Deciphering Movement Card for Mosquito RS700

Thanks to G Geoffrey Sinclair who provided a link for finding RAF Bomber Command movement cards (Form 78 Aircraft Movement Cards – Bomber Command History) I was able to find the Form 78 for Mosquito RS700 whose restoration I'm helping with.



I'm now requesting help from the forum membership to decipher the various acronyms and words that appear on this card and would appreciate any info that can be provided. I see the following that I can't figure out:

AW/CN
The column "41 or 43 Gp. Allot." and the various numbers in that column
2481/ASC/145 or 175
CRO
3R/ROS

Plus, if anyone can make out the words on the 23.8.52 date regarding an apparent CAT 3B damage, that would help:



Also, I can't make out the small words above "58 PR Sqdn." in the last entry. First word looks like "Lost" but can't make out the rest. This can't refer to the aircraft itself as it still exists but may mean some kind of failure.



Thanks for any help!

AW/CN - Awaiting Collection
CRO - Civilian Repair Organisation
ROS - Repaired on Site

That's primarily the 'generic', you need someone who has done some deep research into the Mosquito and looked at a lot of Mosquito Form 78s to get down into the specifics. Often it is only from having researched a lot of them and read a lot of Form 78s for a specific type you can 'read' what they say - variations in handwriting and 'shorthand' used by some of the people who wrote on the cards is always a challenge.

Thanks! Makes sense.

Do you know what the reference to 41 or 43 Gp. means?

Crimea_River said:

Thanks! Makes sense.

Do you know what the reference to 41 or 43 Gp. means?

Click to expand...

Likely 41 Group and 43 Group. Both were RAF maintenance groups formed in 1939 under RAF Maintenance Command.

41 Group and 43 Group were major maintenance groups of the RAF during WW2 within RAF Maintenance Command, being in place until RAF Support Command was formed in early 1970s, and had a number of subsidiary maintenance, repair and salvage units under them. 41 Group had a number of aircraft storage units, storage depots, equipment depots, also had a number of Ferry Flights/ATA under their control. 43 Group also had a number of aircraft storage units, but also Repair and Salvage Units. Numbers in those columns likely represent message references or file references to the aircraft being allocated to and from control of the Groups or units under the control of the Group(s) or a direction being given by the Group eg first line aircraft is awaiting collection and allocation or movement to next responsible unit - so second line appears to have to do with Airspeed Christchurch (ASC?), then fourth line it is with 37MU who was part of 41 Group.

UPDATE: Had to dig back into my records for some of the post-War and sub-categories relating to aircraft serviceability.
Cat 3R - Temporarily out of service, on maintenance or receiving modifications etc. Post-categorization, the aircraft may be flown (or may have temporary repairs effected so that it can be flown), if necessary under special conditions, either to another site for repair or until a suitable date can be arranged for repair at its normal base". 'R' after the 'Cat 3' indicated the repair of modification is outside the capability of the holding unit eg Squadron and immediate first line maintenance organisation, but is assessed as being able to be performed by a Repair Organisation (RO) - so in first instance would go back to a RAF MU, or maybe sent directly to a Civilian Repair Organisation (CRO) depending on the nature of the work required and who would normally conduct the work.

Excellent input guys. Thanks so much.