help please RFC Mottershaw

[arnham123]

Hi all new to this, could anyone please help in tracing details of my Great Grandfather who served in the RFC at the back end of WW1 as a photographer (He went onto run the Sheffield Photo Company). I have a collection of photographs which he took from aircraft and of aircraft/airfields. I believe he served in 6 squadron RFC in France in 1918 and then he was sent to Mesopotania but I think at some point he was changed to RAF personnel, he was demobbed in early 1920.

I have many stories of his exploits but no official records seem to be available to me, no service medal appears to have been issued.

His name was:

Henry (Harry) Mottershaw RFC (aerial photographer)and was born around the turn of the century.

He wrote a very sad tale during the second world war (during the Battle of Britain) for a Rotary club function (I still have the original draft) describing a very good friend who the RAF wouldn't demob at the same time as he, this man died soon afterwards after but not before recieving the DFC his name was PALMER, ROBERT DANIEL CECIL. My grandfather stated that 'DAN' as he preferred to be called flew a single seat aircraft to a 'prison' (in Mesopotania) where a fellow officer was held captive, he landed the plane and rescued the man armed only with a revolver, he then flew back to base with the man holding onto the wing. I am unsure if this was why he received his DFC but I would love to know (he is listed on the CWGC site and he died on 02/08/1920 and he is buried in Bhagdad CWGC cemetary. My grandfather kept a photo of Palmer on his desk until the day he died and my Uncle now has this.

If anyone can give any information on either my Grandfather or his brave friend I will be very grateful.

Regards,

Frances.

[stan]

You should post this over at the aerodrome as well. The more that see it the more likely you are to hit someone who knows.

[Starlight]

Hi Frances,

This is going to be a hard question for anyone to answer as 'Dan' Palmer was killed after the war (hence there is no entry for him in either "The Sky Their Battlefield" or "Airmen Died in the Great War") and your grandfather was not an officer. However I can give you some information that may help a little. I have been researching the operations of Number 6 squadron for a book I am writing and have copies of a lot of the information that I looked at when I visited the PRO at Kew.

Flying Officer Palmer is listed in the official records of Number 6 (the penultimate entry made under the 'P' surname). The only christian name entered for him is 'Dan' and he is listed as joining Number 6 some time in 1918 (month uncertain). In the comments section is the word "killed" with no other details. Unfortunately your grandfather, not being an officer, is not listed anywhere in the squadron's records - or at least the ones I looked at. From the 1901 census I can confirm that he was 1 year old in March 1901.

The only other piece of information that might be of use to you is that Number 6 only flew two seaters after June 1916. The squadron moved to Mesopotamia in mid 1919 (decision made to move the squadron was made in April but it took until 23rd July before the first sortie was flown). The aircraft taken to the new theatre of war was the RE8, though in early 1919 a few Bristol fighters were flown on the Western Front for a while by the squadron. Both aircraft were two seaters.

That's about all I can tell you, though I can provide more details as to the operational movements of Number 6 in 1918/19 if you would like them.

Regards

Steve

[arnham123]

Hi Steve , Thank you for your response I have been doing a little digging and I have found various records at the Public Records Office,which state the below :-

1/ 19/7/17 Harry (henry) Mottershaw was commisioned as an officer cadet by 2nd Lieutenant A McDowall (interviewing officer) into RFC reg no 223366/1

2/ Harry was told to report to South Farnborough forthwith then to looks like, (HO1 OCLO ) St Leonards dated 24/8/17. Then to Denham on the 25/8/17.

3/ Harry receives a temporary as a 2nd Lieutenant Observor Officer RAF on the 4/5/18 ( to be posted in London Gazette 25/6/18 - cannot find this )

It would appear he initially to be a Pilot but was turned down on medical grounds , I am sure it may well have helped his commision as he was already a photographer in his Father's Sheffield business.

If you could please supply me with any information that you may feel to be relevant and also the movements of six squadron , which I believe he joined , it would be much appreciated.

Please see attachments from record office

regards

Frances

[arnham123]

Hi further to the above his service number was 91001

[Starlight]

Hi Frances,

Number 6 squadron was based at Abeele from April 1915 to November 1917, supporting the army in the fighting around Ypres as well as being involved in more distant bombing missions. It moved to Bertangles in November 1917, ostensibly to support the cavalry in the Battle of Cambrai. For various reasons the cavalry was unable to be used as it was intended and Number 6 was not called to take part. The decison was then made to make the squadron an 'instructional' squadron, showing selected army officers what army cooperation was all about. the observers were not required and were sent away to other squadrons or retrained as pilots and posted to other squadrons. this went on until March 1918 (just before your grandfather was posted to Number 6 as an observer) when the squadron was put on the reserve list. Without observers it could not achieve a lot, so observers were sought, the first operational flight of six aircraft being called 'K' flight and moved away from the other two flights to support the cavalry in the battle of the Lys. The next few months were very complicated with many moves as the squadron followed the cavalry around the battlefront. The three flights were eventually reunited when there were finally enough observers to bring the RE8s up to full operational capability. This was in July 1918, when Major G C Pirie took over command from Major A W H James. The duties of the squadron, apart from contact patrol for the cavalry, included artillery support, bombing, ground strafing, reconnaisance and photography. The last aerodrome of the war was at Gondicourt in Belgium, though the squadron moved three more times in Europe before being sent to Mesopotamia (see earlier response). Squadron Leader E A B Rice took over command of the squadron on the 28th May 1920.

That's about all I can put here. If you would like full details of what the squadron did and where it was based between 1918 and 1920 I can email you copies of the relevant pages of the official Number 6 history - just email me at steve.johnson2@bigpond.com

Regards

Steve

[Guest edgroves]

Frances,

I have sent you an email as well. Robert Cecil Daniel Palmer was my Stepfather's uncle and I am also currently trying to do some research into his background. We have his DFC, but sadly no citation - hence this research.

This is what we know so far:

He originally joined the Royal Flying Corps before being transferred to the RAF in April 1918 and subsequently being posted to Mesopotamia with 6 Squadron. His DFC is first listed in July 1920 before him dying in August of the same year.

My Stepfather and I would be very grateful for any further information you might possibly have on him. We were both unaware of his daring raid on the prison and have read with great interest. If there is anything else that you have found out please get in touch.

My email address is: egroves@evolutionrecruit.com.

Many thanks,

Edward