Officers advanced training school - manning policy officers

Officers advanced training school - manning policy officers

Covers introduction, sources of supply of officers and then , postings/general, postings - how notified, postings/overseas, posting of non-effective personnel, compassionate postings, postings under K.R. 332. Officers documents - list of documents, table showing purpose of documents and page of questions.

1945-07

Six page typewritten document

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SHughesCL1334982v10028

[date stamp of No. 1 Officers Advanced Training School JUL 1945]
34E5
[underlined] OFFICERS ADVANCED TRAINING SCHOOL.
PRECIS: POSTING AND DOCUMENTATION – OFFICERS: (P.2) [/underlined]
REFERENCES:- (A) K.R. Chap. VII.
A.P. 837. Section 46.
A.M.O. A.418/43, A.419/43. A.M.O. A.1024/44 & A.319/45.
[underlined] (A) MANNING POLICY – OFFICERS
Introductory [/underlined]
1. Change of policy from peace to war. In peacetime G.D. branch responsible for all duties except those carried out by limited number of specialist Branches such as Equipment, Accounts etc. G.D. Officers specialist in duties such as signals, armament and engineering etc. and obtained antedates for promotion thereby. G.D. Officer did administration work as part of his routine duties, and only got promotion if qualified as ground side sufficiently to pass to pass promotion examinations. Every officer had own K.R. and M.A.F.L.
2. Tendency during rapid expansion has been specialisation on one job only. Administrative Branch formed to provide S.Ad.O’s, Adjutants and Assistant Adjutants to do Administrative work done previously by G.D. Branch. New duties such as Flying Control, Intelligence, Marine Craft, Electrical Engineer etc. undertaken by Specialist officers, leaving G.D. Branch mainly for flying and staff work.
[underlined] Sources of Supply of Officers [/underlined]
3. Chief source of supply in peace was by short service commission direct from civil life. Permanent commissions granted to cadets who passed through R.A.F. College, entrants from universities, apprentices and apprentice clerks, N.C.O’s aircrew and to Warrant Officers. Limited number of short service officers selected for permanent commissions and medium service commissions. Also on few stations were Class C.C. officers, or civilian administrators who afterwards joined RAFVR as first entrants of Administrative and Special Duties Branch.
4. Unprecedented expansion after 3.9.1939 caused radical change of policy. Considerable amount of requirements met from W.A.A.F. Commissioning from ranks became almost universal and grant of Short Service and permanent commissions ceased. Present policy provides for flying personnel to go through ranks in first place. Commissions granted to selected cadets completing flying training, and all qualified aircrew reviewed monthly for commissions. Officers for ground duties selected from ranks and go through O.C.T.U. as airmen and airwomen before commissioning.
[underlined] Postings – General [/underlined]
5. First principle is officer is posted [underlined] to a particular posted [underlined] to a particular post [/underlined] in unit establishment. Up to September 1941 all postings of officers made by D.G. of P. Air Ministry, but then delegation made to A.Os. C.-in-C. Commands to post within their Commands to a certain extent. Following A.M.O. A.419/43, further delegation made to D.G., R.A.F. Medical Services and D.W.A.A.F. in respect of Medical, Dental, P.M.R.A.F. Nursing Service and W.A.A.F. (G) Officers of rank of Squadron Officer and above. Broadly speaking, position now as follows:-
/Contd……..
[page break]
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(i) [underlined] D.G. of Postings [/underlined] – Posts – (a) All R.A.F. and W.A.A.F. (Substitution) Officers of all branches except Medical, Dental W.A.A.F. (G) and P.M.R.A.F.N.S. to posts of Group Captain and Squadron Officer respectively and above.
(b) All officers with exception given in (a) above between commands.
(c) All officers to special units and formations such as M.A.P. 43 Group etc.
(d) All officers on first commissioning with exceptions given in (a) above.
(ii) [underlined] D.G. R.A.F. Medical Services [/underlined]
Posts all officers of the Medical and Dental Branches and P.M.R.A.F.N.S.
(iii) D. W.A.A.F. [/underlined] Post (a) all W.A.A.F. (G) Officers of squadron officer or above (b) below squadron officer between commands (c) all W.A.A.F. Officers between certain special units and formations such as M.A.P., 43 Group etc.
(iv) [underlined] A.O.C.-in-C. [/underlined] Posts all R.A.F. officers of Wing Commander and below, and all W.A.A.F. Officers of Flight Officer and below within his command, except Medical, Dental, Meteorological, Technical (Works) R.A.F. Regiment and P.M.R.A.F.N.S.
N.B.A.Os.C. operational groups are allowed to post operationally trained aircrew below the rank of Squadron Leader within their particular groups when so empowered by the A.O.C.-in-C.
[underlined] Postings – How Notified [/underlined]
6. Postings notified to all concerned by posting notices. Full details of procedure contained in A.M.O. A.418/43.
[underlined] Posting Overseas [/underlined]
7. Air Ministry notifies that individual officer is required provisionally for overseas. Notification sent to Command, copies to Group and Unit. At this stage Officer must be medically examined and immediate notification sent to Group if unfit for overseas.
8. When instructions received to proceed to P.D.C. or other assembly station, officer is posted to that unit “Supernumerary” pending posting overseas w.e.f. date he proceeds. This is promulgated in P.O.R. together with retention or relinquishment of acting rank.
9. When officer is posted direct from home unit to overseas unit w.e.f. date on which he embarks, home unit promulgates posting in P.O.R.
……………..contd.
[page break]
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10. Relief for officer posted overseas will not be granted acting rank until his predecessor has been posted to P.D.C. or has embarked.
11. Officers in overseas commands are posted within their commands by Command H.Q.
Detailed instructions in regard to the return from overseas of:-
(a) Officer of the rank of Flight Lieutenant and below
(b) Squadron Leaders and above
(c) Aircrew arriving to complete training
(d) Special Duty List.
(e) Medical & Dental Officer
(f) Chaplains.
(g) W.A.A.F. Officer.
(h) P.M.R.A.F.N.S.
(j) Polish Officers.
and (k) Invalids.
are contained in A.M.O. A.198/43, amended by A723/43 and A.1150/43
12. Generally speaking, an officer reports to Air Ministry or to another specified station, and gets his leave, ration cards, clothing books etc. He is subsequently posted either supernumerary to a Station or to fill an establishment vacancy on termination of overseas leave.
[underlined] Posting of Non-Effective Personnel [/underlined]
13. (a) [underlined] Admitted to Hospital [/underlined]
Officer held against establishment while in hospital unless relief considered essential, when relief may be provided either by Group or Command and sick officer will be posted to non-effective strength of unit.
(b) [underlined] Officers Reported Missing. [/underlined]
On receipt of casualty signal Command Headquarters at home posts missing officer to War Casualties N.E. Accounts Depot, (R.C.A.F. Officer to R.C.A.F. U.K.N.E. Unit and Polish officers to Deputy Polish Inspectorate General (N.E.) Overseas,) officer posted to non-effective strength of Command Headquarters. If missing officer subsequently reported internee or P.O.W. action taken as in (c) below. If death is proved or presumed, officer is struck off strength of R.A.F. w.e.f. date of death or presumption of death.
(c) [underlined] P.O.W. and Internees [/underlined]
Remain on the strength of War Casualties N.E. Accounts Depot, who credit his banking account with any allowances to which he may be entitled monthly in arrears.
[underlined] Compassionate Postings [/underlined]
14 A.O.C.-in-C may effect posting son compassionate grounds between units in his command. In submitting application for posting out of the command to Air Ministry A.O.C.-in-C. must certify that his recommendation does not originate in any cause affecting the honour, character or professional efficiency of the officer (K.R. 335).
[underlined] Postings under K.R. 332. [/underlined]
15. Reports submitted in duplicate to group headquarters who forward to command headquarters, Command headquarters post officer within command if possible. Duplicate copy of report is forwarded to Air Ministry (D.G. of P) stating action taken, if any, and adding any remarks which may be necessary.
………..contd.
[page break]
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[underlined] (D) OFFICERS DOCUMENTS
List of Documents [/underlined]
16. Form 373 – Officers Record Card
Form 381 – Officers Leave Card
Form 48 – Medical History Envelope
Form 506 – Record of personal issues of publications (if necessary)
Form 5000 etc. Aircrew Training Reports.
Form 1788 – Details of Ground defence Training
Form 2004 – Command Postings Record Card
[underlined] Forms 373 and 381 [/underlined]
17. Raised by station at which individual is serving on first commissioning. Two copies of Form 373 and one copy of Form 381 are raised. One copy of Form 373 is held at Group Headquarters, and the other together with Form 381 is held by the Unit. Instructions regarding these forms in K.R. 2335 as amplified by A.M.O. A.319/45.
[underlined] Form 48 [/underlined]
18. Confidential document maintained by M.Os. on stations. Officers commissioned from ranks continue with same Forms 48 they had as airmen. For officers commissioned direct from civil life and officers transferred from Army and Navy, Forms 48 raised initially by Air Ministry.
[underlined] Amendments to this Precis: [/underlined]
[page break]
APPENDIX A TO PRECIS NO. 34
[underlined] OFFICERS ADVANCED TRAINING SCHOOL [/underlined]
[table of movements and Forms required]
[page break]
[underlined] OFFICERS ADVANCED TRAINING SCHOOL
QUESTIONS ON POSTINGS AND DOCUMENTATION – OFFICERS: (P2). [/underlined]
1. What officers in peacetime were granted permanent commissions or appointments?
2. What is the chief source of supply of officers during the war?
3. Which Directors – General and Directors at the Air Ministry may post officers?
4. To what extent may A.Os.C. in C. Commands post the officers under their command?
5. What officers may be posted by A.Os.C. operational groups and to what extent?
6. How are officers’ postings notified to all concerned?
7. What immediate action has to be taken by a unit on receipt of Air Ministry provisional warning for overseas?
8. What is the effective date of an officer’s posting from his home unit to an overseas unit?
9. Who posts officers within an overseas command?
10. If an officer is admitted to hospital and a relief is provided, what is the posting action taken on the sick officer?
11. What posting action is taken on R.A.F. Officer reported missing (a) at home? (b) overseas?
12. If an A.O.C.-in-C. recommends an application compassionate posting to the D.G. of P. Air Ministry, what certificate must he send with the recommendation.
13. An officer is report on by his O.C. under KR.332 and Command post the officer to a Unit in the Command. How many copies of the original report are made and how are they disposed of?
14. Who is responsible for holding Form 48 on a station?
15. How are an officer’s documents (Forms 373, 381 and 48) disposed of (a) on death (b) on becoming a prisoner of war.