KITE BALLOON OFFICERS

[medals1976]

Hi Mike

I only have limited info on your chap.

My first entry is in Sept 1917 when he was attached to No. 4 Balloon Company,

and no. 42 Kite Balloon section was part of that company (the company was part of No.1 Balloon wing serving in France)

He is included in the 1 Balloon Wing particulars book (National Archives ref AIR1/1767/204/142/23) – this will only have basic info.

He is not part of the return for the company in Jan 1918, but I then pick him up

attached to No. 9 Balloon company - part of the 7th Brigade in Italy. No. 9 B/C was serving in France until the end of Dec 1916, and must have been moved.

After Feb 1918, I have no other entries for him.

Your best bet for further info is the National Archives (not sure where you are based). If you need any help on this aspect, let me know.

hello John,

Your help is very much appreciated as my information has been very unlimited. Do you have anything on Sub Flight Lieutenant W.C Michie o.b.e from the RNAS. I have him serving at Gallipoli in Kite balloons from HMS Manica. I would love some information on this chap if you have any as at the moment I can only obtain his RAF papers which do not say much apart from him attaining the ank of Major.

Regards

John

[medals1976]

Hello John, please see my reply below your response due to an error on my part. Hope you can help.

Thanks.

Mike.

[John D]

Hello John, please see my reply below your response due to an error on my part. Hope you can help.

Thanks.

Mike.

W C MICHIE

Hmm - drawn a bit of a blank here. I have found RNAS Balloon officers difficult to research. I have lists of units they were attached to from the late 1917 to 1919, and odd lists before 1917, but your man is not on any. He is in the April 1918 RAF list as a Balloon Officer, but I am wondering if he was seconded to another branch of the service. I will have another rummage, but it is not looking promising.

Regards

John

[medals1976]

W C MICHIE

Hmm - drawn a bit of a blank here. I have found RNAS Balloon officers difficult to research. I have lists of units they were attached to from the late 1917 to 1919, and odd lists before 1917, but your man is not on any. He is in the April 1918 RAF list as a Balloon Officer, but I am wondering if he was seconded to another branch of the service. I will have another rummage, but it is not looking promising.

Regards

John

This would be much appreciated John, this guy seems to be very active during the Gallipoli campaign as a Balloon Officer which I believe is quite unusual. If you have anything on him please let me know. Do you know of any good reference books that are readily available regarding Kite Balloons and Personnel?

[pgarwood]

Hi John,

Can you help with this one at all??

Capt John McLelland (McLelland) KB, MID

Hi there I have a series of documents / medals on this man and have tried the LG to find out about his MID. The records say MID LG 1.1.19 but I cannot find it.

I think I have found a few references to him becoming acting Capt KB but that is all. Can anyone help?

This is my first WWI aquisition of a KB officer and I am struggling to make sense of it. Any advice welcomed.

I am beginning to wonder if his name was mispelt or similar.

LG dates on his papers are :11/02/18 and LG.1.1.19 (ic2) and Ty 2nd Lt 11.06.18 (first appt)

Born 5th Feb 1880 His Naval file states: Rank TFPO 11.2.18 and shows entry to RNAS in Jan 1918

He made T/Lt 25.4.18 Act/Capt 13.7.18 and unemployed list 01.3.19.

Served: 1 Ballooon TS, 5 Balloon Base Gibraltar (28.6.18), Mediterranean District for Disposal (13.7.18), Back to 5 BB, and finally 1 BT Depot (26.2.19).

His MID is looged down as being LG 1.1.19 but I cannot find it!

Any ideas?

Thanks

peter garwood

I have over the years collated a card index of known Kite Balloon Officers. The information is usually just a note of which section or company they were attached to, and any PRO references when I found them mentioned in a file.

I am happy to look up any names on my index (this will be officers only, as I have not recorded info for other ranks other than H&A's).

John

[John D]

Hi John,

Can you help with this one at all??

Capt John McLelland (McLelland) KB, MID

Hi Peter

I don't have a lot more than you already know. I think 1 Balloon TS is probably the training unit at Roehampton (where both RNAS & RFC balloonists trained). I only have the Feb 1918 list for Roehampton trainees, and he is not on it (I guess his training started about then). I just have him serving at Gibraltar from 28.6.18. He was still there in Sept 1918 (strangely, of the 20 Balloon officers at Gibraltar in Sept 1918, 16 of them were attached to the unit from 28.6.18.

Although I have some MID details for Balloonists, they are mostly RFC. RNAS records for the balloons are very patchy and i have struggled with most of mine as well.

Regards

John

[pgarwood]

Hi John, Thank you.

I have found a couple of references to him in the Gazette and not much more. His MID seems not to be anywhere in the Gazette but the search system is a bit odd with Mc and Mac's.

I can let you have copies of the paper documents I have if you want for your file, perhaps you might glean something from them I have missed!!

Thanks

Peter

11

Hi Peter

I don't have a lot more than you already know. I think 1 Balloon TS is probably the training unit at Roehampton (where both RNAS & RFC balloonists trained). I only have the Feb 1918 list for Roehampton trainees, and he is not on it (I guess his training started about then). I just have him serving at Gibraltar from 28.6.18. He was still there in Sept 1918 (strangely, of the 20 Balloon officers at Gibraltar in Sept 1918, 16 of them were attached to the unit from 28.6.18.

Although I have some MID details for Balloonists, they are mostly RFC. RNAS records for the balloons are very patchy and i have struggled with most of mine as well.

Regards

John