E/E.88 Abbreviations, checking if I understand this scribble..

Hi All,

just going through some Wirraway E/E.88 forms (status cards)... can I check if I'm understanding the abbreviations and other terms correctly? Most of them seem obvious:

AB Air Board
A/C aircraft
A/F airframe
BOC brought on charge
F/B fixed base (usually referring to CAC in the case of Wirraways)
I/E Initial Equipment
I/R Immediate Reserve
M/P mainplane
P port
PFA pending further advice
S/B starboard
Serv (Serviceable) available for use
SOC struck off charge
S/R Stored Reserve
U/S unserviceable
U/C under cover (referring to storage)
U/C undercarriage
U/E Unit Establishment (counted in the Establishment strength of the unit)

Dates:
Allotted - date on which a decision is made about where the aircraft is to be used (paperwork only)
Issued - date on when an aircraft leaves its previous allotment
Received (Rec) - date on which the aircraft arrives at its new allotment

Does anyone know the definitions of different storage categories? I can see B, C, D and E.

Regards,
Derek

This post has been edited by derekbu on Jul 23 2013, 06:50 AM

Still no takers to suggest the meaning of U/E?

It seems similar to the meaning of I/E (Initial Equipment, or on strength), since aircraft were often moved from S/R to U/E and the reverse, but I'm still trying to get to the bottom of this.

Same thing for the storage Classes (B, C, E).

Also, it appears later (after WW2?) that storage classes changed to numbers, trying to figure those out as well...

Regards,
Derek

Hi Derek,

I'm not 100% sure but I have a vague recollection that U/E signified Unservicable Equipment as opposed to an unserviceable (U/S) airframe.

It I am correnct, then it would then follow that the airframe would move in and out of storage category as unservicable equipment was removed, replaced, repaired or salvaged.

Another term that uses the letters UE are "Unit Establishment", or in other words the authorised level of "strength" the a unit can man/equip up to in terms of its approved Unit Personnel Establishment and Equipment Tables.

No doubt someone will confirm or contradict this for us!

B)

Cheers

BC

I read U/E as meaning "Unit Equipment"

Now I may be wrong, but I understood U/E to be Unit Establishment.

Martin, never heard this as Unit Equipment, and Brendan if something is unserviceable I have only heard it referred to as U/S.

This post has been edited by batman on Jul 22 2013, 08:52 PM

Excellent, U/E = Unit Establishment.

That's clearly the meaning on these Wirraway E/E.88's, since it's referring to a serviceable aircraft which is counted "on strength" (same meaning as I/E).

U/S appears many times on the cards also, clearly referring to Unserviceable.

Thanks Brendan & Batman!

This post has been edited by derekbu on Jul 24 2013, 02:46 AM

IE is in Use Equipment
UE is Unit Equipment

Gordy

My next question about E/E.88 status cards relates to status codes and storage classes used for the aircraft.

I see the following status codes recorded:

C
E
E Star
F
G

Does anybody know the definition for these codes?

I also see the following storage categories listed:

Cat E
Cat C
Cat B

And post-WWII:

Class 4
Class 5

Same question, does anyone know the definitions of these? I assume Cat A and Classes 1-3 also exist.

Regards,
Derek

Now the message boards are back online I can ask my question again... can anybody help explain the status codes on E/E.88 forms? (listed in post above)

Regards,
Derek

Hi there Derek,

I'll weigh in at last.

Should be a Explanation file,...circa 1936-1938 per RAAF Form E/E-88 (I think it came out during June 1938) Under RAAF Series A705 under AMSE 82/2/***** Files

Suggest you get NAA to look for it for you under this series.

I/E: If I was looking for details per its sister Form: Per RAAF Form 77 (the card left in the aircraft)
Title
RAAF Form E/E77 - Aircraft Maintenance Form [3cm]

Contents date range
1936 - 1945

Series number
A705
Control symbol
87/2/1372 PART 1
Item barcode
3386946
Location
Canberra
Access status
Open
Date of decision
09 Mar 2010
Physical format
PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level)

Date registered
19 Nov 1998
[B][/B]

Best
Gordy :huh: :o

thanks Gordy, I'll chase those up, see what I can find.

Regards,
Derek

I tried searching the NAA but couldn't find anything that might assist with the E/E88 forms.

Can anyone explain what the following terms E, C, and G that appear on the attached image mean?

For example:

"E Star at Rath"

"C .... "

"G at 11 SQD"

(IMG:http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/albums/uploaded/3045881_p55.jpg)

Cheers!

Derek and Nelson
I have searched until my eyes hurt and have yet to find a definitive clarification of these abbreviations. Good Luck in your efforts, I hope that you are able to decipher the meanings.

I read it as;

'E' Serv (Servicing) at Rathmines

I don't think that it is servicing.

The status card reads

30.3.42 E Star at Rath
30.3.42 Received Rathmines ex CAG
6.4.42 E Star at Rath
13.4.42 C Star at Rath
21.4.42 E Star at Rath
27.4.42 C Star at Rath

I can't see it being serviced that often.
The entries are roughly a week apart.

Just guessing but maybe something like Short Term Active Reserve? Stored Temporarily at Ready?

Looking at some of the other cards I see the term Estimated Service After Receipt .
The Star term is often used in conjunction with Rathmines Workshop.

I will keep digging.

Hi
During the 60's servicings were from memory as follows
A Serv weekly
C Serv about 30 days
D Serv about 100 hours
E Serv a major serv after a number of D Serv
F Inspection. Inspection of aircraft and maintenance records to deciede on another E Serv or procede to a G Serv or scrap the aircraft.
G Serv Very in depth major servicing.
The time intervals for the above servicings would be different for each aircraft type and could even vary from one RAAF base to another.
I could only see two references to flying hours in the two E/E 88. 180 hrs on the 22/5/42 and 240 hrs on 11/8/43. Sixty hours in 15 months.
One E Star on the 30/3/42 another on 6/4/42 and the third on 21/4/42. As there is only a few days between E Star, C and G they must have been only minor servicings. The 40's maintenance system is very different form the 60's without any obvious tye up.
Sorry not much help
Cheers
Ian C

Are aircraft log books available for this aircraft covering these dates?
Cheers
Ian C

On a side note, when listing the dates an aircraft joined a squadron/unit/etc do we list the "Allotted Date", the "Issued Date" or the "Received Date"? My assumption was to use the Received Date (where available).

Secondly, please refer to the attached E/E.88 card for Catalina A24-19. Several times there is an Allotted 20 SQD date, followed by an Issued 20 SQD date but no Received 20 SQD date! However in both cases there follows a "C at 20 SQD" date. Is this "C" date analogous to a Received date?

Any help much appreciated!

Cheers,
Blackcat

(IMG:http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/albums/uploaded/3045881_p45.jpg)

C for confirmed seems to fit (as with E for estimated)

Martin, I am sure this is not correct.
Have never heard these interpretations before.

Despite some inconsistencies, I still think C is C servicing, E is E servicing.

Hi BlackCat,

It would seem to me that "received date" is the best date to list for when an aircraft arrives at a squadron. Then the "issued date" seems the best detail for when a particular aircraft left the squadron.

There are many cases in E/E.88 cards that the "issued date" and "received date" at the squadron do not match the allottments from HQ, and in some cases they are missing altogether.

You can cross-reference the squadron operations record book to see if that lists arrivals and departures for the particular aircraft. That's what I'm doing for my Wirraway book research. Some squadrons and SFTSs were very good at recording arrivals and departures (even for visiting aircraft), but not all.

Regards,
Derek

This post has been edited by derekbu on Sep 20 2014, 01:52 PM

Derek,

Thanks for the reply. I agree with using the Received Dates, however in some cases the cards don't even show the received dates. I will try to cross reference the dates with the Squadron Operations Record Books but from what I've seen so far they don't make any mention of when a/c arrived or left, they just kept a running total each month at best.

Good luck with your book!

Cheers,
Blackcat

Glad to see Message Board back.
Ian C

Another question about E/E.88 scribbles...

When an aircraft crashed or made a forced landing, the extent of the damage was sometimes listed on the E/E.88. For example, from the crash of Wirraway A20-233:

Fuselage 90% S. Port mainplane 0%S. Starboard mainplane 95% S. Instruments 50% S. Undercarriage 90% S. Tail unit 75% S. Engine 85% S. Airscrew 85% S.

Pictures of the aircraft show the wings torn off and the engine ripped off, so the aircraft was damaged very badly in the above case.

I'm trying to figure out what the "S" means. I'm assuming it means "Salvageable"... any other suggestions.

Regards,
Derek

Compare the pictures to the description. "S" could mean "Scrap"?

Hi Shep, that's fantastic, solved all my questions with one post! Many thanks.

Thanks for the references too!

Regards,
Derek