2nd Lieutenant Frank Percival BROWN, 53 Squadron RFC

[mmatthej1]

My erstwhile landlord, FP Brown, evidentally flew with 53 Sqadron, suffering wounds in 1917 - I am interested in any relevant information, as to his service, locations, circumstances of wounding etc, if anyone has such or can 'point me in the right direction'.

[Tawhiri]

You seem to already have a copy of his casualty form, which is also available online.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/1713

His RAF officer's AIR 76 personnel record is available from the National Archives as a free download following registration.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8196286

He does also have an associated Army officer's personnel record, but this has not been digitized so would require a physical visit to the National Archives.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1131126

Further details of his wounding on 7 June 1917 can be found in the associated incident casualty card.

https://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/7000266321-brown-f.p

His commissioning as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) with the RFC on 5 September 1916.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29748/supplement/8990

Appointment as a flying officer on 19 April 1917.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30060/supplement/4461

Promotion to temporary Lieutenant on 5 March 1918.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30661/supplement/5271

Transferred to the unemployed list on 24 February 1919.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31264/page/4218

Edited to add that it doesn't look like he returned to France after his wounding, and I think the WEE referred to in his AIR 76 record is the Wireless Experimental Establishment at Biggin Hill.

Edited 8 December , 2022 by Tawhiri

[LDT006]

16 hours ago, mmatthej1 said:

circumstances of wounding

Some more information:
7/6/17 badly inj [A3240 RE8] Made vertical nosedive into shellhole at I26C76-62 after being brought down by HA on flash recce. 2Lt FP Brown badly inj/2Lt HE Wells badly inj

Source: http://airhistory.org.uk/rfc/people_index.html

Luc.

[mmatthej1]

Many thanks for the above information !

[mmatthej1]

Oh, one further question; is there any way to identifty which locations / airfields used by 53 Squadron during the War, particularly at the time of wounding & crash?

[mmatthej1]

BTW, this is the Casualty Form for the other flier, H.E. Wells -I am assuming that he was the observer 'attached to 53 Squadron' per this record but I wonder which (Army - ?) unit he came from?

("X/38th IMO RFA" doesn't turn up anything to my searchings.)

[topgun1918]

I think it reads "X/38th TMB RFA" which would be X/38th Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery.

Graeme

 

[mmatthej1]

Thank you - suppose they would have been observing the fall of shot, from artillery/mortar fire - would they have had radio contact, back then, I wonder?

[Tawhiri]

Possibly Henry Edward Wells, born on 27 December 1885. The preview of his AIR 76 personnel record indicates he was wounded on 7 June 1917, and he is the only Wells with the initials H.E. that I can find. Looks like he was deemed unfit to be a pilot in late 1917. Unusually his AIR 76 doesn't link to a corresponding Army officers record, so I wonder if he had post-war service.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8240157

A Henry Edward Wells was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Field Artillery on 2 April 1915.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29120/supplement/3419

There is also a medal index card for a Henry Edward Wells serving with both the Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery, with an initial date of entry into a theatre of war on 8 May 1915 in France, which would seem to fit with a commissioning date the previous month. No mention of service with the RFC though. 

[mmatthej1]

Interesting stuff, thank you !