1 - The Black Vault

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LOOSE MINUTE
D/AHB(RAF)/5/21
18 September 2001
DAS(LA)Ops + 1
RAF Form 540
Further to your e-mail and our subsequent telecon the answers regarding your
questions on the RAF Form 540 are as follows:
1. All RAF independent units, i.e., stations, flying squadrons, regiment squadrons,
signals units, maintenance units etc, along with RAF elements of joint service units
should produce a 540.
2. The Form 540 Operations Record Book should be submitted to this branch on a
monthly basis, not later than 6 weeks after the month being reported on. Although
in reality it can be more like 6 months plus.
3. The 540 was first introduced in 1936. However many of the early squadrons kept
records going back to their formation during I/INV1.
4. As stated at 2 the unit should submit its 540 not later than 6 weeks after the month
being reported on. The original document should be sent to AHB with a copy being
kept on the unit. As far how long the copy of the 540 is kept on the unit is
concerned, I am afraid that that this depends on the unit, some destroy them after
a year and some, if they are interested in their history, keep them ad-infinitum.
5. 540's are held at AHB for approximately 25 years, they are then sent to the
departmental reviewers who clear them for release into the Public Record Office at
the 30-year point.
Moving on to your next query regarding the incident on the 5 1 h of November 1990
supposedly involving Tornadoes from Marham. I am afraid that I have gone through
the 540's for Marham, Neatishead, 27 and 617 (the 2 squadrons based at Marham at
that time) Sqns to no avail. None of them contain any reference at all to any flying
object. Indeed the deployment to Laarbruch only merits a one line entry in 617's 540,
and is not mentioned at all in either 27's or the stations.
In your e-mail of 14/9 you requested extracts from Coltishall and Saxa Vord's 540 for
the period covering Sept 70. I have'ordered these documents back from the PRO and
will forward copies of the necessary pages when they arrive. Please bear with me on
this as currently documents are taking anything up to 10 days to return from the PRO
~
AHB3(RAF)