Lt. Alexander Webster, RAF killed in a flying accident 24 January 1919: Questions about Air76 and Air79 records.

[rolt968]

Lt. Alexander Webster, RAF (previously RFC) was killed in a flying accident at Cologne on 24 January 1919. His RAF Officer's Record has survived (AIR76). Surprisingly there is also a page in AIR76 (RAF Airmen's Records). There is also an Army (RFC) record at TNA which I probably won't get at until next year.

This is part of the AIR79. You'll see that it is written on a casualty form. There is a note below this whic explains that he had been discharged in order to be commissioned.

• Does the entry in the brackets after "Occupation" mean that he had some skill as an aviator when he enlisted?

 

These pages come from his AIR76. Can anyone help me with some of the abbreviations, please?

 

• I am guessing that 2 OCW or 2 OCCW is an officer cadet unit, but which?

 

• I cannot make anything of s.m.a.

 

• Does F.O. mean Flying Officer? An appointment not a rank. He had previously been a General List officer in the RFC.

 

• Is 4 ASA Gun[n] a gunnery school?

 

• What does EF in front of 70 Sqn mean?

 

Many thanks

RM

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 October , 2022 by rolt968

[pierssc]

SMA = School of Military Aeronautics

FO= Flying Officer.  As you say, not a rank, means got flying pay.

EF = Expeditionary Force

 

[pierssc]

Have you seen his casualty form?  There's a little extra detail re leave etc, and that he went to 1ASD in France on 15th May before being posted to 70Sq on the 18th.  I can't remember exactly what ASD stood for - No.1 Aircraft Supply depot possibly - but I'm sure it has been mentioned here many times before.  Somewhere you went before being sent where you were needed.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/25179

Do click on "Related form" as there is stuff written on the back.

 

[rolt968]

1 hour ago, pierssc said:

Have you seen his casualty form?  There's a little extra detail re leave etc, and that he went to 1ASD in France on 15th May before being posted to 70Sq on the 18th.  I can't remember exactly what ASD stood for - No.1 Aircraft Supply depot possibly - but I'm sure it has been mentioned here many times before.  Somewhere you went before being sent where you were needed.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/25179

Do click on "Related form" as there is stuff written on the back.

 

Thank you for those. I had found two different cards at the RAF Museum site:

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/webster-a.-alexander

1 hour ago, pierssc said:

SMA = School of Military Aeronautics

FO= Flying Officer.  As you say, not a rank, means got flying pay.

EF = Expeditionary Force

 

Thank for those! (I really should have got EF!)

[pierssc]

14 hours ago, rolt968 said:

Thank you for those. I had found two different cards at the RAF Museum site:

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/webster-a.-alexander

A different sort of casualty - the ones I linked to being more in the nature of overseas movement records than what one would understand by the term in normal speech.  They can be very useful for adding little bits of detail and clarifying AIR 76 records, I find, which aren't always as comprehensive as they might be.

[rolt968]

Can anyone make anything of 2 O C W (or 2 O CC W? 2 Officer Cadet Wing perhaps?

[pierssc]

5 hours ago, rolt968 said:

Can anyone make anything of 2 O C W (or 2 O CC W? 2 Officer Cadet Wing perhaps?

Oddly I can't find any likely set of initials for 2 OCW or OCCW in Sturtivant.  I must be missing something.  Your guess sounds good but hopefully someone can confirm.  I'm sure I've seen other references. Seems right that he should have gone to learn to be an officer before starting the theoretical flight course at SMA.

1 ASD is 1 AEROPLANE Supply Depot.  From 10.4.18 at Marquise, pilots pool at Setques.

4 ASA Gunn has to be No.4 (Auxiliary) School of Aerial Gunnery, based at Marske since 1917.  Sturtivant has it as being disbanded into No.2 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery on 6.5.18 which doesn't quite tie up with the record here. 2 SAF&G also incorporated  2 SAF at Driffield.  Since the references are to 4 ASAG presumably they meant the Marske site.

Still can't work out the reference to Mis Aviator in the other form