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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

KITE BALLOON OFFICER


GRAZ

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Hi All

I recently bought a WW1 Balloon Officers BWM, named to FLT.SUB.LT SYDNEY HARRY GUDGIN RNAS, he seems to have had special training in Meteorology. He was based at Roehampton, Dunkirk, and Sheerness. I know nothing about the subject, and have a few questions that some members may be able to help me with.

1- If he served at Dunkirk albeit for 3 months, would he be entitled to a Victory medal.

2 - Can anybody tell me anything about the Roehampton and Sheerness Airstations

3- - What exactly were the duties of a Balloon Officer during WW1

Any information would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Graham

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What exactly were the duties of a Balloon Officer during WW1

I can only help in general terms with this part of the query, but the Balloon squadrons played a vital but unglamorous and largely forgotten role in the war. The tethered kite balloons were used for spotting for artillery, and for observing enemy movements across the Front. The occupant was almost always an officer who had been trained in this role. Not being mobile, the balloons had their limitations, but they were used as extensively as aeroplanes, and both sides went to great lengths to use aircraft and artillery to destroy the balloons.

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1. Yes, you can confirm that on the medal roll at Kew ADM 171/90 ROLL OF NAVAL WAR MEDALS Royal Naval Air Service: Officers Ge-Ode

2. Roehampton was one of the main training establishments for airships & Kite Balloons. Kite balloons were also used at sea, but the RNAS card index has been weeded, so you'll find it hard to confirm if he served on one of the Kite Balloon carriers.

3. The RFC/RNAS Handbook 1914-1918 by Peter G. Cooksley has a good section on kite balloons.

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Here is ( a bit faded!) a Balloon observer having completed a practice parachute jump

post-11647-1249025945.jpg

A close up of the equipment worn again sadly faded

post-11647-1249026071.jpg

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  • 9 months later...

Hi Dreadnought.

# 1 balloon training base Sheerness was a 75 acre site to the south of Sheerness dockyard, in use 1917-18, RNAS to 1 April 1918, then RAF, when it came under the command of Flight commander B E P Gregg.

It closed soon after the armistice and was tranferred back to the Admiralty in Sep 1919.

The base provided advanced training for Naval observers after their preliminary course at Roehampton. It had an establishment of 306 of whom 132 were pupils. There were 5 canvas balloon sheds, to the south was a large tented army camp.

Before and after 1917-19 part of the site was a RN sports ground. A map of the sports ground in 1931, as well as some photos taken in 1981, can be seen @RN sportsground

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I can only help in general terms with this part of the query, but the Balloon squadrons played a vital but unglamorous and largely forgotten role in the war. The tethered kite balloons were used for spotting for artillery, and for observing enemy movements across the Front. The occupant was almost always an officer who had been trained in this role. Not being mobile, the balloons had their limitations, but they were used as extensively as aeroplanes, and both sides went to great lengths to use aircraft and artillery to destroy the balloons.

Their very static nature was actually a major advantage over the heavier than air craft as the same area of the enemy front could be kept under constant observation, especially if the balloons were flown in groups as was increasingly the case as the war progressed. If there was only one occupant he was always an appropriately trained officer, generals, reporters and other hangers on who wanted to take a look were always accompanied. At the begining (from mid 1915) when drachen balloons were used by all sides a single observer was quite usual if only to save weight and allow the balloon to fly higher but once the Caquot type balloon was adopted by all sides (by mid 1916) a two man crew became the norm.

Allied statistics show the majority of balloon losses were through aircraft attack, artillery accounting for very few. Such was the loss rate that any balloon observer could reckon on having to take to his parachute at least once (the record was 6).

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Kite balloon observers getting ready. Man on the left of photo is wearing the later type Spencer harness with shoulder straps introduced after a number of observers fell out of the earlier harness (waist belt and leg straps) when diving over the side. The two truncated cones behind them are Spencer 'chutes

post-9885-1273936145.jpg

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If you would like to visit the (extensive) remains of RNAS Roehampton it is relatively easy. The core of the principal primary balloon training establishment is what is now Froebel College of Roehampton University. The RAF Museum has an album of photographs taken on the occaision of the decommissioning ceremonies in 1919 from which it is possible to locate most of the rooms and functions, although most of the pargetted ceilings which are very useful in establisheing locations without visible windows and fittings are now hidden behind suspended ceilings.

The workshops and class rooms were immediately west of what is now Digby-Stewart College. There is nothing to see there as the ground has been landscaped as part of the Golf Course of the Roehampton Club.

In IWM Lambeth there are photos of the preparation and launch of a balloon, and from these it is possible to locate the position of the canvas balloon hangers. These are north of the educational establishment and west of the current Roehampton Club clubhouse.

Several houses in the nearby roads were associated with the Station and were used as officers billets. The medical centre, now returned to use as a large private house, is about half a mile away south of Roehampton village near Putney Common.

The duties of a balloon officer depend on what sort of officer he is! If he is the meteorologist then he will be on the Company or Wing staff rather than the section staff. (Generally one balloon section has one balloon, one Company has two sections. -but more after mid 1917, and the number of Companies in a wing varies over time and location) His duties are twofold. - a) collection of micro meteorological data from his site and from a series of site between the Western Front and the Atlantic coast, which will be collected at two hourly intervals and sent to the Wing HQ three times a day by telephone. B) The production of weather forecasts for 24 hr, 12 hr and 2 hour periods.

Hope this helps. if you are really interested come back. This is a topic on which i will open the boring and stand at the crease all day....

MrK

Hi All

I recently bought a WW1 Balloon Officers BWM, named to FLT.SUB.LT SYDNEY HARRY GUDGIN RNAS, he seems to have had special training in Meteorology. He was based at Roehampton, Dunkirk, and Sheerness. I know nothing about the subject, and have a few questions that some members may be able to help me with.

1- If he served at Dunkirk albeit for 3 months, would he be entitled to a Victory medal.

2 - Can anybody tell me anything about the Roehampton and Sheerness Airstations

3- - What exactly were the duties of a Balloon Officer during WW1

Any information would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Graham

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  • 4 months later...

Several houses in the nearby roads were associated with the Station and were used as officers billets. The medical centre, now returned to use as a large private house, is about half a mile away south of Roehampton village near Putney Common.

Hope this helps. if you are really interested come back. This is a topic on which i will open the boring and stand at the crease all day....

MrK

Mr K

Very happy to bowl questions at you as your depth of knowldge here is impressive. I live 80 yards from the current Roehampton Club and am involved with Rosslyn park rugby club that plays on its former Polo Ground. I had understood that (for reasons of flatness?) the polo pitch was the balloon launch area.

There is therefore a nice connection with one Lt Robert Dale, RFC 33KBS who died in Italy in Jan 1918, but also played for Rosslyn Park. My rather OCD interest can be seen here www.rugbyremembers.co.uk

This has turned into a book, and one chapter will be about Dale simply because italy and balloons are rarely featured in WW1 books.

Dale was with 9 Manchesters before transferring to RFC ( I know not when) but I assume that he may have returned home for training. Hence wishing to know mopre about Roehampton.

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  • 9 months later...

Graham,

Just found this old thread in which your opening post refers to Gudgin having special training in meteorology. Could I ask where that comes from please as I have a slight interest in balloons and meteorology during WW1.

Brian

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  • 6 years later...

Hoping to wake up this thread again. It's proving very hard to find out anything about home service for Kite Balloons.

 

Has anyone heard of training for officers taking place initially at Wormwood Scrubs instead of Roehampton - or Roehampton later?  I am looking at pilot who went to Milford Haven in 1917 after training, then Tipnor (definitely this spelling) perhaps 15th Balloon Base (no more details), then HMS Colossus, not sure where - I think it says 1st Ball of Trg Wing (presumably training wing) and was then with the Grand Fleet for "service in ships afloat" in the autumn of 1918. What could he have been doing? Surveillance or as a barrage balloon to protect ships? 

 

Any ideas?

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  • 10 months later...

Well, it's not quite a year so I hope you are still receiving notifications!

 

Whilst the main training base was Roehampton, the free spherical balloons used in training were often gassed up (using household coal gas) from the gasometers at Wormwood Scrubs. Coal gas does not give the lift of hydrogen but was considerably cheaper and easily available. After each flight it had to be released to the atmosphere before the balloon could be packed up to be transported - usually in its basket - by rail back the the Scrubbs or Roehampton.

 

Milford Haven in WW1 was a convoy escort base so your Balloon Officer may have been attached to one of the escort sloops. Tipnor, the spelling is correct, was a KB base at Portsmouth - again the Royal Navy connection.

 

HMS Colossus was a battleship in the Grand Fleet, fought at Jutland (1st Battle Squadron) and, after a refit, was attached to the 4th Battle Squadron at Scapa Flow. The battleships towards the end of the war were fitted to fly a KB off their quarterdeck. Whilst at sea they were often aloft to spot for mines and submarines.

 

I would be very interested in what you have on "a pilot" as I am currently researching the use of KBs with the Grand Fleet.

 

Best regards

Ian

 

Air1_2103_207_31_001.jpg

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19 hours ago, Ian Burns said:

Well, it's not quite a year so I hope you are still receiving notifications!

 

Whilst the main training base was Roehampton, the free spherical balloons used in training were often gassed up (using household coal gas) from the gasometers at Wormwood Scrubs. Coal gas does not give the lift of hydrogen but was considerably cheaper and easily available. After each flight it had to be released to the atmosphere before the balloon could be packed up to be transported - usually in its basket - by rail back the the Scrubbs or Roehampton.

 

Milford Haven in WW1 was a convoy escort base so your Balloon Officer may have been attached to one of the escort sloops. Tipnor, the spelling is correct, was a KB base at Portsmouth - again the Royal Navy connection.

 

HMS Colossus was a battleship in the Grand Fleet, fought at Jutland (1st Battle Squadron) and, after a refit, was attached to the 4th Battle Squadron at Scapa Flow. The battleships towards the end of the war were fitted to fly a KB off their quarterdeck. Whilst at sea they were often aloft to spot for mines and submarines.

 

I would be very interested in what you have on "a pilot" as I am currently researching the use of KBs with the Grand Fleet.

 

Best regards

Ian

 

Air1_2103_207_31_001.jpg

Hi

 

Sent you a PM earlier today about the pilot/ observer I was researching last year. This was for an online memorial I wrote, and as you will this discover doesn't provIde details of the sources used, but I am happy to provide these for you to follow up. Just drop me a PM and will gather these together for you. I should warn you I did not undertake nearly as much research as I would like to have done in to the work this pilot/observer undertook during service.

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