Royal Naval Air Service Flask

[nick1213]

Hello all! Recently found this engraved liquor flask that I’m trying to ID the owners of. It is professionally engraved “ W.A. Shearer RNAS 1914”. Does anyone have any clue of any Shearer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service that fits? The other side is roughly engraved “No 1251902 DE Perkins RAF”. I wonder if Perkins won this from Shearer in a card game? It was he of a later generation. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!! 

[seaJane]

I can only find a William Shearer (no W.A.), service record here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9750504.

No luck with Perkins at all.

 

sJ

[IPT]

RAF numbers - 1250001 to 1299800 May 1940 Uxbridge, Gloucester and Penarth 

 

https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/rfc_raf.pdf

Edited 3 February , 2020 by IPT

[sdparker]

Hi

there is a W Shearer listed as an Air Mechanic 2/3rd class in the RAF No 48801.

Service date given as 5/10/16. So I think this is taken from the RAF Muster Roll

on 1/4/18. He was in either RFC or RNAS , but service date is not necessarily

correct, as many RNAS men were given this date , but had enlisted much earlier.

My grandfather was one of them.

D Perkins was also an Aircraftman 2nd Class, but in WW2, and in 1940 was based

at RAF Calshot

Regards 

Geoff

[nick1213]

Thanks for the info everyone! Looks like this was a 2 war liquor flask. 

[KizmeRD]

The evidence suggests thatit was used during both World Wars, surely?

[Airshipped]

There's an RAF Officer (AIR 76) file which refers back to RNAS service. (In that regard it'd probably link up to the details in the Admiralty ADM 273 file which is cited above).

 

It'd appear that William Shearer (b. 11 Dec 1876, various Scottish addresses) served at various Kite Balloon establishments in the Adriatic, Aegean and Mediterranean, e.g. Brindisi.

 

Alas it doesn't narrow the timeframe when he lost or sold his possessions, but he was an officer and not either of the enlisted men - the latter two chaps would appear to have been RFC to RAF rather than RNAS to RAF.

[horatio2]

12 hours ago, Airshipped said:

It'd appear that William Shearer (b. 11 Dec 1876, various Scottish addresses) served at various Kite Balloon establishments in the Adriatic, Aegean and Mediterranean, e.g. Brindisi.

It should also be noted that this officer did not join the RNAS until 10 Sep 1917, which makes the "RNAS 1914" a bit problematical unless the engraved date had nothing to do with his dates of service but refers to the RNAS forming in 1914.

Edited 7 February , 2020 by horatio2