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Remembered Today:

FCdr Cecil Douglas Morrison RNAS


MikeW

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I am looking for a photo of Cecil Douglas Morrison, his RAeC ticket number is 1289, gained at Chingford on 31st May 1915 - sadly its one of the tickets where the photograph must have dropped off many years ago.

 

Morrison was a very ineffectual Flight Commander of No.9 Squadron RNAS from February to May 1917, but he was on the staff at Chingford from October 15 to February 16, and then on the staff of Cranwell for the rest of 1916. I'm thinking he must be in several of those formal "course" photographs so beloved of Cranwell.

 

Failing that tack, does anyone know what senior school he attended? 

 

Mike

 

 

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Mike

The Cranwell course photos that you mention, are now held by the Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum, 4 miles away.

Don't know if it is open right now, but maybe worth contacting.

Is your book on Naval 10 available- I want to add it to my Christmas present list

Regards

Geoff

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Hi Geoff,

 

yes still available from Amazon! If all else fails I still have 1 spare copy. A lot has come to light since that was published - more photographic evidence that the stripy Camels persisted well into 210 Squadron RAF days, also more photographs of pilots - I feel a reissue coming on - No not really, Naval 9 is taking up all my time.

 

I have not had a lot of satisfaction with the Cranwell Museum but it's a good suggestion, I will try them again - if the museum is administered by the RAF it might be open in theory, though I believe Hendon isn't open at the moment.

 

Cheers

Mike

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Mike

I visited the museum last year, hoping to find some more information on the group photos, that featured my grandfather, who was an air mechanic.

The museum had about half a dozen photos on display, with several more stored elsewhere. one of the staff , whose name I cannot remember, suggested

 that if I made an appointment to visit again in the future, he would have them available for me to look at. Unfortunately , our movements have been

disrupted by the Coronavirus, and so I have not been able to do this.

Keep trying

Regards

Geoff

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Geoff,

 

I know that Museums in general have been disrupted this year, but the RAF Museum Reading Room staff are trying to answer emails from home - So I dropped an email to the Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum on the off chance but it bounced saying something like "no such domain". The email is the one off the Museum's Website which is a bit puzzling.

 

Mike

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  • 1 year later...

Mike

He was my grandfather. I do have photos of him and some (limited) background info including his service records. There is a photo in Flight Magazine August 1915 with a "J.S.Morrison" at Chingford - this man certainly looks like he could be my grandad, but I cannot be sure. They may have mixed up the initials...

How did his name come onto your radar? 

Bruce

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Hello Bruce,

I write RNAS squadron Histories, my 3rd attempt is a history of Naval 9 (not yet published). When a Naval squadron was "working up" to active service readiness, the RNAS hierarchy tended to use Flight Commanders with a long history of Home Service, gradually phasing them out for  much more aggressive Flight Commanders with front line experience,

Your grandfather fits into the former category, with considerable service on the Staff at Chingford and Cranwell before being drafted into Naval 9 to try and knock the inexperienced pilots into some sort of shape.

I like to incorporate photographs of squadron personnel along with a mini biography. A photo of Cecil Douglas Morrison has eluded me for about 15 years!

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

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Thanks for the reply Mike. 

Having looked back through grandad's stuff I am afraid I am not going to be very useful re. photos I fear. My grandparents were incredibly secretive and destroyed nearly every record for this lives before their deaths. I have a couple of school pix of him (I think!) and a picture of a group of naval personnel - one of which may be him. I have attached these. I will check with my brother in case he has a pic.

As I said the photo in Flight may be him - would you be able to find out if there was a J.S Morrison? 

Any info you have re. him would be great as I am putting together a brief (by necessity!) biography of him for his grand kids.

Bruce

Grandpi school pix - annotated.pdf Unknown group of naval personnel - CDM on right?.pdf

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Bruce,

thanks for posting the photographs - won't be the first time I've had to use a school 1st 15 Rugby photo!

This is what I have so far:

 

Morrison, Cecil Douglas                      FCdr

 

Born 10th April 1892 at Manchester

Previous service, RFA (TF) as a trumpeter in 1910, and as a Sub Lieutenant in the RNVR attached to the RNAS from 2nd November 1914 to 15th April 1915.

Joined the RNAS on 16th April 1915.

RAeC Certificate No.1289 gained 31st May 1915 at Chingford.

Under instruction at Hendon from 16th April 1915.

Under instruction at Chingford from ??????????? 

Under instruction at Chelmsford from 10th July 1915.

Staff at Chingford from 14th October 1915.

Staff at Cranwell from 7th February 1916.

Dover on 1st February 1917.

No.9 Squadron from 2nd February 1917 to 11th May 1917 with periods of sickness (Flight Commander of B Flight)

ADD in June (ADD is the depot at Dunkerque)

Surveyed and found unfit for flying duties.

Air Department of the Admiralty, special services with Instrument Section from 8th August 1917.

Found permanently unfit for flying duties??????????

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Many thanks Mike.

I am attaching a report which suggests that Cecil was badly injured during a night landing with his bomb load which then exploded. Hope this might be useful for you. I'll let you know if anything else significant surfaces.

Last 2 queries from me:

1) Can you tell me anything re. the photo of naval personnel I ent you?

2) I don't suppose you might know anything re. his school from the sports photos...? I can't find anything and wonder if (by chance) you recognise the school insignia on their sports gear.

Bruce

NA - WW1 records - ADM-273-6-89.pdf

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From the British Newspapers Archive:

January 1 1916 promoted Flight Lieutenant from Flight Sub-Lieutenant.

 

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Bruce,

thanks for posting his ADM273 record - somehow I totally missed the note about his crash.

 

The Air Defence of Britain 1914 - 1918 by Cole and Cheesman has the following:

17/18 August, 1915 (night)

Target: London

Enemy Forces: Navy Zeppelins L10, L11, L13 (returned early), L14 (returned early)

Results: 10 Killed, 48 Injured, £30,750 damage

Defence Sorties: 6

 

RNAS Chelmsford ........Caudron G3 serial 1596    FSL CD Morrison   22.45 - 23.55   Crashed landing

There were also sorties from Yarmouth and Holt.

In the narrative, it states: ........ the Caudrons from Chelmsford were not airborne until 45 minutes after L10 had passed almost overhead en route for London. This unexplained lapse was fortuitously redeemed, since although Wenke was then 20 miles away, he was starting a homeward flight that would again take him over Chelmsford. Reports vary as to whether Morrison saw the Zeppelin, but at all events he came back after 70 minutes to a heavy landing which detonated three of his four Hale bombs. The flimsy Caudron was blown to pieces, Morrison being badly burned about the face and arms and injured in a foot...............

 

Royal Naval Aircraft Serials and Units doesn't add any more for Caudron 1596 other than to state that it arrived at Chelmsford on the 13/7/15, stating the obvious that it was deleted on 1/9/15, and that Morrison was badly wounded.

 

Can't help with the school other than to say that schools that played Rugby "tended" to be a bit more "selective" than schools that had soccer teams - have I stated that tactfully enough? How many private and Public schools were there in the Manchester area? It's always possible that he was sent away - I have one pilot from the north that attended Sherborne school just up the road from me "down south".

 

I was hoping that another "forumite" might comment on the uniforms photograph.

 

Mike

Edited by MikeW
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Bruce,

Having agonised over the school photos and the RFA photo, my wife and I both think this is your granddad (probably!)

 

Morrison 5.JPG

Edited by MikeW
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Thanks so much Mike.

Re. the photo: yes, I agree that one or (less likely) the one far right front row. Re. the school, my thoughts exactly...still having trouble finding anything much re. his earlier days.

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On 12/01/2022 at 11:49, BruceM said:

Mike

He was my grandfather. I do have photos of him and some (limited) background info including his service records. There is a photo in Flight Magazine August 1915 with a "J.S.Morrison" at Chingford - this man certainly looks like he could be my grandad, but I cannot be sure. They may have mixed up the initials...

How did his name come onto your radar? 

Bruce

The more I look at this, unless there was a J.S Morrison, I am increasingly persuaded that J.S should be C.D....

From Flight Magazine June 1915.pdf

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Bruce,

 

there was indeed an FSL JS Morrison, I have included his photo below and don't think this is the man in the Flight Photo - seems like it could be your grandfather miscaptioned. I haven't been able to find JS Morrison's records yet. Interestingly, the man on the end of the Back Row of the Flight Photo, FSL HE Kerby, was a colleague of Cecil Douglas Morrison at No 9 Squadron RNAS in 1917, and ended his career as an Air Vice Marshall. 

 

JS Morrison.JPG

Edited by MikeW
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I can find a FSL John Stanton Fleming Morrison but he appears to have been in the Med on the Ark Royal at roughly the time of the Flight Photograph.

 

This is Cecil Douglas Morrison's RNVR ADM 337 record:

 

Morrison ADM337.JPG

Edited by MikeW
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  • 1 month later...

May I join in, please?

I work as a part-time-volunteer at the RAF Museum, Hendon, with responsibility for the Royal Aero Club Trust Collection, which is archived at the Museum. Our pride and joy is the set of Aviators' Certificates photographs and index cards, Unfortunately, volume 4 (covering Certificate numbers 925 through 1488) is long-term missing, and we are running a project to identify photographs from other sources, with which to create a "clone" volume 4. Cecil Douglas Morrison #1289 is one such, so it is great to come across this Forum thread, with its photographs.

I would like to use a head and shoulders crop of a photograph that is definitely CDM, even if it is dated from a different period of his life.. For that reason, I am disinclined to use the RFA photograph or the "Flight" photograph. Will BruceM please let me know whether he has a suitable family photograph from later on? Otherwise, I will probably opt for one of the school team photographs. Presumably, BruceM is confident in the identity of his grandad, as the pupil circled? And will BruceM please confirm permission for us to add an image to our reference collection, in recognition of all these brave young pilots? Out of interest, will MikeW please advise which photo he intends to use in his naval squadron history? Thank you both very much.

As an aside, I have identified CDM in Edinburgh in both the 1901 and 1911 Scotland census. With uncle (David Thomson) and mother (Josephine H), but no father. School likely to be Edinburgh-based? But I haven't identified the badge on the Rugby jerseys. We also have a different uncle, George D Taylor, in Edinburgh. Has anyone unravelled anything further on the family tree?

I have been looking into the "double Morrison" mystery as well. There is also J S (John Stanton Fleming) Morrison #1108, who is from the "missing" album too - and, by coincidence, was born in April 1892, as was CDM.  However, we already have a "clone" image for him, which appears to be a "head-and-shoulder" crop based on the image posted (above) by MikeW. For completeness, will MikeW please confirm the original source, please?

JSM trained at the Grahame-White School, Hendon, whereas CDM trained at RNAS, Chingford. Therefore, it is tempting to claim that the "Flight" magazine photograph at Chingford has been mis-captioned. However, half the personnel in the group all trained at Hendon, so that explanation doesn't work. And, for me, the Morrison in "Flight" resembles JSM, rather than CDM. I will be interested in others' reactions, and any other evidence, one way or the other. Many of the other naval pilots in this "Flight" photograph are also from the "missing" volume 4, and the "Flight" photograph is probably the only available image that we have for them. In any case, I think I'll avoid using the "Flight" photograph for CDM, in view of the potential uncertainty.

Thank you all for contributing to this thread, and for any further comments.

Andrew 

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Hello Andrew,

Unless a better service photo appears, I am inclined to use the School Rugby photo - the uncertainty over the RFA shot being the reason. As he played both Rugby and Hockey I would assume the school was at least a Grammar School if not a private school. 

I must confess to "snipping" JSM from the IWM

Mike

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Hi Andrew

I'm happy to share a validated pic of my grandad - I have one from 1909 and then a couple from post-war years. I am not certain of his identity ref. the school photos I am afraid as I have so little info and pix of both grandparents.

For your interest, his father was George Morrison and his mother's maiden name Thomson. I am happy to help further with the pix and some more genealogical info I have. If you don't mind, could you please post your email address and I can then get back to you off-blog?

Bruce

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Thank you very much. That's most helpful. In case any robots are watching, it may be best to go off-blog via the Royal Aero Club. There is a "Contact Us" address on their web-site and the General Secretary can put us in touch - he knows me well! MikeW too, if he would like to.

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On 01/12/2020 at 15:20, MikeW said:

I am looking for a photo of Cecil Douglas Morrison, his RAeC ticket number is 1289, gained at Chingford on 31st May 1915 - sadly its one of the tickets where the photograph must have dropped off many years ago.

 

Morrison was a very ineffectual Flight Commander of No.9 Squadron RNAS from February to May 1917, but he was on the staff at Chingford from October 15 to February 16, and then on the staff of Cranwell for the rest of 1916. I'm thinking he must be in several of those formal "course" photographs so beloved of Cranwell.

 

Failing that tack, does anyone know what senior school he attended? 

 

Mike

 

 

Wow! Photo of my grandfather is to be found on his ticket!

Where do I search for his ticket please?

Kew archives?

He was at Cranwell so have noted to contact them 

Thank you 

Fiona 

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On 25/02/2022 at 14:04, dawrana said:

May I join in, please?

I work as a part-time-volunteer at the RAF Museum, Hendon, with responsibility for the Royal Aero Club Trust Collection, which is archived at the Museum. Our pride and joy is the set of Aviators' Certificates photographs and index cards, Unfortunately, volume 4 (covering Certificate numbers 925 through 1488) is long-term missing, and we are running a project to identify photographs from other sources, with which to create a "clone" volume 4. Cecil Douglas Morrison #1289 is one such, so it is great to come across this Forum thread, with its photographs.

I would like to use a head and shoulders crop of a photograph that is definitely CDM, even if it is dated from a different period of his life.. For that reason, I am disinclined to use the RFA photograph or the "Flight" photograph. Will BruceM please let me know whether he has a suitable family photograph from later on? Otherwise, I will probably opt for one of the school team photographs. Presumably, BruceM is confident in the identity of his grandad, as the pupil circled? And will BruceM please confirm permission for us to add an image to our reference collection, in recognition of all these brave young pilots? Out of interest, will MikeW please advise which photo he intends to use in his naval squadron history? Thank you both very much.

As an aside, I have identified CDM in Edinburgh in both the 1901 and 1911 Scotland census. With uncle (David Thomson) and mother (Josephine H), but no father. School likely to be Edinburgh-based? But I haven't identified the badge on the Rugby jerseys. We also have a different uncle, George D Taylor, in Edinburgh. Has anyone unravelled anything further on the family tree?

I have been looking into the "double Morrison" mystery as well. There is also J S (John Stanton Fleming) Morrison #1108, who is from the "missing" album too - and, by coincidence, was born in April 1892, as was CDM.  However, we already have a "clone" image for him, which appears to be a "head-and-shoulder" crop based on the image posted (above) by MikeW. For completeness, will MikeW please confirm the original source, please?

JSM trained at the Grahame-White School, Hendon, whereas CDM trained at RNAS, Chingford. Therefore, it is tempting to claim that the "Flight" magazine photograph at Chingford has been mis-captioned. However, half the personnel in the group all trained at Hendon, so that explanation doesn't work. And, for me, the Morrison in "Flight" resembles JSM, rather than CDM. I will be interested in others' reactions, and any other evidence, one way or the other. Many of the other naval pilots in this "Flight" photograph are also from the "missing" volume 4, and the "Flight" photograph is probably the only available image that we have for them. In any case, I think I'll avoid using the "Flight" photograph for CDM, in view of the potential uncertainty.

Thank you all for contributing to this thread, and for any further comments.

Andrew 

Hello Andrew

So excited by your post - would you have the aviators certificate at RAF Hendon for my grandfather who was in RNAS 2 Squadron?

May I contact you via the Royal Aero Club email on their website?

Thank you 

Fiona 

16459650460462538923171890012863.jpg

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Fiona

Sadly, no. Later in the War, the military had taken over flight training. All our "tickets" are an ancestry - available at many Public Libraries, if you do not have a subscription. I have checked for you, and no Bambridge, I'm afraid. A good site to check is http://www.airhistory.org.uk/ where there are spreadsheets for RFC/RNAS/RAF personnel in WWI, listing all the documents that have been identified for each person - including Bambridge F E A. Good luck!

And yes, enquiries for the Royal Aero Club Trust can be directed to me via the Royal Aero Club Collection web-site (a good source of available information about our archives) or via the Royal Aero Club web-site itself.

Andrew

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