Help Interpreting a 1918 RAF Flying Cadet Service Record Plse

[lambo220]

Hi

I've been researching this individual from the perspective of his time in the RFA, but he transferred to the RFC as a Motor Cyclist in 1917 whilst he was in Egypt, then on to RAF and ultimately trained as a pilot.

Could anyone please help me interpret this Flying Cadet record?

My attempt so far

- 23/7/18 - Transferred to 58 Training School (Egypt) to await transport home.  

- 29/7/18 - Began journey home (which I'd assume would be about 10 days (5 to cross the Med and another 5 to get back to the UK))

- On arriving home was given special leave and told to report to the Air Ministry? on 7 September.  Is there a reason why this would be - or simply that he hadnt had home leave since he left the UK in 21 Nov 1915.

9/9/18 - Transferred to 21 Training Squadron

25/9/18 - Transferred to 1 Flight Group? - this seems a very short period of time to train

There is another record of him getting his aero license at the end of the year.

Many thanks

 

 

[quemerford]

58 Training Sqn to RAF Base Depot 23Jul18; struck off strength Training Brigade to await embarkation

Egypt to 1 School of Aeronautics 07Sep18 (12Aug18 struck through) - leave til 07Sep18

1 School of Aeronautics to Air Ministry Room (429?) 07Sep18

Air Ministry to 21 Training Depot Station 09Sep18

21 Training Depot Station to (1 Flight Gp?) 25Sep18

 

The '1 Flight Gp' doesn't ring any bells. I think the Air Ministry reporting was related to proceeding overseas/returning from overseas.

 

The second card just says from Base Depot to port of embarkation 29Jul18 for Home Establishment.

[lambo220]

12 minutes ago, quemerford said:

58 Training Sqn to RAF Base Depot 23Jul18; struck off strength Training Brigade to await embarkation

Egypt to 1 School of Aeronautics 07Sep18 (12Aug18 struck through) - leave til 07Sep18

1 School of Aeronautics to Air Ministry Room (429?) 07Sep18

Air Ministry to 21 Training Depot Station 09Sep18

21 Training Depot Station to (1 Flight Gp?) 25Sep18

 

The '1 Flight Gp' doesn't ring any bells. I think the Air Ministry reporting was related to proceeding overseas/returning from overseas.

 

The second card just says from Base Depot to port of embarkation 29Jul18 for Home Establishment.

Thanks, thats really helpful.  Couple more quick questions

- is it reasonable to assume his flight training started with these sheets, or could he have been flying before hand with 58TS?  His other RFC record from 1917 only makes ref to 20S (which I presume was 20 Squadron) and gives no date of transfer to 58TS (it does mention though that he passed his flying medical @ Heliopolis on 9/2/18).

- Is there a link between Royal Aero Club records and Military flying?  According to the RAC, he qualified as a pilot on an Avro biplane at Driffield on 31 Dec 18 - rank given as Flight Cadet.  Is it fair to assume that this civilian qualification coincides with him getting his military wings?

- Finally, do you have any idea how long the training was for an RFC pilot in the last months of the war.

Thanks again

 

[quemerford]

None of this really makes sense as a line of conventional flight training. You'd expect to see a School of Military Aviation/School of Aeronautics posting lasting 2 months or so (the 1 SofA posting just seems to be a holding unit while he was on disembarkation leave so that's not it) and I did think that the 20 Sqn and 58 TS references referred to postings as a motorcyclist.

 

However from what I can see, it would appear that he attended a School of Aeronautics prior to 58 TS; did his preliminary flight training there and then passed his Higher tuition on a service type with 21 TDS and/or "1 Flight Gp". The RAeC 'ticket' was often taken around the end of flight training but I can't remember of that corresponded to 'basic' or 'Higher' training completion.

 

So I think there must be another (possibly missing) record card of his airman service. Also there may be a WO 339 file for him at Kew, which often has useful info not available elsewhere.

[lambo220]

Thank you, thats brilliant.  Happy New Year

[mickdavis]

Flight Group was a sub-division within a Training Depot Station and I'd suggest that he was posted to Eastburn/Driffield on 9 September then allotted to it's 1 Flt Group for training on Avros. In theory, he would then have progressed to 2 Flt Group for intermediate training on Pups before finally graduating on SE5as.