Help researching my Grandfather

[Guest paulcook]

Hi,

I'm beginning to research my Grandfather (Victor John Cook)'s time in the Royal Flying Corps, but have little more than a panoramic photograph captioned "No 6 (Renfrew) Aircraft Acceptance Park, Renfrew, Nov 1918".

Family lore says that he was once a 'Fitter' to Albert Ball, and I understand that he also spent some time in France. He was ultimately invalided out of the RFC following an aircraft crash in which he received some serious head injuries, and suffered from sinus infections for the rest of his life.

There is only one Victor J Cook listed in the medal roll available on the www.pro.gov.uk website, but that has the regiment as 4th London. Is it possible that this was the TA regiment that he would have been obliged to sign up with following his discharge from the RFC?

Any pointers or information relating to any of the above would be very gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Paul Cook

[welshdoc]

It was more likely that he was in the regiment before joining the RFC as this expanded considerably in the war years. Whether the one you found is he or not is however open to question as it seems probable that it would have been included in the MIC. Gareth

[welshdoc]

Hi Paul had a quick look thru NA online as you said no sign. If I remember correctly and Im sure I will be corrected any minute , that RFC are not included on the NA as its soldiers unless they were in an army regiment/corps as well. Same goes for navy and RNAS. I dont think you can at present research RFC/RAF online at present. Gareth

[steve fuller]

, that RFC are not included on the NA as its soldiers unless they were in an army regiment/corps as well.

Thats about the length of it mate, especially if he was transferred into the RAF April 1918. just had excactly that with a guy Im looking at now.

Afraid an NA trip is on the cards Paul, assuming you can get there mate.

The Index under AIR78 gives the service numbers & AIR79 holds the records, in service number order, not alphabetically. If you cant get there bud, ask the forum if anyones going & failing that itll mean hiring a researcher im afraid, but theres enough on the forum!!

Im there mid Jan, so if all else fails, give me a shout as I gotta go into the AIR79 again anyway.

[APW]

I dont think you can at present research RFC/RAF online at present. Gareth

When you search the MIC you need to enter in full "Royal Flying Corps" in the box marked Corps. There are certainly entries there that apply to individuals who are only listed as RFC. However, I have had no luck in finding a suitable Cook candidate. That said, I am having the same difficulty in finding someone else I am researching, despite finding their RAC certificate entry (in 1915), I can't locate them in the MIC list.

Patrick

[ian turner]

Paul,

Presumably you do not have his medals? (Would have his service number around the rim). Maybe someone in the family has them?

Ian

[Guest doc b]

Hi,

I'm beginning to research my Grandfather (Victor John Cook)'s time in the Royal Flying Corps, but have little more than a panoramic photograph captioned "No 6 (Renfrew) Aircraft Acceptance Park, Renfrew, Nov 1918".

Family lore says that he was once a 'Fitter' to Albert Ball, and I understand that he also spent some time in France. He was ultimately invalided out of the RFC following an aircraft crash in which he received some serious head injuries, and suffered from sinus infections for the rest of his life.

There is only one Victor J Cook listed in the medal roll available on the www.pro.gov.uk website, but that has the regiment as 4th London. Is it possible that this was the TA regiment that he would have been obliged to sign up with following his discharge from the RFC?

Any pointers or information relating to any of the above would be very gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Paul Cook

Hello, Paul.

I was interested to read your request for information. My grandfather was in the RFC and based at Lympne AAP (8) during some at least of 1917. He lived in Paisley before then and worked at Beardsmore's factory in (I think) Inchinnan as a machinist. I am therefore wondering whether he was first attached to Renfrew AAP then sent to Lympne, possibly not directly as he was a Sergeant Pilot at Lympne. Certainly he was at Montrose at some point (for training?).

At some point he crashed into the North Sea (though that might be geographically inaccurate; may have been the channel). I can find no record of this event (which he survived but was taken off flying duties and thereafter suffered from "sinus problems" and Reynaud's disease). I know his service number but his records were missing when I went to Kew. Even thast took me 3 years and a bit of luck to find as he is not in the Medal Index (presumably because he did not enter a theatre of war).

Can anyone tell me whether AAP (Aircraft Acceptance Park) is technically a man's unit? Is there some smaller unit (squadron?) to which AAP personnel would have been assigned?

Alan