Looking for RFC man

[Ghost]

A man I am looking into, Charles William Wills b: 1891 Atherstone, is reputed to have served in the RFC during WW1. "Enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of war in 1914 before moving on to the Royal Flying Corps".

I say reputed as this "Colourfull character" also has the post-nominal letters RA inscribed on his headstone. However his name does not appear on the list of past Academicians.

I have not found his service records or any MICs on ancestry.

Where else would I find confirmation of his service? Are RFC records on Ancestry or at Kew?

Alan

[archangel9]

Alan,

Possible MICs at TNA?

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...;resultcount=12

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...;resultcount=12

John

[mhifle]

Hi,

There is also Charles William Wills in the Army

Regards Mark

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Possible MICs at TNA?

These are both to the same man; one is for a DCM or MM.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I have not found his service records or any MICs on ancestry.

Where else would I find confirmation of his service? Are RFC records on Ancestry or at Kew?

The RFC were an army unit, their records are a standard army search on Ancestry or at Kew. As far as I know the 'W' files on Ancestry are not complete and neither are their copies of the MICs.

The RAF, which the RAF became on 1st April 1918, have completely seperate records and to find someone#s record it is vital to know their service number. Their records are offline at Kew in AIR 79; their is an incomplete alphabetic index in AIR 78. The RAF MICs haven't even been released to the public yet. The online army MICs show only a tiny percentage of members of the RFC/RAF.

For Wills, Charles, SR/7, Royal Flying Corps his records would be in AIR 79/2807 SR1 - SR25 SPECIAL RESERVISTS.

[Ghost]

Thanks very much for all those links and info pals. That was sloppy research on my part. I also never realised that the search results on NA were not in alphabetical order. It is time to compile a list of things to do at Kew I think.

Alan

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Army records are alphabetical, but Naval and RAF other ranks are in service number order. RAF Officers records are in alphabetical order, they like to keep it complicated!