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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

RAF Abbreviations


Andrew Smith

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G'day All,

I know that when I see on service records;

Lieut. "A&S" RAF

that "A" stands for Aeroplane and the "S" for Seaplane, but I came across;

Lieut "T" RAF.

Any ideas what the "T" stands for.

The particular chap had an association with RNAS armoured cars, if that is of any help.

Regards,

Andrew.

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Andrew,

If you give us the name I can probably tell you exactly what his rank was, his function and where he served in the RNAS at the end of 1916 and in the middle of 1917.

Mike

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G'day Mike,

The chap in question is Captain John Morrissey;

2/2/1915 - Temp Sub Lieut. to RNAS Armoured car squadron

??/??/???? - To Mediterranean Expeditionary Force

4/3/1916 - Flight Lieut.

1/4/1918 - Captain "T" RAF to Crystal Palce

16/10/1919- Transferred to unemployed list

1/9/1921 - Relinquished Commission retained Rank.

He passed away on July 13th 1936 at Darlinghurst NSW, and was managing director of Morrissey and Sons.

Now you know as much about him as I do.

Take care mate,

Andrew.

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Evening Andrew,

got some more for you here, there is only one J Morrissey so we shouldn't have any ambiguity.

Your man was on long term sick leave, he was certainly sick from 20th November 1916 through 16th July 1917, and I suspect quite a spread either side of those dates (probably started on 16th March 1916).

Probably because of this he was transferred to a Lt (not Flight Lt.) in the RNVR some time before November 1916.

Now, the odds are (as am ex member of the RNAS and current member of the RNVR) that when he he was declared fit, he would have been posted to one of the RNAS Wings or Stations as a Ground Officer, and my bet is that "T" stood for Transport - that's what it meant in the RNAS, so there's a good chance the same convention applied to the Royal Air Farce.

I've got to go to The FAAM before the end of January, so I'll get his ADM273 file copied for you, and AIR 76 if I can find it.

Mike

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G'day Mike,

Perhaps the "T" stands for technical as I have seen reference on other Aussies AWM files. Have you come across the Techinical classification before.

Andrew.

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Hi Andrew,

certainly not an RNAS classification - "E" would be the "technical" classification, E for Engineering - also usually an RNVR officer.

Of course, RNVR officers serving with the RNAS were given the choice of staying with the Navy or joining the RAF - I suspect most of them opted for the RAF as it stopped them being "2nd Class Citizens".

The only other grade with a "T" in it was "W/T" for Wireless Telegraphy

Mike

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From an RFC evolving into the RAF point of view, T could stand for Technical.

I researched the records of a pilot who was stood down from flying due to 'unfitness' and the T appeared in his files as both the character and the word Technical.

It could perhaps also just simply refer to his commission as being Temporary, as they could styled both ways, eg, as Temp 2 Lt and 2 Lt (Temporary).

I know little about the RNAS/ RNVR and one must always defer to Mike. The E was interesting, because my 'Technical' chap was also described as EO, this standing for Equipment Officer.

His last rank (1917) was the (mouthful of) Equipment Officer 2nd Class (Technical) (Temporary).

Rgds,

Grovetown.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Andrew,

your man was on more or less permanent sick leave with liver cancer. I'll scan his record when you invest in a decent modem :D (I can recommend Netgear)

Mike

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Andrew,

your man was on more or less permanent sick leave with liver cancer. I'll scan his record when you invest in a decent modem :D (I can recommend Netgear)

Mike

G'day Mike,

Send it now mate, its nearly the weekend and I am not doing anything. The poor bloke didn't die until 1936, so I think the diagnosis may have been incorrect, 18 years with liver cancer is a long time. I wonder if the RNAS were being kind to him in their assesment of his illness. I have seen the AFC cover up some self inflicted liver diseases in their records.

Oh the bl**dy modem is in its guarentee period, it is the one the isp gave me when I signed a 2 year contract with them. It is not costing me any money just time!!

Regards,

Andrew

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Andrew,

I might be exagerating - the diagnosis was "tumours on the liver", doesn't have to be cancer.

I can't get on the scanner from my laptop, I'll get it done tomorrow for you.

Mike

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