From WW Historian Steve Smith <threegroupraf@yahoo.co.uk> (13-Dec-2014) deciphering AWER war record:
Hi James
His WW1` record is pretty straightforward, except he was working eighteen months for William Beardmore & Sons (aircraft manufacturers, amongst other things) as an apprentice marine engineer before he joined the RNAS. Beardmores were an RNAS contractor.
He starts off at Crystal Palace, which was a clearing house for naval recruits. He’ll have been inducted and educated in the ways of being a Naval officer there. After a month he was posted to his first flying station – Redcar, up in the North East. He’ll have been flying Longhorns, Shorthorns and maybe Curtiss aircraft there, before being passed back down South to Cranwell for advanced flight training. Usually here he’ll have flown Curtiss and Avro aircraft, before being allocated to one role within the RNAS. Clearly he was chosen for long range reconnaissance and bombing, as he passed out from Cranwell as a DH4 pilot; being then posted to Manston on the Kent coast. If you check his “appointments and promotions” section, this is when he’s promoted from “TPFO” (temporary probationary flying officer) to “T Flt Sub Lt” (temporary flight sub-lieutenant).
Manston was an active service airfield as well as a training base, so we don’t really know what he was doing here! He may well have been instructing other aircrew, which was common for newly qualified pilots – especially at a time when more qualified pilots would have been in great demand in France. 21st March until the end of April were dire times across the Channel, due to the big German offensive. After three weeks he’s moved over the Channel to Dunkirk. It’s not clear whether he joined 218 Sqn at this date, or in July – if you have his logbook this will be clear! As you’ll know from your records, 218 Sqn were based at Petite Synthe (near Dunkirk) until 7th July 1918 when they moved to Fretnum. I suspect he joined 218 Sqn (ex-Naval 18) in April, moving with them to Fretnum in July, when he was promoted temporary Captain (flight commander).
After the war squadrons were reduced to cadre and broken up quite quickly, and though some (including 206 Sqn) were transferred to Cologne in early May, as part of the Army of Occupation. He was then sent to Home Establishment, before being demobbed in the UK. In 1921 he signs up again, being posted to RAF Leuchars but, for whatever reason, doesn’t stay long – just two months!
I hope that helps a bit 🙂
Steve
No wonder dad wanted to a pilot, to follow in his father’s footsteps, a father he didn’t know well.