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Remembered Today:

Understanding my grandfather's RAF Service Record?


lucshi09

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Dear fellow forum members,

my name is Lucas and I would like to request your assistance. I recently began tracing back the roots of my grandfather who was a RFC and RAF pilot during WWI, and am interested in learning about his role as an aviator. I was able to download his service record from TNA, and it seems that it has a wealth of information about him (just want I was looking for!!).

However... I am having trouble understanding some acronyms that are contained within it, since they appear to be specific military jargon within the flying units. Specifically, I am having trouble understanding the writings under the columns "Unit from which", "Unit to which", "Special Remarks ro Duties", and "Appointments & Promotions". Attached is an image that shows the section that I am trying to understand.

Thank you very much in advance, since any little bit of advice and information will help me unlock the history of my grandfather's progress and actions within the RAF and WWI.

<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); ">Most gratefully, and looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts,

Lucas

post-86863-0-59005200-1326503383.jpg

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T.D.S. - Training Depot Squadron. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64230 (12 & 8 at Netheravon, 30 at Northolt).

C.F.S. - Central Flying School.

5 C.W. - 5th Cadet Wing

216 Squadron operated Handley Pages. http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/216squadron.cfm

Remarks Column:

31/8/18 - Instruction.

14/09/18 - For conversion to Handley Page machines.

??

Under instruction.

24/3/19 - Temporary duty.

20/5/19 - Enroute for overseas on appointment 21/5/19.

21/5/19 - HQRAF Cologne for disposal on release from Ad to Flying A.

Rgds

Tim D

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Thanks Tim!

This is incredibly helpful! So... building on your info, below I created a line-by-line transcription of the three different columns of my grandfather's service record. However, even though you've shed light into most of the entries, I am still having trouble understanding the meaning and/or writing in a few lines. Please see below those marked with an XXXX. Any help on these would be SUPER helpful... Thanks again!!! :)

Unit From:

5 Cadet Wing

30 Training Depot Squadron

R A 7 Cadet (XXXX)

12 Training Depot Squadron

Central Flying School

12 Training Depot Squadron

8 Training Squadron

----

216 Squadron

216 Squadron

216 Squadron - France

(XXXX) RAF ME

Unit to Which:

5 Cadet Wing

Norholt (30 Training Depot Squadron)

12 Training Depot Squadron

Brigade

12 Training Depot Squadron

Central Flying School

12 Training Depot Squadron

8 Training Squadron

RXXXX 29 (XXXX)

HQ RAF Cologne for disposal

Egypt

RAF (ME)

216 Squadron - XXXX

Home (XXXX)

Special Remarks & Duties:

Instruction (???)

For conversion to Hadley Page machines

XXXX

Under instruction

Temporary duty

En route to overseas on appointment 21.5.1919

On release from 'Ad' to Flying 'A' (XXXX)

Lieutenant Fly A H B N (XXXX)

Embarked 5/12/1919

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For R A 7 Cadet read R A F Cadet

Royal Air Force Cadet ( 1st April 1918 is when the RFC became part of the newly formed RAF )

Steve

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Woohoo! It is all making sense now! :)

It took me a few hours to go through, research and organize a "timeline" of my grandfather's career as a pilot based on his service chart, which I am including below:

Timeline:

06 Nov 1916 - 08 Jan 1917: No. 2 School of Military Aeronautics (Oxford)

08 Jan 1917 - 24 Sep 1917: No. 4 Reserve Squadron (Northolt - RFC Military School, Ruislip)

24 Sep 1917 - 31 Aug 1918: No. 5 Officer Cadet Wing (RFC, St Leonard's-on-sea, Hastings?)

31 Aug 1918 - 14 Sep 1918: No. 30 Training Depot Squadron (Northolt - RFC Military School, Ruislip) ("Instruction")

14 Sep 1918 - 24 Mar 1919: No. 12 Training Depot Squadron (Netheravon) (became part of RAF Cadet Brigade 1 Apr 1918) ("For conversion to Handley Page machines")

24 Mar 1919 - 27 Mar 1919: Central Flying School (Upavon) ("Temporary duty")

27 Mar 1919 - 24 Apr 1919: No. 12 Training Depot Squadron (Netheravon)

28 Apr 1919 - 20 May 1919: No. 8 Training Depot Squadron (Netheravon)

20 May 1919 - 21 May 1919: RXXXX 29 (XXXX) ("En route for overseas on appointment 21 May 1919")

21 May 1919 - 21 Jun 1919: HQ RAF Cologne "for disposal" ("On release from 'Ad' to flying 'A')

21 Jun 1919 - 15 Jul 1919: No. 216 Squadron RAF - Egypt

15 Jul 1919 - 28 Aug 1919: RAF (ME) - France ("Lieutenant fly A HBN")

28 Aug 1919 - 05 Dec 1919: No. 216 Squadron RAF - Palestine Brigade

05 Dec 1919 - : Home Establishment ("Embarked 5 Dec 1919" [transferred back to England?])

Now that I have this organized, I am trying to understand what my grandfather did, and where... Therefore, does anybody know if:

1. was it normal to move so much from one Squadron to another in the RFC?

2. was it normal to stay in a particular Squadron for long periods of time?

3. could some of these TDS have been deployed in the war front even though they were "based" in the UK?

4. What do these entries signify?

a. "RAF ME"

b. "RXXXX 29 (XXXX)"

c. "On release from 'Ad' to flying 'A'"

d. "Lieutenant fly A HBN"

e. "Home Establishment"

It is very exciting to start putting together the history of my grandfather during WWI :)

Lucas

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Lucas

I wonder if "RXXXX 29 (XXXX)" might be Room 29 Air Min (Air Ministry), ie an administrative posting while in transit between two units?

RAF (ME) is Royal Air Force (Middle East)

In August 1919 No 216 Sqn was based at Abu Sueir in Egypt, and equipped with the Handley Page O/400 and the Airco DH10; it stayed there until it moved to Heliopolis in April 1921.

Home Establishment means the United Kingdom.

Training Depot Stations weren't mobile, a UK-based TDS would have stayed there for its existence.

I hope this is useful.

Gareth

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Hi Gareth et al.

thank you so much! This is starting to make total sense now...

I have one last question, which will help me decipher the last part of my grandfather's record. Below is an image with the sections that I don't fully understand and/or am not sure what they say.

Could people in the forum try to guess what do the writings in red boxes say AND mean in this image ?

lettering1

Thank you!!!!!

Lucas

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  • 8 years later...

 Hello my name is Luke sowieralski I am the great grandson of lt william James Sterry in the raf just wondering why it says under his remarks to duties records in ww1 it’s says “um dem land” and what that ment in the RAF at that time and why would it say that just wondering if you would know thanks

 

luke sowieralski lt/pfo William James Sterry raf ww1 

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Hello Luke sowieralski again here’s the document that says “um dem land” about my great grandfathers raf service in ww1 thanks

 

luke sowieralski William James Sterry’s great grandson 

A2CC6178-4B51-4527-849C-1E5578A8B8D0.jpeg

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