[insignificant]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this, but it seems its where I'll find people with the most knowledge!

I was looking through my Grandads RAF certificate book and this is what it says about him:

Performs duties as a member of a rifle section. carries out personal decontamination and decontamination of small arms. assists with the handling of casualties, and administers first aid.
May be required to perform duties as a member of a 3 inch mortar detachment and under the supervision of an armament fitter to undertake minor servicing of small arms and to assist in servicing LAA equipment. When required commands a rifle section or acts a 2 inch mortar man, when qualified may be called upon to act as deputy commander of a 3 inch mortar detachment.

Can anyone tell me what this all means please?! Thanks!

[UPPSY]

rifle section is using a rifle
the decontamination is when you get gassed and first aid is first aid
3 inch mortar is kind of a mini bomb
small arms are instead of great big bombs and heavy arms
can command a rifle section so commands men (is in charge of maybe 50-100 men)
and appears to be training to be a deputy commander

so not very high up at this point but high enough to be a commander of men and draw a decent wage

[insignificant]

(Original post by UPPSY)
rifle section is using a rifle
the decontamination is when you get gassed and first aid is first aid
3 inch mortar is kind of a mini bomb
small arms are instead of great big bombs and heavy arms
can command a rifle section so commands men (is in charge of maybe 50-100 men)
and appears to be training to be a deputy commander

so not very high up at this point but high enough to be a commander of men and draw a decent wage

Thankyou so much! If I could give you x10 rep I would. Means a lot.

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by insignificant)
............

Presumably your Grandad was in the RAF Regiment, because he is doing tasks which are more infantry based. The RAF Regiment provide the RAF with airfield security, amongst other ground-defence support.

Performs duties as a member of a rifle section. This means he was trained to be part of a small team of RAF Regiment Gunners (as they are known), armed with rifles, to provide security to an RAF Station (could be entry security, or patrols around the perimeter of an airfield)

Carries out personal decontamination and decontamination of small arms. Decontamination (cleaning) refers to the RAF Regiment's responsibility for providing specialist support for nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. So he was trained to decontaminate himself and his rifle (which is what a small arm is, rifle, pistol type weapon). That doesn't mean he was ever actually involved in real NBC warfare, everyone was/is trained.

Assists with the handling of casualties, and administers first aid. This is another war task that the RAF Regiment were and still are trained in.

May be required to perform duties as a member of a 3 inch mortar detachment. Mortars are the type of 'bomb' you see in war films, a small tube on the ground, which the soldier drops the shell down and it blasts straight out. The RAF Regiment would use them for airfield defence, to stop airfield attacks from ground troops. Not sure how many in a mortar team, but 3-4 I think.

and under the supervision of an armament fitter to undertake minor servicing of small arms and to assist in servicing LAA equipment. This means that under the supervision of a trained weapons technician (an armourer) your Grandad was trained to undertake basic fixing of rifles. I think LAA Equipment is Light Anti-Aircraft Equipment, this was certainly used by the RAF Regt in the Far East, not sure if that means your Grandad served out there, or if we used it in the UK.

When required commands a rifle section or acts a 2 inch mortar man, So he was trained to lead a rifle section. I think it might mean acts as 2 inch mortar man, which is simply a size of mortar (small)

when qualified may be called upon to act as deputy commander of a 3 inch mortar detachment. And as it says really, when trained he could be deputy commander of a larger, 3 inch mortar team.


This profile suggests at the time it was written your Grandfather was a senior Gunner or perhaps a Corporal.

[insignificant]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
Presumably your Grandad was in the RAF Regiment, because he is doing tasks which are more infantry based. The RAF Regiment provide the RAF with airfield security, amongst other ground-defence support.

Performs duties as a member of a rifle section. This means he was trained to be part of a small team of RAF Regiment Gunners (as they are known), armed with rifles, to provide security to an RAF Station (could be entry security, or patrols around the perimeter of an airfield)

Carries out personal decontamination and decontamination of small arms. Decontamination (cleaning) refers to the RAF Regiment's responsibility for providing specialist support for nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. So he was trained to decontaminate himself and his rifle (which is what a small arm is, rifle, pistol type weapon). That doesn't mean he was ever actually involved in real NBC warfare, everyone was/is trained.

Assists with the handling of casualties, and administers first aid. This is another war task that the RAF Regiment were and still are trained in.

May be required to perform duties as a member of a 3 inch mortar detachment. Mortars are the type of 'bomb' you see in war films, a small tube on the ground, which the soldier drops the shell down and it blasts straight out. The RAF Regiment would use them for airfield defence, to stop airfield attacks from ground troops. Not sure how many in a mortar team, but 3-4 I think.

and under the supervision of an armament fitter to undertake minor servicing of small arms and to assist in servicing LAA equipment. This means that under the supervision of a trained weapons technician (an armourer) your Grandad was trained to undertake basic fixing of rifles. I think LAA Equipment is Light Anti-Aircraft Equipment, this was certainly used by the RAF Regt in the Far East, not sure if that means your Grandad served out there, or if we used it in the UK.

When required commands a rifle section or acts a 2 inch mortar man, So he was trained to lead a rifle section. I think it might mean acts as 2 inch mortar man, which is simply a size of mortar (small)

when qualified may be called upon to act as deputy commander of a 3 inch mortar detachment. And as it says really, when trained he could be deputy commander of a larger, 3 inch mortar team.


This profile suggests at the time it was written your Grandfather was a senior Gunner or perhaps a Corporal.

Thank you so much for all of this information, it is invaluable, my dad will be so pleased. Yes my Grandad served in Africa, Germany, Singapore, Burma, Cyprus to name a few, Dhekelia, Cyprus being where my dad was born. I'm researching as much as I can about my Grandad as he died when I was 2. Apparently he was a 'secret squirrel' involved in secret missions and whatnot, my Grandma used to say lots of RAF/Army men would come rushing into the house, and get him and he wouldn't come back for days. Before he was in the RAF he was in the Army. I'm sending off for all of his records so it would be interesting if anything came up, though it would probably still be classified. I'm just trying to get my head around what everything means, and you've helped a great deal, thanks