Information required (RFC/RAF related)

[Jester]

As I've mentioned in a couple of other posts, I'm currently trying to trace my grandfather's service history. I had known previously he was with 57 Sqn in 1918/19, but have since had a brief service history on him given to me via an aquaintance that recently paid a visit to the Public Records Office in Kew.

It now appears that his first posting was 109 Sqn. I can find no information on that squadron at all. All I know is that it was a day bomber squadron that existed from around the beginning of 1918 until July 1918. My grandfather served with them from March until June of that year.

From here he was transfered to 14 Training Depot Station at Lake Down for conversion training to the DH-4, then being posted out to 55 Sqn and eventually 57 Sqn.

In his training manual and other documents I have there are also references to 24 Reserve Sqn (which I believe was part of No.4 Wing RFC) and Netheravon aerodrome. I believe this could be the base and units he was posted to for his basic flying training prior to being posted to 109 Sqn.

I would greatly appreciate any information anyone may have on any of the above units.

[Graeme]

No 109 was one of the squadrons formed late in the war (around March 1918, maybe earlier) but which never became operational. Intended to be a day-bomber unit, it never progressed from a training unit and was disbanded in August 1918. The unit apparently formed up at Lake Down with some DH4s, moving to Kenley in mid-June and re-equipping with DH9s.

I've no idea about training units, I'm afraid.

Graeme

[MilesC]

No 24 Sqn was not a reserve squadron considering the bases it occupied, see below, and the RAF Histories do not mention 24 Reserve Squadron.

24 Sqn arrived in St-Omer and went right to the front at Bertangles Aerodrome in Feb 1916, flying DH2s for 1 1/2 years. From that they transitioned to the ill-fated DH-5 (which implies they had more of a ground-attack role) until Dec 1917. The powers that be took pity on them and assigned them SE5a's in Jan 1918. So, 24 Sq was in the thick of it for most of it.

Britain RFC 24 Hounslow 1 9 1915
Britain RFC 24 St-Omer 7 2 1916
Britain RFC 24 Bertangles 10 2 1916
Britain RFC 24 Chipilly 17 12 1916
Britain RFC 24 Flez 17 4 1917
Britain RFC 24 Baizieux 10 7 1917
Britain RFC 24 Teteghem 23 9 1917
Britain RFC 24 Marieux 24 11 1917
Britain RFC 24 Villers-Bretonneux 30 12 1917
Britain RFC 24 Matigny 26 1 1918
Britain RFC 24 Moreuil 22 3 1918
Britain RFC 24 Bertangles 26 3 1918
Britain RFC 24 Conteville 28 3 1918
Britain RAF 24 Bertangles 14 8 1918
Britain RAF 24 Cappy 8 9 1918
Britain RAF 24 Athies 6 10 1918
Britain RAF 24 Busigny 27 10 1918
Britain RAF 24 Bisseghem 11 11 1918

From: http://www.raf.mod.uk/squadrons/h24.html
Formed at Hounslow on 21 September 1915, No. 24 Squadron has probably flown more aircraft types than any other RAF squadron. After a five-month work-up, the Squadron moved to France equipped with DH2s. These aircraft were soon outclassed and re-equipment with DH5s followed in May 1917. The Squadron remained in and around the Western Front for the remainder of the War until January 1920 when the unit returned to the UK as a cadre, disbanding on 1 February 1920.

[Simba]

109 Squadron RFC was formed on 1st November 1917 at Montrose in Scotland, from a nucleus of personnel drawn from 52 Training Squadron. It used various aircraft.

The squadron moved (together with No. 108 Squadron) to Stonehenge on 12th November 1917, then to Lake Down on 2nd December. It received its first DH9 aircraft in July 1918, but was disbanded the following month. It participated in no operational flying - and very little training - in WW1.

55 Squadron was formed on 8th June 1916 at Castle Bromwich, from a nucleus provided by 34 Squadron. After working up on BE2c, AW FK 3 'Little Ack' and Avro 504 aircraft, the squadron received its first DH4s in January 1917 and deployed to Fienvillers in France (some 15 miles due east of Abbeville) operationally on 5th March. It served continuously on DH4s in France until withdrawn to Renfrew in Scotland on 1st February 1919 and reduced to a cadre. A final move to Shotwick occured on 1st January 1920 and the squadron was disbanded there on 22nd January.

57 Squadron also flew DH4s operationally; having preceded 55 Squadron to Fienvillers on 22nd January 1917, it ended the war in Belgium, converted onto the DH9A in February 1919, reduced to a cadre at South Carlton on 4th August 1919, and disbanded on 31st December.

The above information has been drawn from 'RAF Squadrons' by Wing Commander C.G. Jefford MBE RAF, 1st Edition, Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury, ISBN 1 85310 053 6. If you can provide the date(s) of your grandfather's postings to the various units, I'll try to locate which airfields he may have served at.

[stephen]

OTF Volume 3, Number 3, Commanding the 11th; the Service Career of Capt. Charles Heater. The article is reprinted here. (http://www.sopwithmotorsports.com/indysquadron/id78.html)

Heater was in 55 for some time and a bit of information on that squadron is found therein.

[Jester]

No 24 Sqn was not a reserve squadron considering the bases it occupied, see below, and the RAF Histories do not mention 24 Reserve Squadron.

In 1917/18 24 Reserve Squadron was part of 4 Wing RFC. It was a training unit based at Netheravon. I know this for a fact since my Grandfather did his basic flying training with them, and I have the original copies of his orders assigning my Grandfather to C Flight, 24 Reserve Squadron. I've also got copies of standing orders for cadets and junior officers based at Netheravon. The orders are all signed by Lt. Col PHL Playfair, 4 Wing C/O and dated August/ September 1917.

24 Squadron that you posted information on must have been a totally different unit. As to why 24 Reserve Squadron isn't mentioned in the histories you've referenced I couldn't say.


Simba:

Thanks for your offer, I recently received a very brief copy of my Grandfather's service history from an aquaintance that looked him up while doing some research at the PRO in Kew. I've pasted it below for your reference:

William Henry Thomas was born on 8 Jan 1899. He enlisted on 13 Aug 1917 and was commissioned as a 2/Lt on 8 Nov 1917.
After training, he served initially with 109 Sqn RAF - this day bomber squadron was formed in 1918 and then disbanded in July 1918. William's record shows his service with it as being from 15 Mar 1918 to 6 Jun 1918 which seems to fit in with what we know.
He next went to 14 Training Depot Station (TDS) at Lake Down (near Buncombe Down) on 6 Jun 1918 and was 'qualified as a 'DH4 Pilot' dated 15 Sep 1918.
Next was 55 Sqn on 10 Oct 1918 - this was a unit of the Independent Force RAF but I can't see that it was carrying out raids during William's time with them. They did carry mail to Germany though until they were reduced to cadre in January 1919 and disbanded in Jul 1920. They were equipped with DH4 and DH9 aircraft. During this period, he spent time in the Station Hospital from which he was released on 30 Dec 1918.
William joined 57 Sqn on 15 Apr 1919 and was with them until he returned to Home Establishment on 18 Apr 1918 and was put on the 'Unemployed List' 21 Apr 1919.

[Simba]

55 Squadron RAF was based at Azelot, about 6 miles SSE of Nancy, from 5th June to 16th November 1918, conveniently close to the Franco-German border for Independent AF operations, being within range of the strategic target of Saarbrucken. Next base was La Planty, 15 miles NE of Abbeville (55 Sqn was the only RAF unit to use this airfield in WW1), as the squadron withdrew from war operations after the Armistice. Final foreign base was St Andre-aux Bois, 8 miles west of Hesdin and some 30 miles SE of Boulogne, to which the squadron moved on 2nd December 1918.

57 Squadron RAF operated DH9As ('Nine Acks') from February to July 1919. Detachments were based at Sart (in Belgium, 15 miles ESE of Liege), Maisoncelle (about 8 miles NE of Hesdin), Nivelles (about 15 miles S of Brussels) and Marquise (about 10 miles NNE of Boulogne).

Simba.

[Jester]

Many thanks, Simba. Much appreciate it.

[Graeme]

Jester

The No 24 Squadron to which Miles has referred was the unit that went to France in February 1916, equiped with the DH2 and under the command of Major Lanoe Hawker VC DSO. It later used the SE5a and was based at the airfields listed by Miles. For most of its service life it operated under the control of the 22nd Wing. It and No 24 Reserve Squadron were completely separate units.

Speaking from memory, Wing Commander Jefford's work is specific to operational squadrons.

Graeme