Simon Warren Posted 17 August , 2023 Share Posted 17 August , 2023 Hi Guys I am looking for information on Francis William Gater from Enfield . Born 1883 I can see that he was in RFC . But I am struggling to find out what he did . I know he signed up in 1915. Thanks so much Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankengine888 Posted 17 August , 2023 Share Posted 17 August , 2023 Hello Simon! Francis William Gater, S/N 7342 Born January 1883 in Edmonton, Middlesex Enlisted July 24th, 1915 as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class Appointed Air Mechanic 1st Class on February 1st, 1916 Served with 29 Squadron Served in France from March 7th 1916 to February 19th 1919 To be discharged on April 30th, 1920 Died February 14th 1963 in Sunbury, Middlesex. That should get the cogs moving. Zidane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Warren Posted 17 August , 2023 Author Share Posted 17 August , 2023 Hi Zidane Brilliant . Thank you Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 7 minutes ago, ROBPUGH said: That looks like a fascinating file. Presume it's from the UKNA? Any chance you can share the file reference in case I can take a peek next time I'm in Blighty? Interested to see if one of my relatives, James Gamble (3594) might appear in it. Many thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Warren Posted 18 August , 2023 Author Share Posted 18 August , 2023 Brilliant . Thank you Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 7 minutes ago, Simon Warren said: Brilliant . Thank you Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 17 minutes ago, Buffnut453 said: That looks like a fascinating file. Presume it's from the UKNA? Any chance you can share the file reference in case I can take a peek next time I'm in Blighty? Interested to see if one of my relatives, James Gamble (3594) might appear in it. Many thanks, Mark Hi Mark, Yes, from the National Archives in the UK. This is the file reference for my first image post: - AIR1/2172/209/13/2 Administrative Wing Routine Orders July - 14 Aug 1915 This is the file reference for my second image post: - AIR1/1/2173/209/13/3 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 16 Aug - 30 Oct 1915. Other Admin Wing Daily Routine Orders are: - AIR1/2172/209/13/1 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 10 May - 30 Jun 1915. AIR1/2173/209/13/4 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 1 Nov - 25 Dec 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 17 minutes ago, ROBPUGH said: Hi Mark, Yes, from the National Archives in the UK. This is the file reference for my first image post: - AIR1/2172/209/13/2 Administrative Wing Routine Orders July - 14 Aug 1915 This is the file reference for my second image post: - AIR1/1/2173/209/13/3 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 16 Aug - 30 Oct 1915. Other Admin Wing Daily Routine Orders are: - AIR1/2172/209/13/1 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 10 May - 30 Jun 1915. AIR1/2173/209/13/4 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 1 Nov - 25 Dec 1915. Many thanks Rob. Appreciate the detailed answer. Sadly, the files don't cover James Gamble's enlistment date which was in Feb 1915. Kind regards, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 18 August , 2023 Share Posted 18 August , 2023 3 hours ago, Buffnut453 said: Many thanks Rob. Appreciate the detailed answer. Sadly, the files don't cover James Gamble's enlistment date which was in Feb 1915. Kind regards, Mark Hi Mark, I have found the following information in AIR1/2172/209/13/1 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 10 May - 30 Jun 1915. It shows he was with 2nd Aircraft Park when he was Promoted / Appointed a 1st Class Air Mechanic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 19 August , 2023 Share Posted 19 August , 2023 8 hours ago, ROBPUGH said: Hi Mark, I have found the following information in AIR1/2172/209/13/1 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 10 May - 30 Jun 1915. It shows he was with 2nd Aircraft Park when he was Promoted / Appointed a 1st Class Air Mechanic. was Wow! Many thanks Rob. I knew Jim was based at Farnborough but, even in 1915, that was a major facility that collocated multiple RFC organizations. Knowing that he was at the 2nd Aircraft Park is information I'd never had before. It also helps solve a mystery that had been bugging me. I have the following postcard that shows Jim, seated in the middle of the row behind the driver. There never was an Aircraft Park at Arborfield Cross...but, clearly, the image shows some of his Aircraft Park colleagues. Again, many, MANY thanks for the additional insights into Jim's wartime service. Also, apologies to other contributors to this thread for the drift I created. Hope you'll all forgive me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 August , 2023 Share Posted 19 August , 2023 1 hour ago, Buffnut453 said: There never was an Aircraft Park at Arborfield Cross No, but just down the road there was Coley Park about a 1 ½ miles away on the outskirts of Reading, which housed the No.1 School of Military Aeronautics and the No.1 Technical Training School., apart from flying they taught map reading, gunnery and mechanics. It was operational from 1915 to 1920. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 19 August , 2023 Share Posted 19 August , 2023 20 minutes ago, Knotty said: No, but just down the road there was Coley Park about a 1 ½ miles away on the outskirts of Reading, which housed the No.1 School of Military Aeronautics and the No.1 Technical Training School., apart from flying they taught map reading, gunnery and mechanics. It was operational from 1915 to 1920. Hi Knotty, Jim eventually was posted to No.1 School of Military Aeronautics in late-1917, by which time he'd been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. In the above photo, he appears still to be an airman. Also, the addition of "AP RFC" text at the bottom of the image makes me thing "Aircraft Park." Granted, Arborfield Cross is quite a distance from Farnborough and I have no explanation for why Jim and his team were there...unless they were out collecting a crashed airframe. Kind regards, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 19 August , 2023 Share Posted 19 August , 2023 (edited) 20 hours ago, Simon Warren said: Brilliant . Thank you Simon Hi Simon, I have found the following in my records. The name is misspelt (happens a lot in these records), but it is definitely your man. NA Ref = AIR1/1/2173/209/13/3 Administrative Wing Routine Orders 16 Aug - 30 Oct 1915. Edited 19 August , 2023 by ROBPUGH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Warren Posted 19 August , 2023 Author Share Posted 19 August , 2023 Thank you so much Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBPUGH Posted 19 August , 2023 Share Posted 19 August , 2023 7 hours ago, Buffnut453 said: Wow! Many thanks Rob. I knew Jim was based at Farnborough but, even in 1915, that was a major facility that collocated multiple RFC organizations. Knowing that he was at the 2nd Aircraft Park is information I'd never had before. It also helps solve a mystery that had been bugging me. I have the following postcard that shows Jim, seated in the middle of the row behind the driver. There never was an Aircraft Park at Arborfield Cross...but, clearly, the image shows some of his Aircraft Park colleagues. Again, many, MANY thanks for the additional insights into Jim's wartime service. Also, apologies to other contributors to this thread for the drift I created. Hope you'll all forgive me! Happy to help Mark. Great photo. Interesting that the Sergeant is holding a child. It does appear they were just passing through the village, but the circumstances that lead to the photo being taken will probably remain a mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffnut453 Posted 20 August , 2023 Share Posted 20 August , 2023 On 19/08/2023 at 04:36, ROBPUGH said: Happy to help Mark. Great photo. Interesting that the Sergeant is holding a child. It does appear they were just passing through the village, but the circumstances that lead to the photo being taken will probably remain a mystery. Entirely agree. Can't help wondering if the Sergeant was from the village and just "popped in" to see his nipper. Interestingly, the pub visible in the background, the Bull Inn, was still a going concern last time I checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 21 August , 2023 Share Posted 21 August , 2023 Lots of modern photos here A lot of new housing in the locality, and a bypass opened recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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