Which Service & Regt is this?

[pandabean]

Hey all,

I can't remember if I ever asked about this one here. My Great Grandfather served in the war but I am having trouble finding out where he served, the only clue I have is a birth certificate of a family member from 1918 however for the life of me I cannot make out what the service. I have thought about it being RAF or RG (A? bit far fetched though).

The first word is definately Pte - private and he survived the War. The word above is Coach Driver which he did outwith the War or so I have been told by family members.

The father is James Whitson Johnston, this is from on of his daughter's birth certificates.

Cheers,

Andy

[nthornton1979]

It looks more likely to be RAF....That was my first thought prior to reading your thoughts.

Is it me or is he listed as a Female ?

Neil

[pandabean]

RAF was my thought as well.

Nope he is the father, its just the way I cropped it It was on a birth certificate for one of his daughters.

[joseph]

Hi,

His civilian occupation is 'Coach Driver' and he is at present a Private in the RAF.

Regards charles

[pandabean]

But didnt the RAF only form in 1918?

I have never come across anyone in the RAF in this time period, any tips on where to start for it?

[asanewt]

Hello

Any Irish connection,

could it be Royal Ulster Fus.?

[pandabean]

Hi Jules,

No Irish connections on this family and I have them back to the late 1700s.

Hello

Any Irish connection,

could it be Royal Ulster Fus.?

[pandabean]

Sorry for the double post, just realised why I left that F in the image under sex, it was for a comparrison of the handwritting. Sometimes the clerk would fill in all the details rather than the person registering the birth.

[daggers]

Why is 1918 a problem for the RAF? That is when it was formed, on 1st April, I think. When was the daughter born and registered?

Look like RAF to me, too.

D

[janecavell]

Was he in New Zealand? If so, this could be him:

http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?OID=18054065

(I found the reference on this site about the Whitson family)

[alf mcm]

Andy,

The RAF Muster List for 1918 shows a Johnston JW, service number 99,009, enlisted on 01/11/16. This could be your man.

The muaster roll is at www.britishmedals.us/kevin/raf1918

Regards,

Alf McM

[pandabean]

Daggers - no problem at all, just never dealt with the RAF in my research & knew they formed around 1918. Also a little confused over the term Pte (private) being used for the Air Force. Would they have carried over ranks from the former Air Corps/Flying Corps or would they have imediately been given the rank that we know today of Airman?

Poppy - Interesting find, but sadly no NZ connections.

Alf - Could possibly be him. Thanks for having a look. How can I proceed from here are these records held at Kew?

[Jonathan D'Hooghe]

If the same person has filled in all of the form then the "F" in the sex column and the "F" as in RAF are totally different.

When looking at the handwriting, the writer leaves the top of small case a and o open on each occasion.

If continental style numbers existed in this period then you would think it was "Ra7" - but I assume that this is meaningless so the best guess would have to be RAF. However, I would say why has he written with a capital letter R and F and a small case a - as in RaF?? Hmmmmm.......

[Muerrisch]

Did the RAF have privates?

No sniggering, you know well what I mean!

[headgardener]

Did the RAF have privates?

No sniggering, you know well what I mean!

I do know exactly what you mean, and the simple answer is; yes. Pte 1, Pte 2 (1st and 2nd class, bit like the American ranks?). I've no idea how the rank structure worked vis-a-vis Pte's and AM's, but the guys that I've researched who have been Pte's have usually been labourers and drivers. I think that it was a rank that was brought in later in the war, don't think that it was used in the early days.

Jonathan; That's an acceptable, old fashioned, way to write an upper-case 'A' - just like a lower-case 'a' but bigger - in exactly the same way that it was acceptable to reverse the upper arm on the letter 'F' (like a '7', as you said).

[Muerrisch]

Strange area, this.

I have just had a look at Pay Warrant 1914 and KR 1914 for RFC:

The only possible RANK for RFC bottom tier is indeed Private, but the Pay Warrant has no such animal, but has Second Class Air mechanic, pay 2/- per day, and First Class, pay 4/-. A Corporal was paid the dizzy sum of 5/-, which was more than the highest NCO grade in the infantry, Quartermaster Sergeant, and much more than a Colour Sergeant. The skills required by the RFC clearly came at a premium.

[headgardener]

The skills required by the RFC clearly came at a premium.

Well, they would have been the 'technical wizards' of their time. They were working at the cutting edge of one of the 'new technologies' of their age. Perhaps a bit like an internet whizz-kid today.

[27thBN]

Well, they would have been the 'technical wizards' of their time. They were working at the cutting edge of one of the 'new technologies' of their age. Perhaps a bit like an internet whizz-kid today.

Yes although i would have said 5 years ago doing IT these days is getting harder because everybody uses it .And keeping up/ahead as a Career is really getting hard.MC

It looks more likely to be RAF....That was my first thought prior to reading your thoughts.

Is it me or is he listed as a Female ?

Neil

No Neil you can read its Female no matter how you paste it ... :rolleyes: