Grandfather in RFC

I have recently discovered that my Grandfather briefly served in the RFC/RAF in between stints in various army regiments. I have got a copy of his service record from the National Archives and is shows that he joined the RFC on 19th Feb 1918 and was moved to the RAF reserve on 22nd May 1919.

What I am interested in is deciphering the units he served in. The units listed are: 1WS, RD, Yar Stn, and Manston Westgate. The last of them seems fairly self explanatory, but I wonder if anybody could shed light on the others?

Many thanks in advance.

[MikeW]

Yar Stn - Yarmouth Seaplane Station, formerly a Royal Naval Air Service station before the formation of the RAF on 1st April 1918.

Manston and Westgate were both formerly RNAS aerodromes as well.

[john_g]

Myles Francis
Hi,
I have been looking through over 150 airmen's records at the NA recently and RD came up on many of them, at first I was puzzled as to it's meaning, but I have come to the conclusion that it means Returned to Depot? I noticed that in several records, that after a posting to a unit of any sort that they were RD, then to another unit then RD etc. Of course this may have been an accounting administration paper move only?

john_g

Mike and John,

Thanks very much for the info. The Yarmouth Station bit makes sense as the "Trade Proficiency" section on his records indicates Seaplanes.

I'm wondering if the entries for 1WS and RD are for an initial training depot and specific skills depot respectively. I say this because my grandfather's record shows him moving from 1WS to RD on 15/6/18 then to Yar Stn on 18/7/18, whilst his Trade Proficiency seaplane entry is dated 19/6/18 at RD.

John, if you want to look him up next time you're at the NA, he is service no. 139919 George Horace Francis.