Tracing a relative who was in the RNAS

[john_p]

Looking up my family tree I discovered I have a relative who died at "HMS Daedalus" in 1917. He was an Aircraftsman (2nd Class) in the Navy, so I assume he died in some flying-related activity at what became RNAS Lee-On-Solent..

Did "ordinary ranks" get to fly or was it just officers?

Any way I can trace what happened? The base only opened in June 1917, and a year later the RAF was created, so there must be a small set of records somewhere!

[FourWheelDrift]

I know Aircraftsmen 1st and 2nd class can be engineers, I think they can also be air gunners. In the early days of flight I'm sure he could easily have been an air gunner in something like an F.E.2b, Bristol F2, or one of the early small or large bombers. If that's any help.

[Shar2]

Best bet is try the FAA museum archives.

[Simpo Two]

FourWheelDrift said:

In the early days of flight I'm sure he could easily have been an air gunner in something like an F.E.2b, Bristol F2, or one of the early small or large bombers. If that's any help.

There seemed to be quite a lot of flexibility - my grandfather started off as a lieutenant in the Army and finished the war as an Observer in the RAF (via RFC). Later on, in WW2, he appeared back as in the Army as a Captain!

[john_p]

Well that was easy .. National Archives have all the records available to download..

He died of shingles and septacemia! Ouch.

[Eric Mc]

john_p said:

Well that was easy .. National Archives have all the records available to download..

He died of shingles and septacemia! Ouch.

Just goes to show. Disease and ill health was as big a killer as accidents or combat.

Do you know what his duties and final rank were?

[john_p]

Eric Mc said:

Just goes to show. Disease and ill health was as big a killer as accidents or combat.

Do you know what his duties and final rank were?

When he died he'd only been conscripted for 6 months, so he was assigned to training in London, then posted to RNAS Marston (seaplanes?) a month before he died.

No idea if he even got the chance to see an aircraft let alone fly in one!