RAF Works Flights

Hi, I posted a query on RAF Commands a while back without getting a response, so perhaps this would have been a better target audience.
According to the 15OTU ORB (courtesy of the Medical Officer's reports) a Works flight moved on to the unit (at Harwell /Hampstead Norris) from Feb 1943 until it ceased to exist a year later. Initially referred to as 82 works , then 4792 (works) from June and then 4792 (AC) from September. I have failed to find out anything about these by web searches, so can anyone confirm what it (they) were tasked with? I'm assuming that AC was shorthand for Airfield Construction. The size of the units varied erratically eg 101 men in June 43, down to 55 in July and a peak of 172 in December. The ORB gives no indication of any work being done on either Harwell or Hampstead Norris but I know that Drem was being installed at both during that year, so was this their task?

You are probably aware that the Air Ministry Works Directorate (AMWD) planned pre-war and built a number of Repair Depots across the UK for the purpos of carrying out emergency repairs to airfields within their assigned radius. These were manned by civilian tradesmen.

The RAF Airfield Construction Branch, and, latterly the US Construction Branch were fully employed in the construction of new airfields.

I wonder if the RAF 'Works' Flights were established to provide skilled manpower as part of the allied invasion force.

Not much help I'm afraid but might trigger more learned input.

 

Hi, I have since had a look at my copies of the 13OTU ORB entries (again at Harwell and Hampstead Norris, plus Finmere) and noticed that the Medical Officer's reports again note Works Flight 4792 and also 4714 in March 1945 but not in April or May. So not so sure about the invasion force idea. There was some upgrading of facilities following the exit of 38 Group from H and HN (lighting and comms, etc) so may have been involved with that?