Series descriptive note

Function and purpose

This series is the personnel series for post World War II service men and women serving in the RAAF. All ranks are represented in this series.

This series provides information about an individual’s service in the RAAF, including enlistment, postings, promotions/demotions and date of separation. It also includes correspondence between the individual or the individual’s relatives and the RAAF after the service person left the defence force.

Using the series

Where the service person served in World War II and then continued to serve in the post World War II period, the records of war service are top numbered into the later file.

System of arrangement and control

The service number controls the records. This service number is made up of an alpha prefix, a number infix and then a running number. The alpha prefix corresponds to the rank/grouping of the service person. The alpha prefixes are:

A = Airmen

O = Officer

N = Nursing sister

L = Female commissioned officer

W = Female (other ranks)

The number infix corresponds to the state in which a service person enlisted and commenced their services. The number infixes are:

1 = Queensland

2 = New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

3 = Victoria

4 = South Australia and the Northern Territory

5 = Western Australia

6 = Tasmania

Some records contain either a /H or a /P suffix. A /H suffix is for Historical and the record contains information on enlistment, postings and similar types of information, and a /P suffix is for Personnel and this record contains performance assessment, though the contents in each type of record can vary.