Jim Horsley - service record

(Extracting some of the detail from the document has been difficult because of the feintness of the photocopy.)

• July 1940 Initial reception at Cardington [typically medical, educational and aptitude testing] On entry (23-7-40) he is selected to be ACH/WOp [a ground wireless operator].
• Then posted to 19 [unclear] Sig RC Blackpool [Signals School, giving basic recruit training, signals procedures, morse code etc].
• On 7th November 1940 he is remustered to ACH/GD – Aircrafthand General Duties. [Suggests that he was taken off Wireless Operator training].
• 3rd December 1940 awarded the rank of AC2 – Aircraftsman 2nd Class [this suggests that he has ceased training].
• 8th March 1941 Posted to AMES ???? [unable to read] No 77 Signals Wing [HQ in Liverpool at this date].
• 27th September 1941 Posted to No 79 Signals Wing AMES Kilkeel [a Chain Home radar station in Northern Ireland].
• 1st October 1941 Promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftsman (LAC).
• 19th ?? 1942. Promoted to the rank of  Temporary Corporal.
• Undated. A posting from No. 79 Signals Wing to RAF Bridgnorth.
• 16 September 1943. Posted to No. 6 Radio School and on 22 September 1943 he is remustered to become Aircrafthand / Under Training / Wireless Mechanic (ACH/u/t/W/M) [At this point he probably relinquishes all his previously held ranks and starts back at the bottom].
• 31 December 1943. Still wearing his Corporal’s tapes!
• 11th January 1944. Substantive AC2.
• In January 1944 he is posted briefly for 3 days to No 5 Personnel Despatch Centre before re-posting to RAF Chigwell (a Signals Depot in the London area).
• 1st July 1944. Promoted Aircraftsman 1st Class (AC1).
• 2nd August 1944. He is posted to a Mobile Servicing Unit (MSU) as part of the Headquarters Unit of Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF). AEAF is later renamed to become Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). [From this point on, his duties involved repairing faults on wireless equipment as part of a mobile team travelling around Europe].
• 1st November 1944. Promoted substantive LAC.
• 31st December 1944. Promoted to the substantive rank of Corporal.
• The next entry is very feint – possibly RAF Chigwell.
• 9 September 1945. Finally he goes for release to No. 101 PDC Kirkham [gets a civilian suit, a railway warrant home and a final issue of pay].

Footnote:  Because he had previously held Corporal rank, he may have continued to wear the stripes, but may have only been paid according to his substantive rank and/or any locally appointed acting rank.