What would the initials have meant?

[upinaballoon]

A man was in the RAF during WW2. Someone wrote to him from Edzell, Angus, Scotland, where he'd been training, I suppose, his whereabouts by then not known to the writer. The name and address were

A. C. Joe Soap
U.W.U.W.
H.Q. R.A.F
c/o A.D.O (or A.P.O)1520
So, AC = aircraftsman ?
What does U.W.U.W stand for?
I can manage H.Q. RAF!!
On the last line, if it's APO would that mean Area Post Office?
Please can anyone help?

He was posted abroad and another envelope says
L.A.C. Joe Soap L.A.C.= leading aircraftsman ??
57 R.S.U. R.A.J.
Middle East Forces
Please can anyone help with R.S.U and R.A.J?

He was helping to mend beaten up aeroplanes - ground crew.

Hi,

Yes, AC is Aircraftman and LAC is Leading Aircraftsman (a promotion).

I had a quick google and found that 57 RSU is probably 57 Repair and Salvage Unit, Middle East; based in North Africa then Italy, and disbanded in Jan 1945. The The National Archives hold 5 photographs but unfortunately it looks like you would need to visit in person.

Google also returns a Roll of Honour regarding other unit members with several being lost on the same day in a Wellington flying accident.

Possibly more use is the RAF's Air Historical Branch I am not sure how much help they can offer but requesting information about the units rather than Joe Soap himself may yield more help.

Hope this gets you a little further on your search.

@oldflierswife Thank you very much. I had begun to think that no-one would answer! Repair and Salvage Unit is perfect. He was rebuilding damaged Wellington bombers 'somewhere in the sand' (my words). I have photos of a bashed-up machine, a couple of them 'putting the prop on' and 'the finished Wimp'.
Don't we all wish we'd asked them more questions before they died?

Hi,

It's a little of the beaten track here but eventually someone will wander by (like the Forces Sweethearts board).

If you have some photos it probably is worth getting in touch with the links above so that the images can be stored forever and not get 'lost' if someone after you does not cherish the images like you do.

Good luck with your hunting.

I didn't know there was a Forces Sweethearts thread. The little photos are probably no different from anyone else's but I have so cherished them. Joe Soap was my uncle and he didn't marry, so after me I don't think anyone would do anything except throw them into land-fill. I have written to one place but the links you have given me are useful to have. Right, new year resolution - DO something about the box of little photos. There are a few aerial photos in Italy - I cannot tell whether they are pictures of bombing or anti-aircraft fire or reconnaisance. The beauty of now is that I can photocopy photos and send them somewhere to ask, without losing the originals.

Please don't overlook your 'little photos'. As I said the National archives are only showing they have just 5 photos from that unit, if relevant yours may boost the national holding significantly. All of the men like Joe should been recorded for history, I should imagine too many Joe photos have been put in landfill and burnt over the years.

The Air Historical Branch are also there to record histories of Air units. I will continue to check back to see if your photos have been absorbed into any collections - how exciting. It will also n=be interesting if they can shed any light on UWUW. BTW I think its APO, and i have assumed it was a fore runner to BFPO, but this not based on any research just my assumption.

...and remember, even if Joe had no children and you may be the last in your family to be interested, there will always be air history geeks who would be thrilled to find you little photos...

Would the R.A.J. maybe just be R.A.F. in a cursive handwriting? Depending on the person's handwriting they could be very similar. There isn't RAF mentioned in that second address at all which is why I was wondering that.

DH says the U.W.U.W. sounds like it could be the training unit he was in as an aircraftsman but he doesn't know what words it would actually stand for.

Was he based in Italy? If so was he awarded the Italy Star? www.italystarassociation.org.uk/ might be able to help perhaps?
I couldn't find any Africa Star Association currently existing, but records show there were branches around the country. Probably disbanded as I know Italy Star recipients must be in 90s.

He "came across Africa and up through Italy", as so many did. He was quite bright (I would say that, wouldn't I) and lived a quiet country life in England. He would never have gone to Italy or Africa normally, didn't have that kind of a life. I think he was interested in what he saw. There was a sort of folly building in the desert, Marble Arch they called it, in the corner of the airfield. I'd better google it. It might have been built by the Italians.

Reading in the bath squinting (specs off as far too vain for varifocals) read that as repairing Wellington boots!! Sounds fascinating making such discoveries about a relative op!

APO is Army Post Office (ancestor of the modern BFPO).

It would be easier with a photo of the text, sometimes there's a knack to reading handwriting.

I haven't a clue as to how to scan a document into a post!!

Mmm, H.Q. RAF
c/o A.P.(or D)O. 1520

I am old enough to remember Jean Metcalfe and Cliff Michelmore and I think they used to use the words BFPO in the addresses which they read out. Yes, thank you for Army Post Office. He was in the RAF but the army was near so it's neither here nor there. In a minute I'll google APO 1520 Africa WW2. It's surprising what comes up when you manage to get the right words in google.

I think you are right about the cursive F. I have looked at the way the same person has written the word 'Forces' on the next line, and the writer was rather brief with the crossbar on that capital F. Thank you for prompting me to get the tin out again and look closely.

At the bottom of the box there's a morphine ampoule, never used, presumably in case of injury, c 1942.
Among the photos is one of British graves in the sand, the nearest one with a wooden cross which carries the words UNKNOWN SOLDIER. There is also one of German graves, the closest one quite ornate and with the name of a specific person and his dates of birth and death. I don't weep when I look at them but I am moved by them.