George Horrod RAF Service Record

[richardp@comsine.co.uk]

Hi all

a while back I posted a topic about my great uncle George Philip Horrod who was in the RNAS and then the RAF. I sent off for a copy of his RAF service record from the NA, which duly arrived today. It raises a few questions, which I'm hoping some of you could answer:

1. It says that on 27/8/1938 he enlisted in Class 'E' Reserve West Drayton for four years. This sort of ties in with my mother recalling that he served in the RAF both in WW1 and WW2 and my uncle recalling that George served in the Azores in WW2. However, other than one more stamp that says 'Brought into Use 20/9/1938', no further details of his WWII service are given on the record - are WW2 details held separately at the NA?

2. There is a history of his movements in WW1, which all use acronyms. What does N.A.S.D and R.D mean? It also says he was with H.P Repair Sec in Dunkirk - does this stand for Handley Page? If so, we know he was in 216 squadron, so that would tie up.

3. Under Promotions, he started as an Aircraftman II when he was with the RNAS, then became a Private 2 when he transferred to the RAF in 1918. It then says he was what looks like 'reclassified F/C 2' in 1919 (could be AC2 I suppose) and then in 1938 what looks like 'a.c.h'. Can someone tell me what those acronyms stood for in terms of rank?

4. Under trade, he starts as a labourer and then in August 1918 it says something like 'Leap Wader', which doesn't make sense to me. Any ideas?

5. Under Medal, etc, it says he served in France from 11/1/1918 to 6/6/1918 and then again from 26/9/1918 (no end date given). However it doesn't mention if he was eligible for any medals. Is that because he didn't serve long enough (he joined up in November 1917) or are they recorded elsewhere in other papers?

I appreciate this is quite a list of questions, but any help will be much appreciated. His service document is A3 in size, but if it helps I could try and scan/reduce it and post it to the forum.

Many thanks in advance

Richard

[per ardua per mare per terram]

1. I have seen this on other records, but also with no details of their WW2 service, my theory is that they were renumbered and new service papers were started. In any case that period is after the date for which records are open to the public, they are still held by the Ministry of Defence.

2. Information from Page & Sturtivant Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919

N.A.S.D = Is not listed, but ASD = Aeroplane Supply Depot and most N abreviations starting with N simply have Naval in front so Naval Aeroplane Supply Depot seems likely.

R.D = Repair Depot

H.P Repair Sec = Handley Page Repair Section

3. pte 2 = Private 2nd Class; AC2 = Aircraftman 2 not sure on ACH, could it be ACII = Aircraftman IInd Class again

4. The RAF seems to have been very unimaginative when it came to trades, they labeled a lot of men as labourers.

Leap Wader no idea, cold the second word be welder?

5. Medals should be listed there, he qualified for a pair for service at Dunkirk. The RAF medal rolls and MICs have yet to be released, but anyway there should be an entry in ADM 171/106 naval medal roll for Hor-Jol. It could be that the RNAS issued them or it will have a note "issued by AM (Air Ministry).

6. It's already been reduced, the originals are an old paper size, without a modern equivalent and used to be copied onto A2 paper.

[richardp@comsine.co.uk]

Excellent - many thanks for this.

I think you're right - it's ACII

Attached is a scan of his trade record - any ideas?

Otherwise, I'll look for his records from the MoD and also try the Naval medal roll.

Best Regards

Richard

[sadsac]

Richard - an `interesting looking Award' for service with 216 Sqdn ;

DIGBY Frank T DSC Flt.Cdr. RNAS 85T299 & 300

No.216 Squadron att. 41 Wing R.F.C C-in-C France

26.04.18 Gazetted

R.N.A.S. Officers - Germany 1918 DSO

For consistent determination, gallantry and skill on long distance bomb raids.

On the night of 24-25th March, 1918, he set out to bomb the railway station at Cologne. Visibility was good, but there were banks of mist in the valleys which kept drifting over the river, especially in between Trreves and Coblenz. This made it necessary to follow practically each bend in the river, and even then the pilot lost his way on three occasions, but with the assistance of his Observer Air Mechanic, P.J. Adkins, he again found the river, and eventually reached his objective, which he bombed with good results.On the return journey a very thick morning mist had arisen. The pilot passed right over his own aerodrome and could see nothing.

He eventually found himself over Eoiez Aerodrome, where he landed at 4.5 a.m., the total flight having taken 8½ hours.

In addition to this raid, on the night of 24-25th January, 1918, he carried out a successful raid on the chemical Works at Ludwigshafen.

Since being awarded the D.S.C., in February, 1917, he has done good work while in charge of a bombing flight from 17th May, 1916, to the 25th March, 1917, from which date he has been of a Handley-Page Flight.

He has done 16 night raids on the Handley-Page machine.

His work while with No. 216 Squadron, has been exceptonally good.

Regards Sadsac

[per ardua per mare per terram]

All I can think of looking at it is Seaplane Wader? Not at all sure what that is, someone who wades out with seaplanes. Sounds very specialist.

[richardp@comsine.co.uk]

Thanks guys. Sadsac - fascinating - and all by dead reckoning! Certainly brings what they were doing to life.

Per ardua - yes, difficult to say it could be anything else! Perhaps there was a special technique!

Much appreciated guys

Richard

[richardp@comsine.co.uk]

Following on from per ardua's post #2 for this topic, I have attached a photo of my great-uncle - this was taken in 1939 when he had just volunteered for the RAF for WWII. I have also attached a close up of his medal ribbon as these would be for his WW1 medals. I will take a look at the medal roll per ardua suggests, but I just wondered if anyone can decipher from the ribbons, which medals these would be for? I imagine he would have been awarded the Victory and the War medal (he was signed up from Nov 1917 to the end of the war) - does that tie up with the ribbons he's wearing? The ribbon on the left looks like the War Medal, just wasn't sure about whether the rest of the ribbon is the Victory medal or there is another one in there. Probably the former.

Many thanks

Richard

[per ardua per mare per terram]

5. he qualified for a pair yes this is a pair: British War Medal & Victory Medal (on the right as viewed).

[richardp@comsine.co.uk]

Great - thanks for the confirmation

Richard

[Guest]

On 12/01/2008 at 13:37, richardp@comsine.co.uk said:

Hi all

a while back I posted a topic about my great uncle George Philip Horrod who was in the RNAS and then the RAF. I sent off for a copy of his RAF service record from the NA, which duly arrived today. It raises a few questions, which I'm hoping some of you could answer:

1. It says that on 27/8/1938 he enlisted in Class 'E' Reserve West Drayton for four years. This sort of ties in with my mother recalling that he served in the RAF both in WW1 and WW2 and my uncle recalling that George served in the Azores in WW2. However, other than one more stamp that says 'Brought into Use 20/9/1938', no further details of his WWII service are given on the record - are WW2 details held separately at the NA?

2. There is a history of his movements in WW1, which all use acronyms. What does N.A.S.D and R.D mean? It also says he was with H.P Repair Sec in Dunkirk - does this stand for Handley Page? If so, we know he was in 216 squadron, so that would tie up.

3. Under Promotions, he started as an Aircraftman II when he was with the RNAS, then became a Private 2 when he transferred to the RAF in 1918. It then says he was what looks like 'reclassified F/C 2' in 1919 (could be AC2 I suppose) and then in 1938 what looks like 'a.c.h'. Can someone tell me what those acronyms stood for in terms of rank?

4. Under trade, he starts as a labourer and then in August 1918 it says something like 'Leap Wader', which doesn't make sense to me. Any ideas?

5. Under Medal, etc, it says he served in France from 11/1/1918 to 6/6/1918 and then again from 26/9/1918 (no end date given). However it doesn't mention if he was eligible for any medals. Is that because he didn't serve long enough (he joined up in November 1917) or are they recorded elsewhere in other papers?

I appreciate this is quite a list of questions, but any help will be much appreciated. His service document is A3 in size, but if it helps I could try and scan/reduce it and post it to the forum.

Many thanks in advance

Richard

Richard ACH is Aircraft Handler these guys prepared aircraft for flight and maintained them once the flight was over

 

[Steve Monk]

On 14/01/2008 at 11:16, per ardua per mare per terram said:

All I can think of looking at it is Seaplane Wader? Not at all sure what that is, someone who wades out with seaplanes. Sounds very specialist.

Hello,
I have just found a record of a distant relative of mine that was a Seaplane Wader, still none the wiser, I ended up here trying to google it.
He started in WW1 as a driver for RFA then in 1918 seems to have joined the RAF as one. Still no idea what it is though.

Edited 15 February , 2021 by Steve Monk