[Milsurplus] WWII USAAC Radio Operator's Logs

[David Stinson]

WWII USAAF Radio Operator's Logs

Many years ago, I acquired the service file of
USAAF Radio Operator Staff Stg Joseph Bryant of
Cincinnati. It includes his training schedules,
many of his orders, Furloughs, flight records
and his complete radio logs for twelve of his
many flights as Radio Operator.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TvR1R3yxrS4R2CoA7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VPSQYdJCSMuYd4rS9

Stg. Bryant was assigned to Transport Command
in the Pacific Theater, flying in C-47s, C-54s,
C-87s (cargo-converted B-24) from Hickam in
Pearl Harbor to outlying islands like Guam and
Kwajalein Atall- often many hours away above
open ocean.

The orders are interesting- they used many
"short cut" abbreviations when typing them,
such as "WP" (Will Proceed), "ATC" (Army
Transport Command), "fr" (from), "acft"
(aircraft) etc.  Fun to puzzle them out.

https://tinyurl.com/55ada46z

After VJ Day, Sgt. Bryant flew missions from
islands like Okinawa to Tokyo until his
discharge from service in October of 1945.

https://tinyurl.com/3km7dbjj

One document was a small spiral-bound book
containing the huge number of "Q-signals" in
use, and hand-written additions added:

https://tinyurl.com/3km7dbjj

Sgt. Bryant's Radio Operator ground training
began in 1943 and his records include a
certificate, but a new form came into use to
document it in 1945.  I'm guessing this was
"refresher" training?  An interesting entry in
this form: his training in VHF radio and
"Collins Xmtr" (ART-13) were the last two
classes in May of 1945.  His aircraft radios
before VJ Day indicate the use of SCR-287
Liaison and SCR-274N Command sets.  Once flying
into Occupied Japan, VHF Command radios became
more common and some flights between Tokyo and
Okinawa were communicated entirely on VHF.

The Radio Logs.
Instructions for what was to be included in the
logs and what was to be done with them, along
with other Radio Operator duties are in the file.
Radio Ops were to log every radio communication
to and from his aircraft both Command and
Liaison, basic flight information like take-off
and landing times, and everything heard on the
assigned frequencies.  When over water, he also
observed the 500 KHz "silent period" at :15 and
:45 after the hour to listen for distress or
enemy contact reports.  They also logged a
check of the IFF gear, or "Little Joe," on the
half hour.

https://tinyurl.com/5f6jwns2

While Sgt. Bryant was fairly conscientious with
his log, that was not always the case with
every Radio Operator.  I have copies of logs,
also from a Radio Operator in the Pacific
Theatre, in which the Op noted only his Liaison
traffic and nothing else.

((Note to anyone researching military service
records:  These records are not "gospel,"
especially when they were typed by the hundreds
by overworked clerks.  They would sometimes
give even important documents like DD-214 "the
bum's rush," typing in only what would get it
in their "out" basket the quickest.  My
father's and father-in-law's discharge papers
hugely understated both of their service.  It
took me years of digging through unit
histories, manifests and news reports, plus
photographs of them in dress uniform with
ribbons etc. etc. to get an accurate picture of
their service.  Don't take a DD-214 as "the
last word" on someone's service.))

Details of the logs:
Radio Logs were an 8x10 horizontally-oriented
pad of forms with carbon paper to be placed
between two sheets, so an original and a copy
were made for each sheet.  At the end of a
mission, a designated officer received the
originals and the Op usually kept the carbon
copies.  The top left of the form listed the
callsigns to be used for the flight.  The long
top line contained the aircraft type and
designation, Flight number or "Special," origin
and destination and the date of the flight.

The body of the log normally began with a note
of the time when the engines and radio
equipment were powered up.  Transmissions and
receptions labelled "VOICE" or "A3" were pilot
communications via Command Set.  "CW" or "A1"
contacts were those of the Radio Op via the

Liaison Comms:
Liaison communications used many Q-signals and
cyphers.  A typical Liaison message might be:

2025Z to:NDJ5 fm:P3I 6585KC CW
T/K R/K T/QSA? QJC? R/QSA 5 QJC 2130Z T/ R AR

Translation:
2025Z calling NDJ5 (Kwajalein Atoll) from P3I
(the aircraft's CW call).
Transmit K.  Received K.
P3I: "What is the strength of my signal?  When
will you call me again on this frequency?"
NDJ5: "Your signal is 5 by.  I will call you
again at 2130Z"
P3I: R AR

The mission log ends with the pilot's
communication via Command Set for landing, the
time the aircraft is on the ground and the
Radio Op goes off watch.
Here are the complete logs of two missions.
They are .PDF files.  You'll have to use your
.pdf viewer to rotate them.  Note that the
voice frequency 236/6500 means the tower was
transmitting on 236 KC, while the pilot was
replying on 6500 KC- very common for the time.

https://tinyurl.com/34663x95
https://tinyurl.com/4sepbkpx

I hope this is of interest.  If you would like
more examples of Radio Op mission logs, let me
know and I'll work on posting the.

GL OM ES 73 DE Dave AB5S


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