John Scott WILLIAMS CEF & RFC

[Jacob]

Does anyone have any info on John Scott WILLIAMS of Nova Scotia, Canada? He joined the CEF & in 1916 joined the Royal Flying Corps. He received the Military Cross for something. That is about all I know. Who where his parents? Who did he originally enlist with? Thanks.

Bill White

[Dolphin]

Bill

2Lt J S Williams was an observer in No 22 Sqn RFC, flying FE 2bs, when he was awarded the MC. The citation in the Gazette of 14 November 1916, read:

For conspicuous skill and gallantry when attacking enemy machines. On one occasion, with another officer as pilot, he brought down two enemy machines.

The 'occasion' mentioned in the citation may have been 22 September 1916, when 2Lt Williams was credited with shooting down a Fokker Eindekker.

I note that S F Wise's Canadian Airmen and the First World War indicates that Williams transferred to the RFC from the Canadian Army Service Corps, and that he flew as a probationary observer on 15 September 1916, when he dropped four bombs on Le Sars and shot at troops on the ground between Le Sars and East Thiepval. Later the book states that he was from Vancouver - could he have been serving in a unit with Vancouver origins?

J S Williams ended the War as a Captain, acting Major, in the RAF.

The foregoing probably isn't much help to you, but perhaps it's better than nothing.

Regards

Gareth

[Jacob]

Hi Gareth. Thanks for the info on John S. WILLIAMS. It's a start. The National Archives of Canada site is down until Sunday the 10th so I can't look at his attestation paper until then.

Bill

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Have you seen lot ebay to an airman who was in the originally in the CEF and then in the RFC. Calvert

He has both RAF and CEF papers, so Major JS Williams should have an British army officers file (WO 339 or WO 374) and an RAF officers file (AIR 76) as well as his Canadian papers.