wyndham Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 My father initially joined the RNAS as a boy mechanic. On 1 April 1918 he was transferred as an Air Mechanic (WT) to the RAF. At the time he was stationed at Great Yarmouth. On 30 May 1918 he was flying in F2A No. 8660 on long reconnaissance patrol to the Borkhum area and it was forced to land on the sea due to engine trouble. In addition to my father the crew of his plane were Capt T V Young DSC, Ensign G T Roe USNFC, Cpl? Grant 211338 and W S Chase 213914 G/L. His plane was accompanied by another F2A No. 4295 flown by Capt Fitzrandolph. My father was captured and taken via Wilhelmshaven to a POW camp at Dulmen in Germany. I have the following questions:- 1. What squadron was my father with. 2. Are there any pictures or plans of the base at Great Yarmouth which I understand closed at the end of the war. 3. What type of plane is an F2A. 4. What is known of Capt York and particularly for what was he awarded a DSC. 5. Is anything known of Capt Fitzrandolph. 6. Where in Germany was the Dulmen POW camp. 7. On repatriation from Germany on 6 June 1919 my father was posted to Halton and then to 1(T)W School at Crystal Palace. What is known of this establishment and whereabouts in Crystal Palace was it. I realise I am asking many questions but I am hoping that there are some within this Forum who will probably know most of the answers. Thanking you in anticipation. WYNDHAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 Good morning, there is a very good book called "Story of a north Sea Air Station" concerning the air station at great yarmouth during the great war , incidentially believe a search with a metal detector at the beach at Great Yarmouth{near the old power station} will reveal the rails that were used to launch the aircraft about 4/5 years ago there was a photo album on e-bay concerning this air station, i should have bid more!!. best regards john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 this actual incident is described in 4 pages in this book with a report from the german side regards john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted 24 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 June , 2007 Good morning, there is a very good book called "Story of a north Sea Air Station" concerning the air station at great yarmouth during the great war , incidentially believe a search with a metal detector at the beach at Great Yarmouth{near the old power station} will reveal the rails that were used to launch the aircraft about 4/5 years ago there was a photo album on e-bay concerning this air station, i should have bid more!!. best regards john Hello John, Thank you for your very prompt reply. Are you able to let me have the author's name, publisher and date of publication. I don't suppose there is an ISBN? Yours, Wyndham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 According to "RN Aircraft Serials and Units" by Sturtivant and Page, Ser.8660 was one of 50 Curtiss H.8 'Large America' (Improved Type) Tractor Biplane Flying Boats ordered by the Admiralty in May 1916 from Curtiss, Toronto. The aircraft had an active war flying from Felixstowe and Yarmouth. It was wrecked and deleted in November 1917 but was subsequently fitted with the F2A hull (a British flying boat of similar size and design) and returned to service. In May 1918 it is noted as belonging to "324/6 flights" (large flying boat flights). On 30 May 1918 it notes that the aircraft was "attacked by enemy seaplanes when boat alighted due to engine trouble.(Capt CT Young, Ens JT Roe USN, Pte JM Money, Pte WF Chase all killed & Cpl F Grant POW.)" Crystal Palace depot was in the original Great Exhibition Crystal Palace which had been re-built at Sydenham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 "bookfinder.com" has a couple of 1967 copies at £40/45.00, the original 1928 copy is £120.00+, a book well worth having! best regards john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted 24 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 June , 2007 According to "RN Aircraft Serials and Units" by Sturtivant and Page, Ser.8660 was one of 50 Curtiss H.8 'Large America' (Improved Type) Tractor Biplane Flying Boats ordered by the Admiralty in May 1916 from Curtiss, Toronto. The aircraft had an active war flying from Felixstowe and Yarmouth. It was wrecked and deleted in November 1917 but was subsequently fitted with the F2A hull (a British flying boat of similar size and design) and returned to service. In May 1918 it is noted as belonging to "324/6 flights" (large flying boat flights). On 30 May 1918 it notes that the aircraft was "attacked by enemy seaplanes when boat alighted due to engine trouble.(Capt CT Young, Ens JT Roe USN, Pte JM Money, Pte WF Chase all killed & Cpl F Grant POW.)" Crystal Palace depot was in the original Great Exhibition Crystal Palace which had been re-built at Sydenham. Horatio, Thank you for this very interesting information. At least I have some idea of what the plane is but was there no squadron system in operation at that time? The information you quote regarding Ensign George Thomas Roe and my father Jack W Money is absolutely wrong. Ensign Roe's service career took in Yarmouth, Lough Foyle, Queenstown, Bay Shore, Key West and USS Aroostook. He was taken prisoner in the incident and interned at Lanschut, Germany Repatriated and returned to service. He was killed instantly at 10 15am in a plane crash near North Island, NAS San Diego, Cal on 28 May 1921. Information provided by US Dept of the Navy from "Contact Naval Aviators Assigned Numbers 1 to 2000" by Reginald Wright Arthur. As to my father he left the RAF sometime in 1920 at Crystal Palace, joined Marconi as a wireless operator and after 2 years joined the Post Office from whic he retired in 1955 and died in december 1960. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 24 June , 2007 Share Posted 24 June , 2007 This just shows that you cannot always trust sources. Contradictions also abound. "British naval Aircraft Since 1812" by Owen Thetford indicates that the 'Large America' Curtiss boats were Curtiss. H.12s. That source also states that "Great Yarmouth air station made its first H.12 patrol with No.8660 on 1 May 1917." Also that the "'Boat Flight' of RNAS Great Yarmouth [was] later No.228 Squadron RAF." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 5 July , 2007 Share Posted 5 July , 2007 Captains Fitzrandolph and York' RAF papers should be in AIR 76 and their RNAS service records should be in ADM 273. You can find details of DSCs by using the ADM 12 indexes. There are some references in william Spencer's book on medal reseach to files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted 13 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2007 Captains Fitzrandolph and York' RAF papers should be in AIR 76 and their RNAS service records should be in ADM 273. You can find details of DSCs by using the ADM 12 indexes. There are some references in william Spencer's book on medal reseach to files. I apologise for the delay in replying but unfortunately my computer crashed and needed to be repaired. Despite this, thank you very much for the information. I am in the process of visiting the RAF museum and will then turn my attention to Kew. Wyndham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 "bookfinder.com" has a couple of 1967 copies at £40/45.00, the original 1928 copy is £120.00+, a book well worth having! best regards john Hello John, I took your advice and found a copy of the 1967 book through Amazon USA and I managed to get it for $75 plus carriage. Booksellers here are most certainly much dearer. I have glanced at the relevant parts in regard to my father and it makes great reading. I shall probably spend the rest of the day in the garden reading the book properly. Thank you once again for your great help. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 I think somewhere in Great Yarmouth there is a scale model of the Air Station i must make the effort and go and have a look, only living about 30 miles away best regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 I think somewhere in Great Yarmouth there is a scale model of the Air Station i must make the effort and go and have a look, only living about 30 miles away best regards John John, I have just gone back through some old e-mails which I received when I initially started my investigations into my father's service career. One is from Tom Arnold, Archivist, Norfolk Record Office, The Archive Centre, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR12DQ. He states that they have some plans of of the station under the references Y/BE2/185/1-4 and also a file of papers, dated 1923, in the Yarmouth's town clerk's series reference Y/TC 90/22/18. They also have a web-site http://archives.norfolk.gov.uk. Anyway, I thought I would mention these but as you are a local you would probably know about them!! Yours, Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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