josquin Posted 25 March , 2011 Share Posted 25 March , 2011 Found his medal index card on Ancestry but it says very little. Can email you if you like. He's unlikely to be mentioned in the sources I list above as he was not an officer. As an Air Mechanic, 1st Class, he was most likely assigned to ground crew duties although some AMs did serve as observers. Howell was born at Blackburn, Lancs (birth registered in January, 1888, at Blackburn; the 1891 & 1901 Census confirms Blackburn as his birthplace as well as where his family resided). Trelawney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul21455 Posted 26 March , 2011 Share Posted 26 March , 2011 Thanks, Trelawney. His wife, Maggie Letitia (latterly Hoyle) lived at an address near to where I live, and subsequently re-married. She obviously had his name put on the local WM. Prior to enlisting, HOWELL was a press photographer. Whether he was able to utilise those acquired skills from the air remains unknown. I've seen his medal card, which as stated elsewhere, carries the very basic details, and adds nothing to the overall picture. Thanks to all those who responded. Your input is appreciated. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DuneRider Posted 1 May , 2011 Share Posted 1 May , 2011 Dear Alan You might want to add the following names, although NOT Pilots - Sjt H.C Willis - Joined the SAAC (South African Aviation Corps) and saw service in GEA with 26 Sqn as a Workshop Mechanic. Was MID by Lt. Gen J.C. Smuts himself (LG entry 8/2/17) His SAAC Service # was Z2. On 1 November 1916 Commissioned into the African Scouts Battalion as Lt. and later joined the Kings African Rifles where he earned a MC (LG 27/7/18) The second guy migh be of more interest to you - Lt. M.L. Pretorius - SAAC Intelligent Officer and Observer. He flew as Observer to the famed Lt Emmett as well as Lt Bell. Regards, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 8 May , 2011 Share Posted 8 May , 2011 Reference Post 46. Shells & Bright Stones a biography of Leo Walmsley edited by Nona Stead is going for under £6 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shells-Bright-Stones-Biography-Walmsley/dp/1858251419/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304853054&sr=1-1 It contains 30 interesting pages on Leo Walmsley's time in East Africa, including details of new airfields that he set up as Smuts' troops advanced. Reference Post 47. Appologies, I got the name wrong. Delete Leo Walmsley and insert Cherry Kearton. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 9 March , 2012 Share Posted 9 March , 2012 Discovered recently that the original Blackwood's magazines on which Walmsley's "Flying and Sport in East Africa" is based, are available on-line. See http://www.archive.o...gazi206edinuoft and http://www.archive.o...agaz207edinuoft - there are four articles under the title of "An Airman's Experiences in East Africa". The content and wording is largely identical though the book has an additional chapter on game shooting and some maps and photos not in the magazine. The Walmsley Society have listed the differences for me in more detail, should anyone be interested. BTW Cross and Cockade tell me they are still working on an article about this squadron. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 9 March , 2012 Share Posted 9 March , 2012 Alan Many thanks for these two links. I'm abroad presently but when I get home I'll go through my East Africa MC & DSO list to look for other names. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john-g Posted 9 March , 2012 Share Posted 9 March , 2012 I have a pdf of the article you were talking about, send me your email through my web page and I will send a.s.a.p. John-g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUBBARD Posted 13 May , 2012 Share Posted 13 May , 2012 Been trying to collect names of officers (& maybe men) in RFC Squadron (SA) 26. My sources are Leo Walmsley (So Many Loves & Flying and Sport in East Africa*) and Geoffrey Norris' History of the Royal Flying Corps. List so far is as follows: ? Batten Walter D M Bell Francis William Brett Henry Courtney Brocklehurst William Warren Carey-Thomas ? Collander Gordon Shergold Creed John OR Euan Dickson Edwin Cheere? OR Angus Botha? Emmett George William Thomas Garrood ? Hewitt Gerard William Hodgkinson Bernard H E Howard ? Mac G St V Pawson ? Steenekampe ? van de(n) Spuy Leo Walmsley Have tried to find men on Ancestry.co.uk who gained their aviator's certificate at roughly the right period (1911-1917) and created the following overview: Surprisingly there were few officers with more than one possible candidate. I need to look in their Air Ministry records (AIR 76) at the National Archives to really confirm they were in this squadron of course. Ideally the war diary too. From the photos I have found with the Aviator's Certificate I think I may have two that are in our own collection of photos - they are Howard as mentioned before and Hodgkinson who became a wing commander eventually. Does anyone have more info about any of these guys? * I have been unable to find Leo Walmsley's "Flying & Sport in East Africa" to buy anywhere.I have found a copy on Google Books but that only allows partial preview (though enough to find some of the names above). Does anyone know where I can get hold of a copy? Alan My grandfather was part of AIR 79, 26th Squadron, South African Royal Flying Corps. His name was John Louis Hubbard and his registration was either 2278 or Z278. His number was 287470. I believe he was a mechanic/engineer. Any information on him would be most welcome. Thank you, Hubbard descendant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUBBARD Posted 13 May , 2012 Share Posted 13 May , 2012 I was wondering if anyone had access to an article that appeared in the Cross & Cockade Vol 7 No 4 in 1976 entitled " The origins of South African Military Aviation" ? I am researching Z185 Flt Sjt David Grant, a South African who was awarded the DCM for his services with No 26 squadron RFC in East Africa and ahven't been able to discover too much about the aviation aspect of the campaign. Thanks. Simon Good eveningI am also searching for Z278, John Louis Hubbard. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you Sybil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgun1918 Posted 15 May , 2012 Share Posted 15 May , 2012 A run through the Despatches issued in the London Gazette throws up the following RFC/RAF names: Sergeant E A ANDREWS 2nd Lieutenant N B ARBUTHNOT Corporal (Acting Sergeant) H ATKINS Sergeant H ATKINS 1st Class Air Mechanic C A AUSTEN 2nd Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) G BAILLIE Corporal A W BARNES 2nd Lieutenant Walter Dalrymple Maitland BELL Lieutenant Ivor Mackenzie BELLAIRS 1st Class Air Mechanic (Acting Corporal) H H BLAKE Corporal H A BLYTH Corporal A BOOER Major (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Frederick William BOWHILL DSO 2nd Lieutenant Francis William BRETT Lieutenant W P BROWN Captain William Warren CAREY-THOMAS MC Sergeant H CHIVERS 2nd Lieutenant G F F COLLENDER Captain Gordon Shergold CREED Sergeant Major S N DUNCAN 1st Class Air Mechanic J S ELLIOTT Lieutenant Edwin Cheere EMMETT Air Mechanic 1st Grade T FIRTH Sergeant (Acting Flight-Sergeant) A R GEATER Captain W R B GIFFORD Flight Sergeant David GRANT Lieutenant E R M GRIFFIN Corporal A A HAMBLIN 1st Class Air Mechanic (Acting Corporal) W H HUSON Temporary Lieutenant A E KENNEDY Acting Air Mechanic 1st Grade Albert Edward LILES 2nd Lieutenant Robert Baillie LOVEMORE Corporal L S MACLEAN Air Mechanic 1st Grade A H MATHIESON 2nd Lieutenant Alfred Vivian MCKIEVER 2nd Lieutenant Marvyn Charles MOSSOP Temporary Lieutenant F L OSMAN 1st Class Air Mechanic (Acting Corporal) L J D PARE Corporal R S V PARSONS 1st Class Air Mechanic S C PEARSALL Sergeant R M RAE Sergeant A E REYNOLDS Temporary 2nd Lieutenant A E REYNOLDS Air Mechanic 2nd Grade John Harry SEAGER Sergeant T SIM Corporal C SKITT Sergeant E C SMITH 2nd Lieutenant F C SMITH Sergeant (Flight Sergeant) A L SOLOMONS 2nd Class Air Mechanic S STOCKMAN Captain Kenneth Reid VAN DER SPUY MC 1st Class Air Mechanic (Acting Corporal) C WALKER Temporary Major Gerard Percy WALLACE DSO Temporary Lieutenant Lionel WALMSLEY MC Leading Mechanic Alfred Frederick WARDLE Lieutenant Francis Vivian WAY Sergeant E WHITMILL 2nd Class Air Mechanic H WILKINSON Flight Sergeant H L WILLIS Air Mechanic 1st Grade Frederick WILMSHURST Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 25 January , 2013 Share Posted 25 January , 2013 I have just been to the TNA and photographed various RFC 26 (SA) Squadron documents. I have a complete list of officers who served with the squadron (alphabetically over 21 pages), a list of officers and men at 30 December 1917, the official squadron history, most pages of the war diaries from Sept - December 1917 (but not the detailed observation or bombing reports). I have also made a document listing TNA catalogue references for the war diaries by month as the war diaries are not catalogued chronologically and they are spread over two different series (AIR 1/1247/204/7/ to AIR 1/1252/204/7/..and AIR 1/2195/209/19/1 to AIR 1/2197/209/19/21) Happy to share these if anyone's interested. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josquin Posted 31 January , 2013 Share Posted 31 January , 2013 Alan, I hope you share it for all of us on the Forum--it sounds as if a coherent historical picture is forming for 26 Squadron in addition to what C & C presented. Trelawney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 31 January , 2013 Share Posted 31 January , 2013 Here are three pages showing RFC 26 Squadron's nominal roll in Dec 1918, together with their medical categorisation. From TNA AIR 1/2196/209/19/11, Dec 1917 War Diary. I hope you can read them. Obviously there is a limit to the number of attachments I can upload and it's far too much to transcribe everything, so other than sending attachments to people's personal emails I'm not sure I can share a huge amount here. Any other suggestions? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 31 January , 2013 Share Posted 31 January , 2013 Alan, in addition to what C & C presented. Trelawney Can I just check what you mean by "what Cross & Crockade presented"? As far as I'm aware their article is still in preparation or have I missed something? Thanks. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 31 January , 2013 Share Posted 31 January , 2013 I also attach my analysis of TNA catalogue entries listed by month. Hope this is useful. Alan RFC South Africa 26 Squadron War Diaries.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josquin Posted 31 January , 2013 Share Posted 31 January , 2013 Alan, Many thanks for the highly informative and comprehensive attachments. Yes, I was referring to the upcoming Cross & Cockade account. Trelawney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 1 February , 2013 Share Posted 1 February , 2013 Graeme, Alan & Trelawney Many thanks indeed for being generous and sharing your research. Please don't stop! Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 1 February , 2013 Share Posted 1 February , 2013 Here is supposedly the complete list of officers who were in RFC 26 (SA) Squadron, though I have just seen a note on the first page suggesting it is "probably not entirely complete". As I am limited to uploads of 250KB at a time that means a maximum of two letters at a time. This time however I attach the note and officers who names begin with "A". The information on the right is the starting rank and their date joining the squadron. LATER ADDITION: Meant to say this information is from TNA History of 26 Squadron, R.A.F., AIR 1/690/21/20/26. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 Officers with names beginning B & C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 Can just squeeze three in this time. Note no RNAS officers with names beginning with E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josquin Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 Alan, Thank you for that! Trelawney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 G & H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 4 letters this time I, J, K & L, because no RNAS officers except for letter L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 M, N, O P, R, S, no Q Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanlw Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 T, V, & W - no U, X, Y or Z unless I missed them (I found I'd photographed 2 pages twice). So that's the lot. With W we have the famous author Leo Walmsley - well worth reading his accounts of the air war in GEA. His sketches were also a cut above the average observer's. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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