The National Archives (TNA)

After going through all the documents I photographed I found a new range I hadn't recorded. It even came with a lat/long, although no seconds! The range was called SANDEND BAY and I plotted its rough location and it was to the west of PORTSOY RAF range. As SANDEND was an FAA range I checked the serial number to my charts from 1946. This revealed a problem as it was the same as PORTSOY! It looks like the chart has the range in the wrong place being 2 mile east of the correct location.

It shows that some primary source evidence can be wrong and although there is a possibility it may have moved the chart location and danger arc were too close to a populated are to be believed. It pays to cross check with other sources as I have found a few other wrong locations on other charts. In the absence of actual plans these charts (traced from Admiralty charts) are a great source but with the large scale (or is it small scale?), quarter mil I suspect, the accuracy would never be there anyway.

PS - Sorry Phil, I had already ordered my files when I saw your post.

I haven't been for more than 6 months, due to District Line always being shut on that route on the weekends I can go! The reason for posting today was that I have been using the TNA Discovery Search but the speed is appalling and has been for over a week. Before I complain has anyone else experirenced this problem with slow searches and screen updates form TNA website?

All other websites are as per normal.

Has anyone looked at:

AIR 25/792 Album of photographs taken by P.R. Squadrons of No. 106 Group and U.S. 7th Photo Group.Includes 52 photographs depicting: Album of RAF 106 Group and US 7th Photo Group. Dated 1943-1945.

Does it cover UK locations or is Northern Europe? I was hoping it would be another airfields file!

Many thanks. I will leave that one. My list of files to still look at is over two hundred but now most rarely contain information relevant to my research but I always hold out for that rare occasion when you hit gold

Some extracts from Feltwell's Flying Control Log were posted online and these had some very good information on what ranges were used as each aircraft's destination and purpose was recorded.

However when looking at the TNA Discovery I found there are a number of records for different airfields that imply similar information and possibly detail. Can anyone explain the function of each of the following record books and would they all include training flights?

Flying control log - (that was useful for my purposes, or at least Feltwell's was!)
Operations officers log
Flying control log
Operations log book
Flying control officers log
Record of operations

I have repeatedly bid on eBay for a copy of the RAF Administation Manual but both times I was outbid. I thought it might be of use but more importantly the lot seemed to include a bomb aimers Form 3073 (11.5lb practice bombs), which I have been after for years.

It may be worth noting that the preview facility on the AIR 27 ORB's is much more readable than with the old chequerboard masking. It can save you pounds to check the contents before you buy especially as most of my purchased haven't yielded anything of use. No more unreadable handwriting