Lt WN Sherlock, 63 Sqdn and Pilot pool

[AntSherlock]

I am currently researching my grandfather, Lt Walter Nugent Sherlock - particularly his involvement in the RFC/RAF. He was seconded from the 1st Seaforth Highlanders on 1^st November 1917 to Royal Flying Corps as a Flying Officer (Observer), where I think he trains at Cramlington and then I have found him (as quoted in A Rattle of Pebbles, the Price Diary) serving in 63 Squadron as an Observer in Mesopotamia from 23^rd December 1917 – 6^th June 1918, where he is on bombing raids, mostly in an RE8. He leaves for England on 6^th June 1918 as he has gained his “Wings”. From this point I lose track of him.....

 

I think I have found a picture of him, which is one of Donald Mclellans images in IWM - which looks like him in his Seaforth outfit and that is dated 17th July 1918. If this is him - he seems stuck in a Pilot's Pool or a Supply Depot waiting to join a squadron. Did they all join squadrons or did they go back and forth when required?

 

I find him again after the war - at the School of Technical Training (Manston).

 

Whilst he serves again in WW2 in the RAFVR moving planes around - did he see any further action in the air in 1918 and how do I find this out?

 

Thanking everyone in advance who can spare the time to assist - Antony Sherlock

[nieuport11]

He was injured in a motorcycle accident at Manston in 1921, and the casualty card is in the RAF Museum:

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/sherlock-w.n.-walter-nugent

There is a military record for a Wylie McClelland Sherlock but no Walter

However he may have been indexed as WR Sherlock in which case he is in AIR 76/460/3:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8225850

This man was in the Seaforths, but his record is fairly short - it shows him tranferred from 31 Wing (Mesopotamia) 28.6.18

A WN Sherlock was listed as Flying Officer Observer in the March 1918 Army List

 

Try searching the Gazette for further info:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices

 

[HarryBrook]

From the London Gazettte

He relinquished his temporary commission in the R.A.F. on return to Army duty 18.11.1919

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31720/page/201

Restored to the establishment of the Seaforth Highlanders 18.11.1919

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31731/supplement/652

Relinquished his [Army, Seaforth Highlanders] commission 28.4.1920

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31880/supplement/4948

And transferred to the General Reserve of Officers 28.4.1920

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31881/supplement/4962

 

Edit to add:-

He was granted a short service commission in the R.A.F. as a Flying Officer 21.7.1921

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32409/page/6102

He still held a commission in the Seaforth Highlanders on the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, this he resigned on 20.7.1921

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32632/supplement/2018

 

Edit to add:-

Reclassified from Flying O to Flying A

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32594/page/842

Transferred to Reserve Class A 21.7.1926

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33184/page/4802

Reserve of Air Force Officers, transferred to Class C 9.4.1927

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33265/page/2411

 

 

 

[nieuport11]

Also

Appointed Flying Officer Observer from 1.11.17 and seconded (30541/2444)

Appointed Lt with Seaforths 20.4.20 with seniority from 10.6.16 (31881/4962)

Resigns from Seaforths 28.4.20 (31880/4948)

Resigns from Seaforths 20.7.21 (32632/2018)

[AntSherlock]

Thank you for your help. Interesting how he vanishes in 1918 when he returns from Iraq and until we see him for his motorcycle accident in 1921. As far as his accident is concerned he fathers 11 children at least (to our knowledge). Presumably he never got into a squadron after that?

[HarryBrook]

In WW2 -

Granted a commission as Pilot Officer 4.4.1939

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34616/page/2489

Confirmed in his appointment and promoted to Flying Officer 3.9.1939

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34705/page/6802 heading on page 6801

The above promotion ante-dated to 18.8.1939

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34786/page/723 heading on page 722

Resigned his commission 16.6.1942

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35646/supplement/3306

[AntSherlock]

Does anyone know what happened to the pilots in the Pilot Pool waiting to go to squadrons in 1918? Were they allocated to the squadron or were they like temps flitting back and forth?

[AntSherlock]

OK. Some of the missing periods I need to investigate further, but there is an an anecdotal report that he was in Russia helping the Cossaks in possibly 1918/1919 (?), but I cannot find any lists of the "volunteers" or which squadron he may have been in, to place him there. Any assistance gratefully recived on where I might find his name (or not) to this campaign helping the "White Russians"?

 

After he leaves the RAF Reserve in 1927 - he is recorded in 1929 in Canada as a bush pilot working for Dominion Explorers, before joining Commercial Airways in 1930. He features as one of the named pilots in the 1930 Edmonton Air Show, in esteemed company alongside "Wop" May, Glyn Roberts and "Punch" Dickins. He then gets a whole chapter, "flying with monkey" in Don Robertson's "The Urge to fly: from stick and string to jet age", who was his no 2 that summer, where they flew the mail in NW Canada. "Monkey" Sherlock  was his nickname. He joined in the race action of the period - by claiming the distinction of being first to fly the mail from Fort McMurray to Aklavik in the Arctic circle, with 5 stops, in a trip of 1500 miles in 1 day. After 1931 - I lose him again until he returns to the RAF VR in England in 1938. So still plenty of work to do....

 

Thre is also an anecdotal story of him transporting a plane in WW2 and crashing it in the Forth and being picked up by the RN....but again I need to find out more....

[Guest]

Would Walter Nugent Sherlock have a connection to Millom, Cumberland (Cumbria)?