Trying to find records for William James Pearson RFC

[Madmeg]

Hi All,

I'm trying to find as many records as possible for my grandfather William James Pearson b Hamilton NZ 1884.

He joined the Duke of Lancaster's Regt c sept 1914 and was posted to France in 1915, at some stage he was promoted to cpl and then sgt. (medal card for William James Pearson 3400 D o L 3400 and 2nd Lt RFC)

He later transferred to the RFC - being made 2nd Lt on 1st Jan 1917.

His gazette notice for this came out on the 14th Feb 1917- by which time he was already heading back to England having been shot in the ankle. ( AIR76/396/92 (Officer's service records wo 339/85124 may well also relate to him but is not available digitally)).

 

What I would like to find-

-a service record for his time in the Duke of Lancasters (I realise this may be in the burnt records)

-a gazette listing for his promotion to Lt (according to service papers this was on 1/4/18- and was listed in the gazette A.F.T 5/18- does anyone have any ideas what this means? I have tried searching the gazette from 1/4/18 to 31/5/18)

-his Royal Airforce number- I have browsed the list on Fold but I can't find him- any suggestions? All the records I can see are for enlisted men- is there a separate list for officers?

- his attestation papers- I am currently browsing the Airman attestation records on Fold (the free ones) starting in October 1916 and working my way- very slowly ) towards January in an attempt to find him- am I right in thinking that there SHOULD be a record for him covering his transfer? I am assuming that his transfer would have occurred before his acceptance as a 2nd Lt? 

 

Does anyone know what training he would have had to do to become an officer from a sergeant? Or his subsequent training as an observer? From what I can find it would seem that his observer training could have been as little as a fortnight and then a posting straight out to France and into action.

 

I would also like some help deciphering all the notations found on his service record if anyone is able to !

 

many thanks

 

 

[nieuport11]

There is a movement form for him on casualtyforms.org - number CF18456

This covers his movements in France only and is easier to read than the AIR 76

 

Officers didn't have service numbers

 

There is a casualty card for him in the RAF Museum Archive

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/pages/raf_vault.php?

 

I've digitized all the Gazette entries to the end of December 1918 and the only entries I have are his transfer to the RFC (1917 p1126) and appointment as Flying Officer Observer (1917 p10682)

 

Have you searched the NZ records?

 

Errol W. Martyn has also produced a book on NZ airmen (he may be viewing)

 

In the early days observer training was done on the job. Later they were sent to England for a one month course. In his case he went straight to the squadron(No.11, then No.8)

 

He was treated for his gunshot wound at No.1 British Red Cross hospital (1BRX)

[Madmeg]

Hi thanks,

He isn;t in the NZ records- his family moved to Australia in 1892, however he had already moved to England by the start of the 1st WW- c 1913 I believe as there is a shipping record for a WJ Pearson with wife and child (unconfirmed- I thought his first marriage had broken up by then). But he was already in England so is;t in either NZ or Australia records. 

I have found the casualty card for him (sorry forgot I had found that in my notes above- thank you for the forms reference.

Digitised all the gazette records- WOW! - I find it very hard to search the gazette- I tried a search using Pearson and Duke but it didn;t find him - OR let me have access to earlier pages from the ones it did find.

I hadn;t found the 11 squadron reference, thanks.

From his service record he was sent on observer and wireless training- AFTER his recovery from his wound- which I found odd but thanks to you I get it now.

I found a record showing him being treated at Reading hospital I think (our local library has the genealogical computers locked down so hard that you can only view FMP records not download or save them to look at later so I have to go back in and use the OTHER computers to actually save the records). I would like to find more details on this as between being wounded in Feb and returning to duty in July he spent some time in Bournemouth which is where he met my grandmother to be.

He was also in Bournemouth c new year 1917/8 through to early Jan and again in March just before he got his leave to go to Australia (which I think was for him to sort out "family issues"- ie start looking at a divorce!)

 

Fold has just decided that the records which were free to view now need a subscrition blast it! (even the ones which are freely available elsewhere)

cheers

Jane

[Madmeg]

Thanks for the link to the casualty forms- I do wish the RAF museum didn't keep everything on different unlinked websites! Unfortunately they only seem to have done the first page- which finishes on 18/10/17- he was in the RFC /RAF until discharge in 1919 so there is a lot missing there! 

But I'm guessing that between acceptance into RFC on 2/1/17 and 27th he would have been training- how did they go about "officerising" a sergeant promoted from the ranks?

 

A few more queries...

on his air service record- 

 

112/RFC/17 wireless and observer- this appears to be on 10/2/17- the day he was shot?

Hgs(?) Ad(?) wing RFC Iv(?) EP 26/5/17 - anyone got any hits or tips on what this means? 

SW area- South West area presumably- anyone know the location?

the next bit is difficult to read- in one column it looks like Y.T Grp , in the next like T.J Grp what would that be?

8TDS- 8th training depot station?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[DavidOwen]

His transfer (as a Sergeant) to RFC on 02/01/1917 is recorded in the Gazette on 30th January 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29925/supplement/1126

Still looking for his commission....

 

[DavidOwen]

Here is the record of his commission as a Temporary 2Lt effective from 13th February 1917 with seniority from 2nd January 1917. In the Gazette on 18th October 1917 (bottom of LH column) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30339/supplement/10682

 

[Madmeg]

Thanks Dave,

By the time the Gazette caught up with his promotion he was already on his way back to england with a bullet through the ankle!

What does "with seniority " mean?

He actually got his commission on either the 1st or 2nd January (records show both dates!) from what I can see- I think? this is why I need all the help I can get, not to sure of the processes involved in his transfer and promotion.

 

[DavidOwen]

Happy to help. I am no expert but I believe that a Lieutenant commissioned on 9th is superior to one commissioned on 10th if that makes sense? So he had in effect the seniority offered by that date.