daggers Posted 16 September , 2011 Share Posted 16 September , 2011 A relative has found a B/W photo of an RAF officer, marked 'W.L. Ainslie, son of W. Ainslie, killed in WW2.' Before this posting is binned by the Mods for being out of period, please note: the subject has pilot's wings, His uniform is similar to service dress of WW2, with dark tie. His left lower sleeve has a wound stripe [which I believe was not around in WW2?]. Below that is a small eagle and crown badge, and below that three narrow rings. No medal ribbons. CWGC has no one of that name listed for either war. Identifying the uniform would be a help. Could he be from WW1? Daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw63 Posted 16 September , 2011 Share Posted 16 September , 2011 Hi Daggers, August 1918 (Air Ministry Weekly Order 617) RAF officers received a crowned eagle above their rank braid on the cuffs. I can find only two deaths for a W L Ainslie anywhere: William L. - Westminster 1934 (age 75) Walter Leonard - Westminster 1995 (age 73) Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 16 September , 2011 Author Share Posted 16 September , 2011 Simon Thanks for those details. The badge is explained, but the wartime 'death' remains... D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 16 September , 2011 Share Posted 16 September , 2011 I believe wound stripes were re-introduced in WW2, but only one stripe permitted, however many times the recipient was wounded. That's Army; not sure about the Brylcreem Boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 17 September , 2011 Share Posted 17 September , 2011 I believe wound stripes were re-introduced in WW2, but only one stripe permitted, however many times the recipient was wounded. That's Army; not sure about the Brylcreem Boys. These would be the Brylcreem Boys who saved our collective a*ses in the Battle of Britain, totally unremarked on 15th September this year? Not to mention the 50,000 dead taking the war to Germany day by day, night by night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 17 September , 2011 Share Posted 17 September , 2011 That's the chap(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 25 September , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 September , 2011 Thanks to help here and on another [civilian] forum, the mystery pilot has been identified as Major E.M.L.Ainslie RFC, later MBE, MiD, an ex Middlesex Regiment Territorial officer. The notation on the reverse of the photo was a red herring: wrong initials, parent and date of death. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw63 Posted 14 November , 2011 Share Posted 14 November , 2011 Hi Daggers, Glad you got to the bottom of the mystery. I notice from your other thread on the "civilian" forum that no-one could find a mention of him in the Flight Global archive. Ther are three entries I've found: 20th January 1916 http://www.flightglo...%20-%200059.PDF 25th January 1917 http://www.flightglo...20-%200094.html 22nd November 1917 http://www.flightglo...20-%201238.html ... and these: http://www.findagrav...r&GRid=55230921 http://www.findagrav...r&GRid=55231538 It does say on the findagrave site that he died in 1935 and I can't find him on the CWGC site. Was the story about him dying in WWII wrong? All the best, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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