Squadron Commander W.C Michie R.N.A.S

[medals1976]

Hello members, I have a trio of medals in my collection relating to the above consisting of a 14/15 Star named as a F/Sub Lieut R.N.A.S, War & Victory named Squadron commander R.N.A.S.

I have only obtained a couple of pages of research relating to his R.A.F career. I would appreciate anything about his time in the R.N.A.S as he was a balloon Officer on HMS Manica at Gallipoli. I am also told he was awarded a military O.B.E but I have not researched this yet. He is listed as Major on the August R.A.F list!

I was very lucky having recently re-united this group. I bought the Star from ebay a while ago from someone in the United States and recently saw his other medals on a dealers list in the U.K and had to buy them!

Any help would be much appreciated regarding anything about him.

Thank-you.

Mike.

[michaeldr]

Do you have a photograph of Michie?

There is a pic of two of Manica's officers (un-named) on page 46 of Brad King's book 'Royal Naval Air Service 1912-1918' and one of these chaps is a Flt Sub Lt.

The same book has other photographs of the Manica and her balloon.

The Manica arrived in the theatre on April 9th 1915 and stayed there for the summer before going on to East Africa

Regards

Michael

[medals1976]

Thanks very much Michael, I wll check out that book you mentioned. Do you know what the Manica was doing in East Africa after the Gallipoli campaign? Did the R.N.A.S Kite Balloons go there as well? Any help much appreciated.

Thanks.

Mike.

[horatio2]

HMS MANICA operated Short 827s and 184s (seaplanes) off German East Africa between May 1916 and May 1917 in addition to kite balloon.

H2

[medals1976]

Thank-you very much Horatio, it appears to be an interesting theatre of war then for the R.N.A.S!

Much obliged.

Mike.

[Guest]

Hello members, I have a trio of medals in my collection relating to the above consisting of a 14/15 Star named as a F/Sub Lieut R.N.A.S, War & Victory named Squadron commander R.N.A.S.

I have only obtained a couple of pages of research relating to his R.A.F career. I would appreciate anything about his time in the R.N.A.S as he was a balloon Officer on HMS Manica at Gallipoli. I am also told he was awarded a military O.B.E but I have not researched this yet. He is listed as Major on the August R.A.F list!

I was very lucky having recently re-united this group. I bought the Star from ebay a while ago from someone in the United States and recently saw his other medals on a dealers list in the U.K and had to buy them!

Any help would be much appreciated regarding anything about him.

Thank-you.

Mike.

Hi Mike,

Here is what I have on William Charles Michie

Born 1871

Enlisted in RNVR Anti Aitcraft Corps as an AB 14th November 1914 Off No AA584

He then served at the Admiralty Arch gun site.

He became a balloon pilot and Flt Sub Lt 6th April 1915

Flt Lt 1st January 1916.

Flt Cdr 31st December 1916

Sqdn Cdr 31st December 1917

In HMS Manica in Eastern Med. 1915

At Air Dept Kite Balloon Dept. February 1916 & September 1916

At Admiralty Air Dept. September 1918

OBE gazetted 1st January 1919

Regards

[Guest]

Hi Mike,

Here is what I have on William Charles Michie

Born 1871

Enlisted in RNVR Anti Aitcraft Corps as an AB 14th November 1914 Off No AA584

He then served at the Admiralty Arch gun site.

He became a balloon pilot and Flt Sub Lt 6th April 1915

Flt Lt 1st January 1916.

Flt Cdr 31st December 1916

Sqdn Cdr 31st December 1917

In HMS Manica in Eastern Med. 1915

At Air Dept Kite Balloon Dept. February 1916 & September 1916

At Admiralty Air Dept. September 1918

OBE gazetted 1st January 1919

Regards

Hi Mike

A little more on Michie. The following is from his RNAS record card fiche at the FAA Museum.

"This officer went out with No. 1 Section in HMS Manica to the Dardanelles, & when the ship came home to refit, he was retained at Imbros by Wing Capt Sykes for special duties. He was recommended for promotion whilst on active service by Sqdn Cdr Mackworth & had not his services been necessarily employed on other important duties, he would have been been appointed as C.O. of a Section recently formed & presumeably have been promoted to the rank of Flt Lt in accordance with the ususl custom. Is recommended for promotion."

[Possibly a different hand]

"Recommended for promotion."

[A different hand]

"Specially recommended for promotion. A large part of the credit due for the development of Naval balooning is due to this officer"

There is no indication of whom the remarks were written by.

[medals1976]

Thank-you very very much for your help, I certainly never expected so much information and really appreciate your help and time you have given me. I am really pleased having this information which I did not know, especially the date of his O.B.E. Would his O.B.E have been given for Military services? Did Michie at any stage go to East Africa with the Manica? Did he serve in a theatre of war after Gallipoli? I have tried to find a copy of his O.B.E to no avail.

Thanks again for your kindness.

Mike.

[Guest]

Thank-you very very much for your help, I certainly never expected so much information and really appreciate your help and time you have given me. I am really pleased having this information which I did not know, especially the date of his O.B.E. Would his O.B.E have been given for Military services? Did Michie at any stage go to East Africa with the Manica? Did he serve in a theatre of war after Gallipoli? I have tried to find a copy of his O.B.E to no avail.

Thanks again for your kindness.

Mike.

Hi Mike,

No mention of East Africa on his record card

Duncan

[medals1976]

Thanks Duncan.

Mike.

[MikeW]

This might get Duncan looking down another path:

In the early part of 1917, Mitchie was with the Kite Balloon section of the Air Department of the Admiralty (obviously home based), and in April 1918 he was with the Russian Naval Commission (which is a new one to me but may well mean something to Duncan).

Mike

[medals1976]

Hello Mike,

Thats an interesting avenue you have mentioned, never heard of the Russian Naval Commission but some of the information members are digging out is very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Mike.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

At Kew you will find his RNVR AAC service register in ADM 337

RNAS officers ledger ADM 273

RAF officers service records AIR 76

There are extensive files on Kite Balloons in AIR 1 and also files on R.N.A.S officers there too, here's a few to get you started!

AIR 1/675/21/13/1563 Roll of officers, R.N.A.S., on operation at the Dardanelles.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/1 Disposition of R.N.A.S officers 1916 Jan. - June.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/2 Disposition of officers 1914 Apr. - 1915 Dec.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/3 Disposition of officers 1916 July - Sept.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/4 Disposition of officers 1916 Oct. - Dec.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/5 Disposition of officers 1917 Jan. - Mar.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/6 Disposition of officers 1917 Mar. - June

AIR 1/2108/207/49/7 Disposition of officers 1917 July - Sept.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/8 Disposition of officers 1917 Oct. - Dec.

AIR 1/2108/207/49/9 Disposition of officers 1918 Jan. - Sept.

AIR 1/673/17/134/44 R.N.A.S. Kite Balloon Training Manual

AIR 1/443/15/303/5 Miscellaneous records on various individual Kite balloon officers

AIR 1/448/15/303/47 Kite Balloon Section reports 1915

AIR 1/943/204/5/985 Summary of work of Kite Balloon Sections with R.N.A.S. 1915 June - 1916 Jan.

AIR 1/669/17/122/790 Report on 1 kite balloon section, H.M.S. "Manica" 1916

AIR 1/447/15/303/40 Nominal Roll of officers and Other Ranks: Various Balloon Units 1917

[medals1976]

Thank-you very much Sir for taking the time to dig this information out an dhelp me. I will look into all these research avenues, I will certainly be kept busy now that I have plenty to go at. I am looking forward to this and am making it my number one research project.

Many thanks.

Mike.

[MikeW]

Mike,

A correction is that Michie was seconded to the "Controller, Aeronautical Supplies" from April 1917 - presumably a government or War Office department as it was refferred to as a "detached position". I believe he was still there in April 1918 rather than being with the "Russian Naval Commission" as I stated the other day - my apologies - both "detached positions" were adjacent in the list.

Mike

[medals1976]

Many thanks again Mile for your help.

Kind Regards.

Mike.

[michaeldr]

quote: I would appreciate anything about his time in the R.N.A.S as he was a balloon Officer on HMS Manica at Gallipoli.

Going through an old [No.80, Spring 1996] copy of 'The Gallipolian' the journal of The Gallipoli Association, I have come across a re-print of an article which first appeared in the 'Blackwoods Magazine' of April 1927.

It is by John Mackworth [probably the Sqdn Cdr Mackworth mentioned in manicafan's post] and titled 'The First Naval Kite-Balloon.' The article is 15 pages long and covers the voyage out and the Manica's time at Gallipoli: more anecdotes than War Diary but it could be of interest.

If your library cannot find this for you then please feel free to send me a PM and I will see if I can get photocopies to you by airmail.

regards

Michael D.R.

[medals1976]

Thanks Michael. PM sent.

Kind Regards.

Mike.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

There are over 200 other files at Kew to keep you out of mischief! They include pictures of HMS Manica and personel, but not named.

[medals1976]

Thanks for letting me know, I will certainly check all avenues of research out.

Best Wishes.

Mike.

[medals1976]

I would just like to thank Michaeldr for the very kind help in sending me some information relating to Sq C. Michie. A great credit to this forum in taking the time to help,it is very much appreciated.

Regards.

Mike.

[michaeldr]

Well done the postie! That did not take long did it

Very pleased to hear all well received

regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

Mike & Duncan

Another flick through some old copies of 'The Gallipolian' and another ref to the 'Manica' has surfaced:

Spring 1998 Issue No.86 in an article by Mr Peter Ford on three war artists he mentions two with a connection to Manica

Herbert Hillier a number of whose original pictures are at the IWM

He must (?) have been on the 'Manica' as she features in several of his sketches including one

"...on the 30 April with the line of flight of a hostile aircraft and bomb splashes. The title and accompanying caption reads - '6.45pm Enemy Bombing plane misses us with his entire cargo of bombs one after the others. He straddled us as well. In practice manoeuvres any umpire would probably have marked us put 'out of action' this day!'"

William Wiehe Collins; "Although 52 years old at the beginning of the war this did not prevent Collins joining up. In October 1914 he volunteered for the RNVR Anti-Aircraft Corps and was part of No.1 Kite Balloon Section that went to Gallipoli on the Manica. Initially Collins was not an official artist, but his skills were quickly recognised. He went aloft as an Observer soon after the first landings and was able to sketch many subsequent actions. After being officially designated a War Artist he left the Manica....and traveled to Egypt to work."

Mr Ford also mentions an article which you might want to chase-up;

'Kite Balloon Observer at Gallipoli' by Peter W. Wright, published in Cross and Cockade (US) Journal, Vol 23 No.3 1982

Hope that this is of interest

Regards

Michael

[medals1976]

Thats great and certainly of interest. Thank-you once again, you have been a great help Michael.

Kind Regards.

Mike.