Rodney Lock 2/Lt 5th Dragoon Guards and RAF

[Jo K]

My great uncle's service records have recently appeared after years of wondering whether he ever joined up during WW1.  I know he was at school for most of it.  I am a little confused that at the top, it says 5th Dragoon Guards and towards the end of the record, says 61 Squadron returned to regimental duty.

Could he have joined the army and then transferred over to the RAF and back to the army again, or was he seconded for something? I have only just started looking, but so far, have found little information on either the 5th Dragoon Guards or 61 Squadron at the time of this record. 

I can't find a medal roll card- but maybe he had such a short service that he didn't get one. 

I don't understand what is written on the form for the most part and would be grateful for any help in understanding what is on it.

 

Many thanks

 

[kenf48]

3 hours ago, Jo K said:

I am a little confused that at the top, it says 5th Dragoon Guards and towards the end of the record, says 61 Squadron returned to regimental duty.

Welcome to the GWF I have changed the title of the thread to attract the RAF chums.

2/Lt Lock was commissioned into the 5th Dragoon Guards on 6th April 1918.   

see the London Gazette .https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30653/supplement/5052

His cavalry service record is at the TNA. It has not been digitised.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1153907

Posted above is his brief service record recording his attachment to the RAF

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8285301

This record shows he joined the RAF on the 28th August 1918. I'm not familiar with all the abbreviations which refer to various training establishments. After preliminary instruction he was posted to a Training Squadron and eventually received flying pay indicating he had qualified and was posted to 61 Squadron.  He was returned to Regimental duty and struck off the strength of the RAF on 2 October 1919. No reason given though I suspect he was surplus to post war requirements.

He enlisted in the Dragoon Guards from an OCU.  He was a student at Marlborough until 1917. I would guess he was in the Officer Cadet Unit there.  He did not, apparently, serve in a theatre of war in the qualifying period for any war medals.

 

 

[barney5042]

Lock did not serve with the 5th Dragoon Guards in France & Flanders.  The 5DG regimental history has an appendix listing all regular army officers who served with the regiment.  Lock is not listed.

Lock does appear in the regimental history's Army List in the Special Reserve:

 

Edited 19 March by barney5042

[barney5042]

Here's his resignation from the 5th Dragoon Guards:

Page 9439 | Supplement 32060, 21 September 1920 | London Gazette | The Gazette

 

[Jo K]

kenf48 and barney5042 thank you so much for the help.

I couldn't find the entry in the Gazette because I was looking around the date at the bottom of the form - 28/8/18, so thank you for the link.  I had no idea his resignation would be in there too, so that is an added bonus. It is highly likely that he was in the cadets at Marlborough.  I have the certificate belonging to his brother who was also there until he enlisted in 1914.  I am not sure if there is anything new on the National Archives.  When I look at the form which is heavily watermarked, it looks suspiciously like the form I linked.  Rodney's life has always been a bit of a mystery, so at least there is another little piece of the jigsaw.  I fully expected him to join the Wilts regiment like his brother, but maybe he either had little choice or wanted to be part of something different - albeit for a short time.

 

Once again, thank you both.