Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 21 May , 2020 Share Posted 21 May , 2020 (edited) Dear All, I am seeking a photo/Portrait/Image of the then Lieut. William Thomas Taylor, Royal Irish Fusiliers and 1917-19 Balloon Officer, RFC - as shown on adjacent threads. Attached are two examples of Aviators pictured on Royal Aero Club (?) flying certificates - one a Balloonist (Meyler - thanks for the Image!), and one of the others (Pepper) a RNAS Pilot. Did Lt. W. T. Taylor also have such a certificate with photo…? Reward of a Goodie from my Military bookshelves (please), for Taylor's Image (latterly, 1930-49, a Lt-Col, OBE, IMS)! Kindest regards, Kim. Edited 21 May , 2020 by Kimberley John Lindsay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travers61 Posted 22 May , 2020 Share Posted 22 May , 2020 Not showing on the index on a well known genealogy website, but: The 34 photo albums contain approximately 13,000 photographs of Royal Aero Club pilots. The albums and photos are organized according to certificate number, with four photographs per album page. Album no. 4 is missing from the original collection and so is also missing from this database. Lets hope he's not in book 4 ! Originals are at Hendon, so a while before they can be checked. Travers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 22 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2020 Dear Travers, Many thanks for looking into this, for me: much appreciated! What a pity Lieut W. T. Taylor did not feature. Another possibility might be his Old School (unfortunately unknown) - the name of which may come to light when I obtain his Royal Irish Fusiliers papers Held at TNA. I have already alerted my TNA Researcher on that score...! Finally, there is the British Library and their former India Office Archive: photos and documentation. Perhaps a last chance to find that elusive Image... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Martyn Posted 23 May , 2020 Share Posted 23 May , 2020 W T Taylor was never issued with a certificate by the Royal Aero Club. From mid-1916 onward this civilian document was no longer a military requirement, though some airmen still volunteered to pay the one guinea fee to acquire one. Cheers, Errol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICM - RAF Retd Posted 23 May , 2020 Share Posted 23 May , 2020 And, in any event, the parallel thread has shown that he wasn't a Pilot but an Observer during a relatively brief time with fixed-wing aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 23 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2020 Dear ICM and Errol, Thanks for reponding. I was not aware of the 1916 discontinuation. Because the Balloon Officer Major with the MC (later DSO, MC) Illustrated, had his certificate with photo, I thought I would give it a try. As the late JMAT used to say (Major John Tamplin, MBE, TD, doyen of the OMRS), 'If you don't ask, you don't get'. Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 25 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 25 May , 2020 (edited) Dear All, Many thanks are due, especially to Ian (Lt Taylor actually flew quite often as an Obs in Be2s of 10 Sqn., RFC), but also to Errol and Travers - and the Great War Forum as a whole! You will be glad to know that thanks to my own efforts, and quite by Chance, I found the Nigel Henderson Great War Belfast Clippings and Voila! - a Portrait of 2Lt Taylor. Super! Kindest regards, Kim. PS: Does anybody know what School T. P. S, is (which Taylor obviously attended 1909-1911)? Apparently Trades Preparation School: he was at the start of his Learning Curve! Edited 26 May , 2020 by Kimberley John Lindsay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Heartiest congrats, Kim. Delighted you had such success. One of the things I love about the GWF team is the willingness to share knowledge to help overcome individual research hurdles. It's a great environment and I've learned a tremendous amount from the generous cognoscenti on the Forum. While we're on the topic of aviator photographs, I'm still looking for images of the following Sergeant Pilots: Franklin, William Walter (93083) McGlasson, Robert (35480) McGuinness, Philip Aloysius (109538) Spencer, William Henry George (56446) Templeton, Andrew (23462) If anyone knows where I might find images of these men, I'd be forever in your debt! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Dear Mark, Many thanks for your Kind words. Yes, I also have that 'forever in (the generous cognoscenti) debt' feeling. One senses their general enthusiasm, and oftentimes those self-same cognoscenti - what a fitting description! - go to tremendous trouble on one's behalf. I might add that I am careful to share what I have with the Great War Forum in general, and always make it a point to say 'thank you' in no uncertain terms... Now to your elusive Sgt-Pilots: which squadrons? Where have you already looked? My Great War medal collection consists of "officers only", which makes things a lot easier, needless to say. Kindest regards, Kim.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICM - RAF Retd Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 KIm, I'm delighted to see you found your (our?) man. At times like these, a Like button could be very useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Dear Ian, Yes, I am grinning from ear to ear! Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now