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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Ravenhook on Friday 15 April 11 14:32 BST (UK)
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Can anyone help me find some information about this relative of mine, his uniform has RFC on the shoulder titles but we know nothing about his career, he was killed in 1941 after being hit by a taxiing bomber...he was in the RAF and his wife took a curly one and destroyed all his papers and effects with her grief.
His name was Harold John Ardley and I have included the only two surviving photographs of him in uniform...one portrait and the other of him with some other men and an aircraft on a lorry on their return from Colwyn Bay.
Any help would be appreciated as I have hit a brick wall at the national records office with both his WW1 and WW2 service records.
Many thanks.
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And this is the second photograph with the aircraft on the lorry.
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How certain are you that he was in the RAF in 1941? His death does not seem to appear on the CWGC website but should do if he died in RAF service. However, the death of a Harold J Ardley, age 45, was registered in Whitchurch during the first quarter of 1941. Does this sound like the same chap? Might be useful to clarify this before chasing records.
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I also see that a Harold J Ardley was married in Market Drayton which is very close to Whitchurch. Could he have been a civilian working on the airfield but living at home?
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Can I suggest you either wait for Rootschat member mmm45 to come along or pm him. He was very helpful indeed with a query I had about my Royal Flying Corps ancestor.
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There were TWO H.J.Ardleys
Harold John...the one who's RFC records I'm looking for.
and
Harold James
This pdf is the letter his Brother (my Grandfather) received from the Air Ministry in 1941 regarding the event...annoyingly we haven't got the prior letter...
His wife's name was Isobel nee Hogg by the way and he left two Daughters.
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Hi
The uniform doesnt look like RFC it looks maybe American??
Or possibly Australian as in AFC Australian Flying Corps...if so you may get lucky!
RFC uniforms had Royal Flying Corps actually written on shoulder title.
Ill do a bit of digging see what i can find.
Ady :)
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Knew you would be able to help Ady :) :) :)
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http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=162551
Hopeful well get to the bottom by combined knowledge :)
Ady
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Hi
The uniform doesnt look like RFC it looks maybe American??
Or possibly Australian as in AFC Australian Flying Corps...if so you may get lucky!
RFC uniforms had Royal Flying Corps actually written on shoulder title.
Ill do a bit of digging see what i can find.
Ady :)
Deffo RFC Maternity jacket....but I havent seen "RFC" as a shoulder title....But that doesnt mean it is dodgy!! It COULD be just pre war...The RFC was founded in 1912
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17434 ? that could be his RFC number on the 1918 nominals listed as JH Ardley
Theres been a reply on the GWF link after i asked on there confirming RFC and rare shortened shoulder title ....so we are getting somewhere.
Theres a guy on British Medal Forum Iain who has access to a bit more info will ask on there...
Learning all the time! :)
Ady
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As stated, he wears a standard RFC Maternity Jacket. The aircraft is an Airco DH4, or DH9 or DH9A (difficult to know without sight of the engine nacelle). There are no markings to assist with identifying the individual aircraft, and therefore a date or unit.
Cheers
Dave
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There were TWO H.J.Ardleys
Harold John...the one who's RFC records I'm looking for.
and
Harold James
This pdf is the letter his Brother (my Grandfather) received from the Air Ministry in 1941 regarding the event...annoyingly we haven't got the prior letter...
His wife's name was Isobel nee Hogg by the way and he left two Daughters.
Just for the benefit of anyone following this thread the Market Drayton marriage mentioned earlier was in 1923 and to Isabel Hogg. I also see that a Harold John was born in Deptford in 1895 so that makes him about the same age as the chap whose death was registered in Whitchurch.
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My family Bible has his date of birth at 22nd September 1895, his Father John (Jack as he was known by us) was married to Clara Nee Bowler, Jack worked at Chatham dock yard for Humphry's, Tennant & Co, he worked on ships such as HMS Rodney and HMS Invincible. I have their letters of recommendation that they gave him after they closed down.
Harold had Two Daughters....Joan and Sheila, I was in contact with both of them but sadly Joan died a couple of years ago and Sheila is all that is left.
I have a huge record of family members and dates, I also have Diaries of my Gt, Gt Grandfather, also named John who was a Headmaster in Cobham, Kent...if anyone is researching anything to do with my family I would be happy to help out.
Duncan. :) :)
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Thank you for your help Ady..but
17434 ? that could be his RFC number on the 1918 nominals listed as JH Ardley
Theres been a reply on the GWF link after i asked on there confirming RFC and rare shortened shoulder title ....so we are getting somewhere.
Theres a guy on British Medal Forum Iain who has access to a bit more info will ask on there...
Learning all the time! Smiley
Ady
..Where did you find 17434 and where are the 1918 nominals ???
I have written (emailed) Aberegele history society..thats where the photo of the Aircraft was taken and as it was turned into a postcard and there are interested locals, I wondered if the local newspaper might have run a short story...not everyday you have a bomber in your high street...you never know they might know what regiment it was.
Abergele..North Wales, I wonder what airfield they were on their way to.
I will of course post any updates as I get them.
Thank you all for your interest and continuing help.
Duncan.
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Oh, I forgot to mention...I have a battered spoon that was in my Grandfathers bureau...it has RFC engraved on the handle.
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http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,450673.0.html
1918 RAF Nominals from formation of RAF. :)
If you open and go to A you also get a date of enlistment.
Ady :)
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Thank you Ady.
Duncan.
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Duncan,
Just to add a bit more, 17434 is in the batch allotted to civilians, as opposed to transfers from other branches of the army (as the RFC came under).
Do you have the National Probate Calendar entry?
ARDLEY, Harold John, of Field House, Kynsal, near Audlem, Cheshire, died 20 December 1940 at Tern Hill, Market Drayton, Shropshire.
Administration Chester, 7 March 1941, to Isabel Henderson Ardley, widow.
A Google on RAF Ternhill will bring up loads of hits, a good few relating to WW2.
Phil
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Thank you for the great information Phil, this is all new and I will try and find out, if I can which squadron he was under when he was killed...I only know that my Grandfather told me that he was knocked off his motorcycle by a bomber...whether it had landed badly or was taxiing, we dont know...unfortunately my Grandfather took that to his grave and he was extremely embittered with the RAF treatment he received at the time...again another dark hole.
Duncan.
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Perhaps it would help to get a copy of his death certificate? This might just have some information regarding his status at the time of death. IF he was a civilian then it seems unlikely that he would be linked with a specific squadron.
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As Imber said earlier, he's not on CWGC, so not likely to have been RAF at the time. I'm not sure of the criteria for Civilian deaths being included in WW2, whether it had to be directly due to enemy action only.
He's not on any of the Lewisham War Memorials that I can access, despite Joseph still being in the area.
Phil
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Info from the RAF Muster books at RAF Hendon museum.
17434 Ardley
Old Trade: Rigger
New Trade: Rigger (AE)
Old Rank: A. Mech. 1
New Rank: A. Mech. 1
Joined: 6th Jan 1916
Last Promotion: 1st Oct 1917
Rate of Pay: 4s 0d
Terms of Service: Duration of War
Ady
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Wow, thank you for that Ady...that's outstanding, I can add that to the rear of his photograph.
Many thanks.
Duncan.
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In my database of officers and other ranks who served, however briefly, at Castle Bromwich aerodrome during WW1, I have 17434 Harold John Ardley who was posted from the Recruits Depot to No.55 Squadron on 16/6/16, a unit that was just beginning to form up at this date. This information comes from The National Archive - Ref:- Air1/1307/204/11/193. I have also transcribed his service record from Ref:- Air 79/195. The service records for the other ranks are sparse indeed - no further information until 1/4/18 - but I don't think he stayed with No.55 Sq. when it moved to Lilbourne, but rather stayed at Castle Bromwich, most likely with resident training unit No.5 Reserve Squadron.
When an aircraft had been repaired after a mishap it was customary for either rigger or fitter to accompany a pilot on a test flight. The Pilot's Flying Logbook of G.N.Wilton records a passenger named Ardley a number of times during early 1917.