Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors

280 Pages·2007·4.54 MB·English

by  Phil Tomaselli

TRACING YOUR
AIR FORCE
ANCESTORS
TRACING YOUR
AIR FORCE
ANCESTORS
P h i l T o m a s e l l i
First published in Great Britain in 2007 by
PEN & SWORD FAMILY HISTORY
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS
Copyright © Phil Tomaselli 2007
ISBN 978 1 84415 573 6
The right of Phil Tomaselli to be identified as Author of this Work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in
writing.
Typeset in Palatino and Optima by
Phoenix Typesetting, Auldgirth, Dumfriesshire
Printed and bound in England by
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Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of
Pen & Sword Aviation, Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword Military,
Wharncliffe Local History, Pen & Sword Select, Pen & Sword Military Classics
and Leo Cooper.
For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Beginnings
Chapter 2 The Royal Flying Corps in the First World War
Chapter 3 The Royal Naval Air Service in the First World War
Chapter 4 The Creation of the RAF
Chapter 5 The RAF between the Wars
Chapter 6 The Second World War: Main RAF Commands
Chapter 7 Other records for the Second World War
Chapter 8 The RAF after 1945
Chapter 9 Medals, Casualties and Courts Martial
Appendix 1 Ranks in the RFC/RNAS/RAF
Appendix 2 Royal Flying Corps – Order of Battle
Appendix 3 RNAS Order of Battle, 31 March 1918
Appendix 4 RAF Order of Battle in France, 11 November 1918
Appendix 5 Fighter Command Order of Battle, July 1940 (The Battle of
Britain)
Appendix 6 Bomber Command Order of Battle, May 1942
Appendix 7 AIR Papers at the PRO which may Contain Information
Useful to Family Historians
Appendix 8 Useful Books
Appendix 9 Other Useful Archives, Collections and Sources
Appendix 10 Magazines and Periodicals
Appendix 11 Websites
Appendix 12 RAF Abbreviations
Index
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
F
irst and foremost I owe my wife, Francine, the warmest and most heartfelt
thanks for living with this interest for longer than we’ve been married and
for putting up with my regular visits to TNA and other archives. I also
owe a large debt to her late father, Peter Pepper, whose own knowledge of
aircraft dwarfed my own, and who was a most useful mentor, guide and
inspiration.
The staff at The National Archives have always been helpful, courteous, kind
and knowledgeable. Simon Fowler, previously editor of Family History Monthly
and now Ancestors, adopted me early on and has encouraged me (and acted as
editor) ever since. Rosemary Horrell loaned me, and allowed me to copy, the
papers of her late stepfather, Group Captain Reggie Bone, in the first place and
got me started on the whole project.
Swindon and Marlborough Library staff have been patient in searching out
obscure books for me through the inter-library loan service. Jan Keohane,
Catherine Rounsfell and Duncan Black at the Fleet Air Arm Museum allowed
me access to the extensive archives there and offered me advice, assistance and
some good laughs and gossip while I was there. Martin Kender shared with me
his researches into Lt Guy. Various friends in the Western Front Association and
Cross and Cockade International have shared their interests and enthusiasms
with me; David List, Paul Baillie and William Spencer and other researchers at
TNA have given me advice, help and support over many years. Richard Davies
and his assistants at Leeds University Library helped me with the Liddle Archive
and kindly provided the photograph of C P O Bartlett. Thanks to the staff of the
RAF Museum, Imperial War Museum and Museum of Army Flying; Nick and
Carmen Coombs for information on, and the photograph of, Nick’s grandfather
Reginald Heath; Joyce Cooke for the photographs of the late Ron Cooke and for
permission to use his log book.
Various veterans of the First World War and later who I’ve been in touch with
deserve special mention, particularly Guy Blampied, William Savage and John
McGowan. Now all passed away but each, in their own way, was keen to help
me in various aspects of my researches.
My father Phil Tomaselli senior did his National Service in the RAF in the
early 1960s and has encouraged me and talked me through his service record (as
well as producing his own history of RAF Yatesbury to act as a spur). Finally,
I’d like to dedicate this book to my late mother, Doreen Tomaselli, who from an
early age said that I should be a writer and researcher and who lived to see my
first articles published. She would have been delighted to see my name on this
book.
INTRODUCTION
A
t the height of Second World War some 110,000 officers and 1,050,000
other ranks were serving in the Royal Air Force, with many thousands
of others in related air services such as the Fleet Air Arm, Glider Pilot
Regiment and the Army’s Air Observation Posts. Given that there were some
300,000 men and women in the Royal Air Force at its formation on 1 April 1918
and that the origins of British military aviation go back to the 1870s, very many
of us have ancestors who flew for their country or supported the men who did.
My own interest in the RAF began in the 1980s when I was given the papers
of Group Captain Reginald Bone, who’d served with the Royal Naval Air
Service and then the RAF (with a short gap, when he was Director of Civil
Aviation in Egypt) until 1941. There wasn’t then (or if there was I couldn’t find
it) a general guide to RAF records, and service records from the First World War
had not been released, so researching what I hoped to turn into Reggie’s
biography was challenging to someone whose main interest, previously, had
been the Victorian army. But it was fun … and the interest in the RAF and in
service records and archives has stayed with me ever since. I hope this book will
provide information about how to find information about individuals but also
give pointers and examples to researchers (particularly family historians) about
where they can find records of units and bases individuals served in, the kind of
work they did, the aeroplanes they worked with and the people they worked
alongside.
Family history, if it is to mean anything, means taking individuals and
understanding their world. History isn’t just created by kings, politicians and air
marshals but by the men and women who actually did the fighting in the air, the
servicing of the aircraft on the ground, who drove the fuel bowsers, moved the
aircraft symbols on the plotting tables, manned the telephone exchanges and
typed the orders. Without them and their sacrifices of time, effort and sometimes
health or lives, no great events would be possible. I hope this book will help you
fit your ancestor into the events in which they participated.
Inevitably, when seeking an individual, you’ll find some records have been
destroyed, mislaid, not been released or have been so indexed that their title
gives no hint that useful information is contained inside. Persevere, think
laterally, try looking further up the command chain for copies of documents that
might be relevant, seek out other collections. The simple act of researching can
be a lot of fun in its own right! Whatever you find, please write it up – this piece
of advice comes from someone with half a dozen completed research projects
that just require writing up, so I know it’s difficult, but please set it down for the
benefit of other family and other researchers who might come after you.
Wing Commander R J Bone RAF, probably taken in late 1918 following his
transfer from the RNAS to the RAF. (Mrs R J Bone via Mrs R Horrell)
Excerpt from Reggie Bone’s service record showing his RNAS and RAF service
prior to 1934. (Via Mrs R Horrell)
Excerpt from Reggie Bone’s service record showing commendations and
opinions of senior officers. (Via Mrs R Horrell)