Pesche Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 I'm trying to identify which unit the badge on my grandmother's shoulder belongs to. Can anyone help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekb Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Looks like “Royal Flying Corps”, predecessor of the Royal Air Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 16 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Thank you, derekb, In what capacity would women have served in the RFC, and have their servcie records survived? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekb Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Sorry Pesche, the RFC/RFA isn’t something I know much about, although generally I would have thought support services etc. Pesche, could be worth posting the full photo. Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Women occasionally had themselves photographed in their brother's or husband's uniform; I think they weren't entitled to wear RFC on their own account, but not certain. This may be of interest: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/women-of-the-air-force/womens-royal-air-force-wraf-1918-1920.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 16 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Many tanks derekb & seaJane! Knowing that my grandmother served in the Royal Flying Corps, I have found her Certificate of Discharge on Demobilization. She enrolled in August 1918 in Coventry (our home city), and was demobilized in July 1919 at Blanford Camp. Her rank was "Member", and she worked as a "General Clerk". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLD ROBIN HOOD Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 Greetings from Sherwood Strange that the shoulder title should read Royal Flying Corps. If she had enlisted in August 1918 the title had been changed to Royal Air Force since 1st of April of that year. Old Robin Hood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 16 June , 2019 Share Posted 16 June , 2019 That's what I was thinking, to be honest, and why I suggested she wasn't wearing her own uniform but a relative's or boyfriend's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 17 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2019 (edited) Hmmm - food for thought. I take on board seaJane's comments. The Demob Cert is from the Women's Royal Air Force, Blandford Camp Edited 17 June , 2019 by Pesche posted before finished writing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Perhaps she was previously a member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Those women working with the RFC had the privilege of wearing the RFC shoulder badges. Those working with the ASC wore the Cap badge and buttons of the ASC. She might well have been one of those who transferred into the RAF on its formation. She could be wearing her old WAAC overcoat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 17 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Thank you, royalredcross. That actually sounds very likely, as I was wondering why she only joined in August 1918, when she was 23. Although there's a smudge over her age on the Certificate, I 'm guessing that her age there (in 1919) reads as 19. However, she always pretended to be younger than she was, possibly to apppear to be 1 year younger than my grandfather, whom she married in 1920, rather than 4 years older... She was Irish, and I was wondering whether there was a large Irish contingent in the WAAC or RFC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Not sure about an Irish contingent, but Ireland was then part of the UK. Could you post a photo which shows more of her - she seems to be wearing a tie which was not WAAC uniform apart from officials, but could be WRAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 17 June , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2019 Here it is: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 5 hours ago, Pesche said: Here it is: A nice transitional period photo of WAAC to WRAF with RFC titles and early RAF cap badge. A bonny lass as well. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 17 June , 2019 Share Posted 17 June , 2019 I stand corrected (but very pleased). That's most interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesche Posted 22 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2019 Belated thanks (I've been travelling) to both you, Pete, and to SeaJane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 On 18/06/2019 at 00:40, seaJane said: I stand corrected (but very pleased). That's most interesting! Don't stand corrected. I am still of the opinion that the coat is not hers. The Royal Air Force was a men-only unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-boy Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 Does anyone recognise the tie pin? It may not shed any light on the original question, but I can not make head nor tail of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Ex-boy said: Does anyone recognise the tie pin? It may not shed any light on the original question, but I can not make head nor tail of it. The top part I am not certain, but the bottom part appears to be a representation of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment cap badge, possibly with the extra scroll of one of the Birmingham Battalions, eg: Edited 23 August , 2019 by Andrew Upton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_history_buff Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 The cloth badge on the hat reminds me of RNAS (cap?) badges that I have seen. https://media.iwm.org.uk/pdm/ciim-media/54/666/540/54666540.jpeg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_history_buff Posted 23 August , 2019 Share Posted 23 August , 2019 Here's a link to the aforementioned image, and.. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30076827 Here's a later issue badge, at the bottom of the pagehttp://www.navyweb2.co.uk/1901 auto sets.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalredcross Posted 25 August , 2019 Share Posted 25 August , 2019 Agreed that the hat badge is an early WRAF one, but what on earth is the hat ?? Looks like her father's trilby. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 2 September , 2019 Share Posted 2 September , 2019 On 23/08/2019 at 09:41, Jim Strawbridge said: Don't stand corrected. I am still of the opinion that the coat is not hers. The Royal Air Force was a men-only unit. Womens Royal Air Force. The clue is in the title. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 3 September , 2019 Share Posted 3 September , 2019 2 hours ago, CorporalPunishment said: Womens Royal Air Force. The clue is in the title. Pete. The shoulder badge in the photograph is Royal Air Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorporalPunishment Posted 3 September , 2019 Share Posted 3 September , 2019 6 hours ago, Jim Strawbridge said: The shoulder badge in the photograph is Royal Air Force. The shoulder badge in the photograph is Royal Flying Corps. There is no doubt in my mind that she had been WAAC attached to RFC and by the time the photo was taken was in the newly-formed WRAF. The cap badge is the early pattern one which was similar to the badge of the former RNAS. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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