Pre War Balloon Unit Queries

[mike j dunn]

Can anyone help on the following queries concering members of pre-war balloon units:

What rank was a 2 Corporal? Was this a lance corporal?

What badges of rank were worn by a CSM?

Is there a source of information about former members of the TF balloon company who transferred to the Special Reserve RFC, prior to the Great War?

Very many thanks for any information you can provide

Mike Dunn

[themonsstar]

A second Corporal I believe was a senior lance Cpl in some of the corps. A CSM had three chevrons and a crown pre war until 1915?

To find any information on pre war balloon units you would have to go to a Royal Engineer's museums at Chatham?

[per ardua per mare per terram]

second Corporal was a rank in the RE.

There were only 25 Special Reservists in the RFC on the out break of war and their RAF service papers are in AIR 79/2807; their army papers are a standard army search. You might also want to consult: Ian McInnes and Jack V. Webb, Contemptible Little Flying Corps Being a Definitive and Previously Non-existent Biographical Roll of Those Warrant Officers, N.C.O.'s and Airmen Who Served in the Royal Flying Corps Prior to the Outbreak of the First World War, ISBN: 9781843420538 Naval & Military Press Reprint.

For information on the units you could also fo the the RAF Museum.