Bristol Scout at Netheravon

[Clint]

Hello,

There is a photo of a Bristol Scout taken at Netheravon at:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115149152557?hash=item1acf6ca12d:g:6oUAAOSweyxhv2In

The serial numbers of this aircraft appear to end in 094,but this doesn't seem to fit with any known Bristol Scout serial. Has anyone any explanation for this unusual serial,other than the need for a trip to the opticians on my part?

Regards,

Clint

[hornetsfan]

Hello Clint , 

  I was curious as to why this particular listing had so many views . There are many more photos from the album to be listed . Including a couple more of this plane ,  a nice front on view Sadly , no more showing the serial number .

The original owner is not identified by name . He captioned the album well , there are plenty where others are named . 1915 was at Castle Bromich , 1916 Netheravon , Farnborough . At some point in 1916, he is serving with 10 Squadron B.E.F at Chocques , 1917 at Narborough and spends time in 1917 at Hillington Hall RFC Auxiliary hospital the moment  at which the second album ends .

Can anyone  identify the chap below , the original owner of the album.

Many thanks 

Jim

 

[quemerford]

I think it's 7034, but either a speck on the photo or something on the wing is distorting the '3'. Similar s/n representations are seen on other Scouts in the "70xx" range.

[Clint]

Hello,

Thank you both for your replies.

I agree Jim, you do have some other nice photos of aircraft based at Netheravon and Narborough. I also look forward to seeing other photos from this source.

Quemerford. Could I ask is 7034 already known to have been based at Netheravon?

Regards,

Clint

 

[quemerford]

7034 recorded at X AP, but it could have been visiting rather than resident in any case.

[hmsk212]

There was a Bristol Scout numbered 4694 but I am not sure where it was originally based as I believe it finally ended up with 14 Squadron in Egypt.

Steve

[hornetsfan]

2 more photos of album owner . 

[FROGSMILE]

On 21/12/2021 at 09:32, hornetsfan said:

2 more photos of album owner . 

If his collar badge can be identified (it may well not be RFC) that may help to narrow down his identity via Army Lists for the years concerned.  A powerful magnifier (linen tester) over the original photo will often facilitate this.

Edited 4 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[pierssc]

If he was with 10 Squadron at Chocques, then we ought to ask @ICM - RAF Retd

[ICM - RAF Retd]

Well, I wish I could help but I've no photos that might help identify the chap.  (And I find the handwriting very difficult to decipher.  Is that 10 Sqn group at Wyton?  If so, I can't think why offhand.)  

[pierssc]

4 hours ago, ICM - RAF Retd said:

Well, I wish I could help but I've no photos that might help identify the chap.  (And I find the handwriting very difficult to decipher.  Is that 10 Sqn group at Wyton?  If so, I can't think why offhand.)  

I wondered if you might know any names of pilots from the right period that could give us a lead in?  Since there is some info as to other units /places where he served, we might be able to identify him (or get pretty close) from airhistory without having to go through the spreadsheets for each letter of the alphabet looking for every reference to 10 Sq, which would be quite a chunky task.  Having hopefully whittled it down to a few possibilities we just might find something like a RAeC certificate photo.  

i agree, the writing's pretty hard work.

 

[ICM - RAF Retd]

OK - let's try this, assuming that the period with 10 Sqn began later in 1916, to allow for previous time at Netheravon and Farnborough that year (see post 2, above).

If the chap at far right in the group has an Observer flying badge, as I fancy he does, he might be 2Lt H M Parsons, with 2Lt J W James (pilot) on his right.  The handwriting could support both surnames, and they were flying together around July 1916.  I'm still at a loss over the other two (Self and a short name starting with S?), I'm afraid.

 

Edit to add: Might the chap on the left be a Lt M M Sisley, a pilot?  Could fit the handwriting?

Edited 5 January , 2022 by ICM - RAF Retd

[topgun1918]

I'm hazarding a guess that the fourth man is Max Millard Sisley who was with the squadron between July and October 1916; his is the only short name beginning with 'S' that I can identify for the approximate timeframe - Parsons was certainly with the squadron between March and July 1916 and James was there between May and July.  

Graeme

 

[pierssc]

I think I've found our mysterious album owner.

 

May I introduce - Captain Ernest Claude Winkley?  Born 2nd November 1896

11th Battalion East Surrey Regiment and RFC.

Picked him up via a my second or third trawl through the RAeC "Ticket" photos for the right sort of period - looks different but something about the eyes.... stick with me, it was taken possibly a year before the others and before he went to the front

 

Photo courtesy Ancestry

 

From his AIR 76 file [my notes in square brackets and coincidences with album owner's movements in bold, locations of units per Sturtivant "RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912"]:

[Commissioned Temp 2/Lt 20th May 1915 Infantry per London Gazette]

2nd Brigade, Castle Bromwich 10.11.15

From 5 Reserve Squadron to 7 Reserve Squadron 17.1.16 [5 at Castle Bromwich; 7 at Netheravon]

From 7 RS to 48 Squadron on appointment as Flying Officer 11.4.16 [both Netheravon]

From 48 Squadron to Expeditionary Force 10 Squadron 20.4.16

[Leave 9.10.16 - 19.10.16 per Casualty Form]

Flight Commander 14.12.16 [and Temp Capt - London Gazette]

[Leave 24.1.17 - 7.2.17 per Casualty Form]

To Home establishment 7 [or 10] .2.17

50 Reserve Squadron [Narborough]

From 50 RS to 65 Training Squadron July 1917 [Sedgeford]

From 65 TS to 21 Squadron Expeditionary Force 27.7.17

21 Squadron to Home Establishment 15.8.17 "to report St Leonards"

[Continues]

Medical notes state became unfit 17.8.17 - grounded

Various medical boards into 1918

[As beyond scope of Album, haven't looked further.]

***

Appears in Tatler in group of Convalescent Officers at Hillingdon Hall  published October 24 1917

Tatler BL_0001852_19171024_025_0024.pdf

Thanks to British Newspaper Archive

Lengthy Thread on GWF at

The OP of that thread's own photo, which is slightly different to the Tatler one, has a better image of him as he is wearing his hat and looks more like the album photos. 

I suggest that the Wyton photo was taken either during his leave in October 1916 or January 1917 depending on whethr those are two or three pips on his sleeve - he may be visiting ex-10 Sq chums who had returned to HE.  I haven't researched the other people's movements to narrow it down further.

Reading between the lines, his second posting to the front may have been too much for him resulting in his stay at Hillingdon Hall.  After that he may have lost interest in keeping up the album as his next posting seems to have been to a desk job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 6 January , 2022 by pierssc

[Madmeg]

where is the original album? I'd be interested in further shots of Hillington Hall- the throughtheireyes link above is coming through as not responding.

 

[ICM - RAF Retd]

Piers:  Well done.  I'd begun to look at Captains on the Squadron earlier in 1916 for 'Self' when Winkley was still 2Lt (Gethin, Harvey, Rodwell) and had not reached year's end.