IanA Posted 23 September , 2007 Share Posted 23 September , 2007 I am researching a Gordon Highlander officer who was "seconded from that regiment and received a commission as a Reserve officer in the Royal Flying Corps". Am I correct in thinking that this means that he was on a sort of waiting list for training? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 23 September , 2007 Share Posted 23 September , 2007 As I understand it that means that he received a commission in the RFC (rather than the Gordons) and in their reserve pool, both of which would have affected his seniority if he went back to the Gordons. I think the gradations were regular officers, reserve and then New Army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 24 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 September , 2007 Thanks for the reply but I'm still unsure of what was going on. This man, a Lieutenant Dobie, was a commissioned officer with the Gordons. He was involved with home defence in the first months of the war "and received a commission as a Reserve officer in the Royal Flying Corps". He went out with a draft of men to the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders and was killed leading a hopeless attack. He obviously never served with the RFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 24 September , 2007 Share Posted 24 September , 2007 There does seem to have been some 'settling down' early in the war with the odd officer shifted here and there. He may have done some UK based work with the RFC. However, was he actually on the strength of the regular battalions in 1914 or was he retired or seconded at the time, was he supernumerary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 24 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 September , 2007 Lt. Dobie joined the Black Watch as a private soldier and received his commission in 1911 when he was posted to the Gordon Highlanders. My information is from a newspaper report of his death so it may be confused. He was only at the front for about three weeks before he was killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 24 September , 2007 Share Posted 24 September , 2007 HARTS 1915 has him as a regular officer of the 1st Battalion, Gordons, seconded to the RFC; W F R Dobie (Lieut 15 July 1914) The London Gazette should turn up this secondment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 24 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 September , 2007 Ah! Thanks for that Patrick. That is new information. I'm still not sure, if he was seconded to the RFC, why he was taking a draft of men out to Belgium in November. If he was seconded does this imply flying school? Assessment? Or might we never know? Thank you for your interest. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 24 September , 2007 Share Posted 24 September , 2007 Ah! Thanks for that Patrick. That is new information. I'm still not sure, if he was seconded to the RFC, why he was taking a draft of men out to Belgium in November. If he was seconded does this imply flying school? Assessment? Or might we never know? Thank you for your interest. Ian Ian The London Gzette may tell you why. Lots of RFC jobs were administrative or for training others. Hard to know ... but they were not all flyers, they needed Adjutants etc too. As he was a regular they probably asked for him back as soon as numbers got thin on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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