Leonard Charles Ottley: RNAS Paris Air Station?

[nf3996]

Did the Royal Naval Air Service have a Paris Air Station during the First World War? If so, what was its role?

I’m researching the wartime service of Leonard Charles Ottley, an RNAS/RAF mechanic (RNAS no F791, RAF no 200791). His RNAS record shows him serving in Paris from 1 August 1916 until 20 August 1917. (Pembroke III, President II and Daedalus are also written there with other dates but, thanks to searching on here, I know what those were).

Leonard survived the war and went on to develop the Ottfur hook, still used today in gliding. I’ve recently been looking at his grandson’s collection of WW1 memorabilia, but he knows little of what his grandfather did. Leonard was awarded the Star, Victory Medal, and British War Medal, so he definitely served overseas at some point during the war. Along with lots of photographs of seaplanes – Leonard was based at Eastchurch and Lee-on-Solent for some of the time – there are many postcards sent from France. Additionally, shortly after the end of hostilities, Leonard was ‘mentioned’ for service in the Air Ministry; I’ve found a copy of the ‘mention’ in Flight of 30 January 1919. Might this ‘mention’ and the French postcards relate to a posting at a Paris Air Station?

[horatio2]

Unless his RAF record shows that he had a draft to the Air Ministry after his last RNAS draft to Lee-on-Solent, I would assume that it refers to his RNAS "Paris" draft, This could have been in connection with UK military staffs or the British Embassy. I know of no RNAS Paris but another possibility is that he was one of a small RNAS air engineering team at a Paris airport (military or civilian) to handle visiting British aircraft. All guesswork, I'm afraid.

[PRC]

Could be a complete coincidence, but a website dealing with the Sopwith Aviation Company has a passing mention in relation to May 1915 of " on 31^st May Sopwith take an order for another 100 “Schneider” type floatplanes.  The Admiralty team in Paris have negotiated the supply of 110hp nine-cylinder Clerget 9Z rotary engines.  With 10% more power than the Gnome Monosoupape, these have more conventional inlet and exhaust valves operated by separate push rods.  Mounted in the aircraft only by the two back plates on the stationary crankshaft they will not have the forward bearing on the propeller shaft giving the machine a distinctive short blunt nose.  To be known as Sopwith “Baby” floatplanes they will also have a larger vertical fin. Depending on the supply of engines production could start in 3 or 4 months in parallel with the remaining “Schneider” orders. "

https://www.kingstonaviation.org/sopwith-day-by-day/1915.html

(My highlight).

 

If the purchasing team was still in place in August 1916 presumably they would have needed some technical support plus possibly QA of the equipment rolling off the production line.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[sdparker]

Your man may have been stationed at Buc Aerodrome near Paris. The RNAS used it several times for

collecting aircraft,and as a stopping off landing ground.

VC winner Rex Warneford was sent to Buc shortly after his award to collect a new aeroplane-presumably

French- Nieuport maybe?, for delivery to Furnes. Unfortunately he made a couple of test flights, the second

carrying an American journalist Henry Beach Newman, and the wings collapsed ,they were thrown out and

killed.

In March 1916 Roderic Dallas, who went on to become a high scoring ace in the RNAS and RAF, and four

other RNAS pilots including Flight Commander SV Sippe travelled by train from Dunkerque to Paris, to pick

up five new scout aircraft. These were of a brand new type, and the RNAS pilots then flew them to the

Verdun front to support the French. After a couple of weeks, they made the return journey, spending 3 days

in Paris waiting for the weather to improve, before flying the new aeroplanes to Dunkerque.

Info from Australian Hawk Over The Western Front by Adrian Hellwig, and Airfields and Airman of the

Channel Coast by Mike O' Connor.

Regards

Geoff

[sdparker]

Just googled Buc Aerodrome, it was just south of Versailles. Louis Bleriot set up there in 1912 to sell

aeroplanes. Very busy in WW1, particularly with SPAD aeroplanes. Bulldozed and gone by 1970's.

Geoff

[nf3996]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've arranged to borrow the photos and postcards later this month, so the mystery may be resolved when I can study them in more detail.