 11:10 AM
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#11 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
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Country:  | Interesting! 
__________________  with my one last gaping breath id apologise for bleeding on your shirt... | |
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07-20-2005, 11:18 AM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: LONDON
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| IF the wellington shown in the photo has the serial number of "BJ864"
Then here are its details:
Wellington Mk III of 425 Squadron RCAF
Serial number BJ864 coded KW-E took off from Dishforth on the night of
11/12-11-1942 on a gardening mission, but crashed 21:30 after several unsuccessful landing attempts on the south side of the airfield at lacon hill
in yorkshire.
as far as my database shows all crew were KIA. 
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07-20-2005, 11:50 AM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,018
Country: | Serves them right for gardening during war time.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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07-26-2005, 03:47 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Saffron Walden/Sheffield
Posts: 3,001
Country: | Gardening=minelaying
Different areas of sea were different "plots"
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07-27-2005, 05:57 AM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,018
Country: | "Serves them right for gardening during war time." = Joke
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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