Matrix Games Forums

Hi Longtime member and lurker here looking to tap into the group knowledge.

My mother recently found the old kitbag of her half brothers with some unit information on it and I'm hopping the combined knowledge of the group can help answer a couple of questions.

First line is just is name rank and number
Second line is "3085 task group". This is what i am really interested in as i can find nothing online about this unit.
third line is "RAF" then what looks like "S/O" or possible "S/C" then "RAAF" which i assume means he was seconded to the RAAF
Fourth line is "Edinburgh field" Which i again assume is the one in Australia
Final line is pretty much illegible but it seems Australia is in there.

This might have been a post war posting and unit but if anyone knows anything about 3085 task group or a way to find out more about them i would be interested.

Probably not what you wanted to hear but the RAF had a "Task Group" based at Edinburgh Field to support the UK nuclear tests carried out 1956-57 in an unpopulated area of South Australia. Search for "Operation Buffalo" and "Operation Antler" for more information. The RAF also did much of their rocket and missile testing (Such as Project "Blue Steel") in South Australia during the 50's and 60's, hopefully your relation's RAF task group was one involved in this rather than the nuclear tests.

That's all I got from a quick internet search.

Thanks for that i did think it might be something to do with either of those. I wouldn't mind about the nuclear testing it doesn't seemed to have affected him from what my mother has said about him although i know the safety precautions around the tests were sloppy. The nuclear testing actually ties in with what i do hydrodynamic testing. Additionally I am lucky enough to have been allowed into the AWE education collection which has artifacts from those operation so it is possible why may have looked upon the same things. I didn't know the names of those operations so I have plenty of reading tonight again thank you.

Just for clarity, I shouldn't have written Project Blue Steel as that may be misleading. What I was referring to was the RAF project for the "Blue Steel" missile which involved a testing phase conducted by RAF aircraft operating out of Edinburgh Field.

Good Luck.