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Archiver > GREATWAR > 2003-05 > 1052432265


From: Pauline <>
Subject: RE: [WW1] WW1 Royal Naval Air Service
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 16:17:45 -0600
In-Reply-To: <00c701c31588$c64e9480$81811d41@D34LGM21>


John:

Thank you for the information. Even if it's not related directly to my
grandfather it certainly helps gain perspective on the era, so thank you.
I'm pretty sure he was an enlisted solder/sailor/airman because I have a
photograph of him in his uniform. I've already tried to take on the PRO for
maritime records for WW1 and I'm still reeling from the experience but I
will try again although I'm not sure how to trace naval personnel who never
boarded a ship!

Thanks again,


Pauline.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Favill [mailto:]
Sent: May 8, 2003 11:39 AM
To: Pauline;
Subject: Re: [WW1] WW1 Royal Naval Air Service


Hi Pauline,
I have no idea if this information is of any use to you but I am
reading at the moment the autobiography of Sir Harry Ricardo. Ricardo was a
young engineer in WW1 and became involved with Squadron 20 of the R.N.A.S.
in the Spring of 1916. He eventually was responsible for designing a more
powerful engine that was used in the Mark V tanks that appeared at the end
of 1917 when the Royal Tank Corps were formed. Ricardo went on to form an
Engine Design Consultancy Company in Shoreham-by Sea in Sussex, that still
bears his name.

He writes in Chapter 11 " The First Tanks"

"In 1914, at the instigation I believe of Winston Churchill, and certainly
under his patronage, a formation known as the Royal Naval Air Service was
created. It was made up almost entirely of civilian technical volunteers,
and was divided into a number of more or less independent squadrons each
commanded by a naval engineer officer. Each squadron devoted itself to some
particular branch of the Service. Wing-Commander Cave-Brown-Cave, R.N4.,
concentrated on the development of small airships, observation balloons and
kites, and another, under Commander Briggs, R.N. on anti-submarine devices
such as depth charges and so on.
Squadron 20 devoted itself to the development of an armoured vehicle
capable of crossing wide trenches and of trampling down or tearing away
barbed wire. In this they had the support of Winston Churchill and Lloyd
George, but not the Army authorities who thought the whole project merely
silly.
A small design committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Eustace Tennyson
D'Eyncourt, then the Director of Naval Construction, set to work on the
development of H.M. Landships as they were officially known."

There is no mention of Hendon in the autobiography so I would hazard a guess
that your grandfather was not a member of Squadron 20 as the "Tanks" were
constructed at Fosters in Lincoln and partly at the Metropolitan Carriage
and Wagon Works in Birmingham.The mention of the headquarters at Pall Mall
in London is the only other location mentioned except for the location of
the companies involved on the engine project. The test grounds were at
Lincoln and at Wolverhampton. I have no other information about possible
Squadrons within the R.N.A.S.
other that the three mentioned in the autobiography.
I would suggest that any information is to be found with the Naval records
although it may be complicated if your grandfather was indeed one of the
civilian volunteers.

I wish you success with your search.
John Favill,

Wisconsin, USA

---- Original Message -----
From: "Pauline" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 8:10 AM
Subject: [WW1] WW1 Royal Naval Air Service


> Hello Listers:
>
> I am trying to find the WW1 service record for my grandfather. All I know
> about him is that he was in the Royal Naval Air Service. He was a
> mechanical engineer and he was stationed at Hendon.
>
> Where do I start to look for information on him? In the Airforce or the
> Navy. I usually search the PRO on line catalogues for records of my
> military ancestors and I just don't know where to start on this one!
>
> Any help would be gratefully received,
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> Pauline Brewer
>
>
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