AI 2(a) Records

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi everyone.

Over the last few days I've been reading Volume 2 of "British Intelligence in the Second World War" (it's not as exciting as a Tom Clancy novel, but its interesting enough...). I came across something I found very interesting, a sub-section of Air Intelligence, AI 2(a), which was set up to determine German aircraft production.

What makes this unit so interesting is that it monitored German W/T and R/T transmissions to collect details on Werk Nummers and call-signs. Here's how the unit's role is described:

"...the new sub-section depended chiefly upon plotting graphs of the works numbers (Werk Nummern) and dates of manufacture carried by enemy aircraft..."

"AI 2(a) also used whatever intelligence it could obtain from the interception of W/T call-signs from enemy aircraft in operation. GAF fighter aircraft fitted with W/T were mainly twin-engined types, single-engined fighters carrying R/T. While R/T could not be intercepted systematically except at ... short range, W/T call-signs of twin-engined aircraft, especially during tests or delivery flights, provided a better, if irregular, source of information."

Does this mean that somewhere at the PRO there are listings of details about hundreds (maybe thousands???) of Luftwaffe aircraft, including Werk Nummers and Stammkennzeichen? This could be an important discovery for Luftwaffe researchers.

Does anyone have any idea where the records of AI 2(a) might be kept? The PRO would be the best bet.

Cheers,
Andrew Arthy