Dover RNVR Anti-Aircraft Corps 1914-1916

[Phil Eyden]

Hi, first post here!

I hope that some of you may be able to help me with a query about a local unit that was only in existence from Nov.1914 to Aug 1916. I am a volunteer with the Western Heights Preservation Society, a group of enthusiasts who work to help preserve, record, and educate the public as to the history of the massive Napoleonic fortifications that overlook Dover. Our website can be seen here:

http://www.doverwesternheights.org/

Although the emphasis on the open days is, naturally, the Napoleonic and 1860s refortifications, there is a murky WW1 and WW2 history to the Drop Redoubt that has never been recorded. The Drop Redoubt is a large moated five-sided fort hacked out of the chalk and lined with bricks. During WW1 a searchlight battery manned by the volunteer force of the Dover RNVR Anti-Aircraft Corps was stationed there with (just outside?) two Hotchkiss 6pdr QF guns to protect the Western sides of the harbour and to defend against Zeppelin attacks. Guns and searchlights were also placed at Dover Castle and Landon Camp to attempt to cover the harbour.

I am really looking for any information on this obscure unit and hope readers might be able to help with a the odd question. I can state that the unit was formed by Lt-Cdr Henry D. Capper with the senior officers drawn from the Navy. Most CPOs and Searchlight Workers were civilian volunteers from Dover from all walks of life, and about 200 men pased through their ranks during it's brief existence. The gunners were drawn from the Royal Navy. The unit had one notable success during the night of 9th-10th August 1915 when they detected and severely damaged Zeppelin L.12 which was forced to withdraw and crashed into the sea off Ostend.

The unit had its own cap badge - would anyone here have any idea as to its design? Would their uniform have been standard khaki for all ranks (the civilian workers were given the rank of ABs)?

I have a copy of O. Bavington Jones' 1919 book "Dover In the Great War" and the Dover AAC training manual, but that's pretty much most of the sources I have aside from snippets here and there.

Many thanks in advance, and I apologise for any mistakes. It's not really my area so please forgive the odd howler!

Phil

[scotchegg75]

Hi, first post here!

I hope that some of you may be able to help me with a query about a local unit that was only in existence from Nov.1914 to Aug 1916. I am a volunteer with the Western Heights Preservation Society, a group of enthusiasts who work to help preserve, record, and educate the public as to the history of the massive Napoleonic fortifications that overlook Dover. Our website can be seen here:

http://www.doverwesternheights.org/

Although the emphasis on the open days is, naturally, the Napoleonic and 1860s refortifications, there is a murky WW1 and WW2 history to the Drop Redoubt that has never been recorded. The Drop Redoubt is a large moated five-sided fort hacked out of the chalk and lined with bricks. During WW1 a searchlight battery manned by the volunteer force of the Dover RNVR Anti-Aircraft Corps was stationed there with (just outside?) two Hotchkiss 6pdr QF guns to protect the Western sides of the harbour and to defend against Zeppelin attacks. Guns and searchlights were also placed at Dover Castle and Landon Camp to attempt to cover the harbour.

I am really looking for any information on this obscure unit and hope readers might be able to help with a the odd question. I can state that the unit was formed by Lt-Cdr Henry D. Capper with the senior officers drawn from the Navy. Most CPOs and Searchlight Workers were civilian volunteers from Dover from all walks of life, and about 200 men pased through their ranks during it's brief existence. The gunners were drawn from the Royal Navy. The unit had one notable success during the night of 9th-10th August 1915 when they detected and severely damaged Zeppelin L.12 which was forced to withdraw and crashed into the sea off Ostend.

The unit had its own cap badge - would anyone here have any idea as to its design? Would their uniform have been standard khaki for all ranks (the civilian workers were given the rank of ABs)?

I have a copy of O. Bavington Jones' 1919 book "Dover In the Great War" and the Dover AAC training manual, but that's pretty much most of the sources I have aside from snippets here and there.

Many thanks in advance, and I apologise for any mistakes. It's not really my area so please forgive the odd howler!

Phil

There is this reference at the National Archives at Kew

1/8409/19

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Corps, raised at Dover for manning of Anti-aircraft searchlights. War Office proposal to disband - not agreed to. Re-organisation by Admiralty. Copy of Regulations enclosed.

1915

[per ardua per mare per terram]

There is this reference at the National Archives at Kew

1/8409/19

This is an original document, but you can request an estimate for a copy. To help the staff find it it is vital to put the full reference ADM 1/8409/19.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...&UserType=0

There are other documents at Kew that might be helpful too:

ADM 1/8418/100 Report on Anti-Aircraft Section of Air Department.

ADM 116/1344 R.N.V.R. Anti-Aircraft Corps - Institution of - Reports of Progress

ADM 116/1345 R.N.V.R. Anti-Aircraft Corps - Institution of - Reports of Progress

ADM 116/1346 R.N.V.R. Anti-Aircraft Corps - Institution of - Reports of Progress

ADM 116/1347 R.N.V.R. Anti-Aircraft Corps - Institution of - Reports of Progress

AIR 1/721/46/6 Home defence: Anti-aircraft precautions, civilian authority action.

AIR 1/1259/204/9/7 Home defence: anti-aircraft defences.

AIR 1/2317/223/23 Report on the anti-aircraft defence of the United Kingdom. 1918 Nov.

Edited 4 July , 2010 by per ardua per mare per terram

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Henry Douglas Capper worked his way up from the ranks:

Name Capper, Henry

Official Number: 54936

Place of Birth: Portsea, Hampshire

Date of Birth: 7 April 1855

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=2

and has four RN Officer's Service Records:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...mp;mediaarray=*

Btw their uniform is likely to have been standard RNVR issue for all ranks; khaki was not standard for the Navy. There was a wider RNVR Anti-Aircraft Corps, so they may have had the same badge.

[Phil Eyden]

Thanks very much for the replies and the links. (Hi Paul, didn't know you were here - small world!) I expect Capper was a formidable character - Victorian naval reformer and prolific writer.

I've put a request in for an estimate on the RNVR disbandonment document, if it's not too much I'll definitely get that. I've found the NA also have the service records of the seven officers who were appointed by the Mayor's selection Committee of October 1914, i.e. Lt. Cdr. Ian Howden, and Sub-Lts. JRP Clark, HA Vasse, WT Rust, Noel Hoare, Travers B. Harby and Charles Hardy. Fortunately they are on consecutive pages too proving that at least one other official document relating to the Dover Corps still exists.

In a nutshell, the Corps was raised in October 1914 in order to man searchlight batteries defending Dover Harbour, i.e at Langdon Camp to the east, Dover Castle in the centre and the old Drop Redoubt on the west. They were mostly composed of civilia n volunteers but signed on as RNVR Able-Seamen but with twenty-five RN ASRs to supervise the equipment. They had two major successes, the first being the 17th May 1915 when they successfully illuminated a Zeppelin for the first time in England forcing it to driven off by the Army AA guns. The second was on August 10th when they detected Zeppelin L.12 approaching Dover Harbour. The Langdon battery opened fire with their 12 pounder damaging the Zeppelin, it eventually crashed into the sea off Ostend. The Corps were disbanded on 10th August 1916 as the Military Service Act had come into force conscripting many of the members into the Army, and because the AA defences at Dover were completely overhauled and handed over to the Army.

I've now seen an image of the cap badge it is named "Dover Anti-Aircraft Corps" under the RNVR anchor in a circular shield and topped with the Naval Crown. In its whole 20 month history, only 202 men passed through the ranks - no wonder I'm not encountering too much info!

By the way, I made a mistake in my first post - the Dover AA guns were manned by the Army (RA I believe), not the Navy.

Thanks for your help.

[scotchegg75]

Phil

There is also a reference in "Dover and the War" published by the Dover Express that searchlights being at Dover Castle Keep, Drop Redoubt and Langdon Battery with Lieut-Commander Capper RN, the Lieutenant Instructor of the Corps, as it's real Executive Officer.

And

During the week ending 18th October 1941 two six-pounder Hotchkiss quick-firing guns were on the spur above the 64 steps. Presumably near to where the pillbox now is.

Several references to Drop Redoubt and some more names in tha publication

[per ardua per mare per terram]

... They were mostly composed of civilian volunteers but signed on as RNVR Able-Seamen but with twenty-five RN ASRs to supervise the equipment...

This was also the case for the main RNVR AAC, which was also disbanded in 1916. Men from that went on to serve in the Royal Navy or Royal Naval Air Service as well as the Army.

If you have names for the other ranks you could search for them in:

RNVR service records

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=34&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1

Registers of Seamen's Services for the RN (that would also pick up the RNAS)

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=15&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1

[StevenV]

Hello Phil,

This is my first post, so like you I hope there are no howlers. I've been interested in the Dover AAC after I came across one the badges you described.

A good account of the corps "The Dover Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Anti-Aircraft Corps" by W. H. Lapthorne, was published in the April 1988 issue of 'Coin & Medal News'.

As mentioned by Paul Wells, a brief overview also appeared in "Dover and the Great War" by J.B. Firth published just after the war.

I have a copy of ADM 1/8409/19 – there's less than 25 sheets so the National archives shouldn't charge too much. The regulations are about 1 ½ sides and relate to the AAC in general.

A question asked in Parliament during August 1916 regarding the disbandment of the Dover corps can be found at:

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com

just select 20th century and type: dover AND corps in the search field.

I've also got a folder containing copies of newspaper articles, the manual (which you have) and some snippets which I've collected over the years.

You can also view a fragment of the first bomb dropped on Britain which was presented to the King by the Dover AAC at:

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk

(Select 'Search' and just type: 'dover' in the keyword box and select 'Exhibts' in the Collection Name drop-down menu. It's exhibit no

EPH 3358)

There's also several photos at Dover museum and they used to exhibit a pass used by the Corps though I don't remember seeing it last time I was there.

The badge you mention was probably worn with civilian clothes rather than uniform. One of the Dover searchlight crews was the first in the country to illuminate a zeppelin and members of that crew were later presented with a full-size silver (sterling silver, I think) replica of the corps badge, suitably inscribed on the back and individually named. Some sources describe this award as a "brassard" which I believe is a little misleading, as I've always thought that a brassard was an armband which as far as I know the Dover AAC did not wear. One of these silver badges came up for auction sometime in the mid 1990s – I seem to remember that it sold for c£650.

As also mentioned the uniform was naval – the attached photo shows members (probably) of the Dover AAC. Two types of badges can be seen on the lapels – the gentleman seated in the middle has RNVR in 'gold' lettering; a crown then AAC (also in 'gold'), while the rest have the same lettering in red and no crown. According to the Times, in London where the AAC wore white caps, the uniform was "treated rather as a joke" - part taxi cab driver and part railway porter with members being tipped two-pence to carry luggage!

A slight diversion; the author of the 'Coin & Medal News' article, W.H. Lapthorne, had a number of articles published in 'Bygone Kent' one of which concerned Sea Fencibles raised during the Napoleonic War (I don't have the article to hand at the moment to be able to give you details).

Regards

StevenV

[StevenV]

Oops howler!

The book I was thinking of "Dover and the Great War" by J.B. Firth, was not the one referred to by Paul Wells, but another, published by Alfred Leney & Co.

Apologies,

StevenV

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Thanks for your very informative posts Steven.

[Phil Eyden]

Thanks ever so much for the fascinating post there Steven - really interesting.

That photo is a corker. It must be of the Dover Corps as the image appears to have been taken by Charles Harris of 77 London Road, Dover, he seemed to specialise in group shots as I've seen his name on similar period photos.

Have you any idea who they might be? I've tried to work out possible contenders from the age and appearances of the members with reference to those I've managed to determine in any particular crew, but have drawn a blank. Shame there are no obvious clues there. I'm guessing it represents one of the seven-man searchlight Watches with the chap seated in the middle with the silver badges a Chief Petty Officer, the others being ABs. I'm fairly certain it isn't any of the Drop Redoubt B crew as none of the faces feature on the single group photo I've seen via Dover Museum, but it could be members of the A Crew or of the Dover Castle or Langdon Camp crews.

.

Brassard - I must admit I've been confused by this too. I don't see how a brassard armband could be engraved. Maybe it was an armband with silver badge embroidered on it? Other references seem to indicate it was simply a silver badge. Hmmm....

I found out the other day that one member of the Langdon A Crew who was amongst the group to illuminate the first Zeppelin lived, literally, four doors away in my street. I could pop round and tell them the story, but you never know whether you'd get a cup of tea, a look of blank incomprehension or the police called!

I've ordered the NA document relating to the disbanding of the Corps at your suggestion, so thank you.

If you live in Dover or visit often you might like to pop up to St. Mary's churchyard as the only member to die in service with the Corps, Frederick William Parker a naval pensioner, is buried there not far from the entrance. He sadly died on the 19th April 15 of a heart attack following a Corps Sports Day event at Crabble Athletic Ground. and was given a full military funeral.

Thanks again for your help - any snippets most welcome. They are not an easy history to reconstruct as not much actually happened, just night after night for twenty months staring at the stars over the harbour!

[scotchegg75]

Oops howler!

The book I was thinking of "Dover and the Great War" by J.B. Firth, was not the one referred to by Paul Wells, but another, published by Alfred Leney & Co.

Apologies,

StevenV

Not sure who the author is of mine "Dover and the War" published by Dover Express 2nd edition 1923. No pictures so never picked it up to read !! I will get around to digging out all the Dover/RNVR snippets when I have a moment

[horatio2]

A very interesting thread.

For those interested in the men of the RNVR AA Corps, in addition to the links to Kew at Post #4 the FAA Museum holds their enrolment ledgers (AA.1 - AA.3022).

Further details of the RNVR AA Corps may be found at Kew in ADM 137/476 "Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Anti-Aircraft Corps. Diaries and Notes compiled by Capt. L. S. Stansfield, R.N., May 1919." They are among the few surviving accounts of the events leading to the Admiralty's assumption of the responsibility for the AA defence of Britain in September 1914. The notes and diary are very detailed (100 pages of typescript). The preamble to the notes says of the Dover RNVR AA Corps "...formed on the 29th October 1914, and was disbanded on 18th August 1916. This was a part-time unit who worked the Searchlights of the Dover Garrison under the GOC Dover."

[Phil Eyden]

Not sure who the author is of mine "Dover and the War" published by Dover Express 2nd edition 1923. No pictures so never picked it up to read !! I will get around to digging out all the Dover/RNVR snippets when I have a moment

I think there were the following books:

Bavington-Jones, O.G. Dover and the War 1914-1918 (First ed. 1919? Possibly published by the Dover Express.)

Coxon, S.W., (1919) Dover in the Dark Days

Dover Express, (1919) Dover and the European War 1914-1918

Firth, J.B., (1919) Dover and the Great War Alfred Leney & Co, Ltd. Brewers.

Bavington-Jones especially has an excellent account of the air raids.

Dover in the Dark Days is available to read online in its entirety:

http://www.archive.org/stream/doverduringdark00coxogoog#page/n8/mode/2up

[StevenV]

Hello there,

Many thanks to those who commented on my first dip into the forum. Phil, I'm afraid I am unable to identify those in the photo but you could well be right about their ranks. Harris, the photographer, seems to have taken quite a few of the corps. You may have seen the one showing the whole corps in ranks, at attention, a copy of which is at Dover Museum and published in the Dover Express 9/4/15. I've also a postcard size copy but with 150+ men there's not a great deal of detail!

Re Frederick William Parker, the member who died; a detailed account of his funeral with two pictures (by Harris) of the funeral cortege was published in the 30/4/15 edition of the Dover Express.

I've attached a picture of what I believe is a Dover AAC mess plate rather than a presentation item.

StevenV

[Phil Eyden]

Thanks for the info Steven and Horatio. Sadly I think 100 pages of photocopy might be a little expensive to have sent to me, the NA charges aren't exactly cheap. If I get a chance to go up there soon I'll definitely try and have a look though.

I have, however, obtained the proposed disbandoning document, very interesting stuff. The re-structuring of the organisation of the Corps following the review makes sense of a note I've seen in some of the service records of the member placed into the 'Honorary Reserve'. It seems that to save wages quite a few of the Corps (esp. CPOs) were placed into reserve over summer 1915, this being justified as the longer daylight hours over summer not requiring as many searchlight workers as over winter.

That's a great plate - I had no idea such items were manufactured. Is there a maker's mark on the bottom?

Here's Frederick Parker for you:

[Phil Eyden]

Funeral pictures:

[StevenV]

Hello again,

Apologies for not getting back sooner only I was banned from the computer while we had relatives staying! It's good to see Frederick Parker's tombstone in such fine condition and a good photo; and interesting to see a picture of the man. While our visitors were down we took them to Dover Castle; I wondered if there was anything to commemorate the Dover AAC in St Mary-in-Castro church but couldn't find anything.

The plate has no maker's mark. It's quite solid and measures about 9 inches in diameter. I've no idea how many were produced or if there were any other pieces such as cups. Glad the document arrived and you found it intertesting. The RNVR AAC had its own journal, imaginatively entitled 'A.A.C. Journal' but unfortunately the first issue was published in 1917, after the Dover Corps was disbanded, so not surprisingly I couldn't find anything there. Not directly linked but nontheless of some interest is a booket published by Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate entitled "The North Foreland Lookout Post in the Great War 1915-1917" (ISBN 1905477198). It's a log created by a local member of the RNVR AAC (or the RNAS AAC as it was later known) and records the flights of German airships and naval vessels around the S.E coast.

Steve

[Phil Eyden]

I think this is a mufti badge of the Dover Anti-Aircraft Corps. Quite a lucky find - I'd never thought I'd see one! It's about an inch and half long with a single horizontal pin on the rear.

[Phil Eyden]

I've been forwarded this rather nice photo of Walter Henry Saville, a Chief Petty Officer of the Dover Anti-Aircraft Corps dated to 11th August 1916. This was a week before the Corps were disbanded and I suspect was a last-chance portrait shot before the unit ceased to be.

This is unusual to me as after studying all the other photos I've seen of the Corps, this is the only one I've seen with a white-topped cloth cap. All the other photos seem to show black caps, even on other CPOs. Was this white cap for parade and ceremonial function only, or would he have had to attend duty wearing it? Was there a change in regulations dictating a change in uniform at some point?

Many thanks to anyone who could help me with this.

[Guest anthonyverey]

I don't know if you are still researching this subject which I only came across today. My grandfather was in the Royal Naval Anti Aircraft Service in WW1. At one stage he was sent to Dover with his searchlight detachment and I have his account of a Zeppelin raid there if that would be of any interest. Tony

[Phil Eyden]

Hi Tony,

Yes indeed, I would be interested to hear, thank you. I don't have a great deal of information on the RNAS operations, but I'll try my best and see what I do have. I might have some cross-over information for you.

Thank you!

Phil

[Peter hooker]

I have a photo of Dover Anti-Aircraft corps RNVR March 1915

2 Company B Crew

with whole Company 31men

including all their names featuring in particular 

Lt Commanders Howden and Capper and 2nd-Lt Hardy

would you like me to post this on your site 

[horatio2]

If you want to post it, post it. I, for one, would be interested.

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum Peter. I have removed your phone number from public view. To attach files to a post, click on the paperclip icon.

Michelle