Steve Brew
25 January 2026, 05:28 PM
2 Lts Valentine Baker and Christopher Bean were awarded Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates on graduation from CFS on 25 September 1916 but were not issued numbers. Cards exist for them in the RAeC Trust collection, but they do not include numbers, and there are no photos.
However, 2 Lt Bernard Willoughby, who graduated the same course, was issued No. 4088. His photo page shows that the numbers either side of him were allocated to other pilots on different dates.
For what it's worth, this also occurred (i.e. cards with no numbers, and no photos) with:
- Lt Cedric Porter, who graduated 6 RS on 24 Aug 1916
- 2 Lt Claud Stokes, who graduated CFS on 24 Aug 1916
- 2 Lt Norman Hair, who graduated CFS on 28 Aug 1916
- Capt Ian Duff, who graduated CFS on 18 Sep 1916
Has anyone come across this before, who can suggest why Baker and Bean were not issued numbers, or was it just a clerical error, for example?
Thanks
Steve
However, 2 Lt Bernard Willoughby, who graduated the same course, was issued No. 4088. His photo page shows that the numbers either side of him were allocated to other pilots on different dates.
For what it's worth, this also occurred (i.e. cards with no numbers, and no photos) with:
- Lt Cedric Porter, who graduated 6 RS on 24 Aug 1916
- 2 Lt Claud Stokes, who graduated CFS on 24 Aug 1916
- 2 Lt Norman Hair, who graduated CFS on 28 Aug 1916
- Capt Ian Duff, who graduated CFS on 18 Sep 1916
Has anyone come across this before, who can suggest why Baker and Bean were not issued numbers, or was it just a clerical error, for example?
Thanks
Steve