William James Paul WOODHOUSE - Kite Balloon Officer

[Rory Reynolds]

Evening all

 

I have long had a WWII trio of medals to the above chap who served first with the Natal Carbineers in GSWA before going over to England where he attended Kite Balloon School at Roehampton from 21 January 1918. After graduation he was posted to Malta on 9 May 1918 for Kite Balloon duties with the rank of Temporary Probationary Lieutenant, Kite Balloon Officer.

 

My question relates to the Malta posting - what would he have been doing there? I would have thought it was far from any active Theatre.

 

Regards

 

Rory

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Rory

 

No:1 Kite Balloon Base was located on Malta as part of the defence of the Mediterranean sea routes;

 

See here for some background:

 

http://www.philafrica.be/MAGHREBOPHILA/articles/6-parren-bizerte kite.pdf

 

Dave

 

[Rory Reynolds]

Spot on Dave - many thanks for this - so a group worth keeping I would say.

 

Rory

[Rory Reynolds]

I'm revisiting some of my previous research. Are there any War Diaries for Kite Balloon Bases? Specifically the one Woodhouse was attached to i.e. No. 1 in Malta.

Regards

Rory