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Messages - baevans

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World War One / Re: WW1 RNAS service record - Geoffrey Caffin BROOK
« on: Sunday 05 May 13 15:37 BST (UK)  »
mmm45

Ahh! a eureka moment, great stuff; thanks for the subliminal prod in the right direction.  Maybe I'm beginning to get the hang of this. 

I just searched the National Archives again, at AIR79 and found references for both brothers there.  Very similar service numbers made me think they did join up together. I now see the link between the RNAS and RAF service numbers - and the F4252 is a service number, not a Form number as I thought, dullard that I am.

Searched and found this second RNAS service record which is for Harold, turns out he joined the previous month. This one is a little easier to understand and it confirms the family rumours that Harold serviced aeroplanes in France during the war - the record shows Somme, Dunkirk and Cappelle.  He was indeed an Air Mechanic and then a L(E) whatever that was.  I guess PO(M) might be Petty Officer (Mechanic) - would that be right? 

In the previous record I posted before I can now read that Geoffrey was a Air Mech too, then a L ?something?  Any takers?

Anyone got a handle on the likely squadron numbers that might lead to more on where they went?

Bruce
 

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World War One / Re: WW1 RNAS service record - Geoffrey Caffin BROOK
« on: Sunday 05 May 13 13:24 BST (UK)  »
Hi mmm45,

Thanks for responding.  Now that you've pointed it out I can see where the transfer to the RAF is mentioned but I surely can't see where his RAF service number is on the document!  Did you get that from a different source?

In the family we always thought that it was his brother Harold Randall BROOK (my Grandpa) who was in the RNAS as a technician and who got transfered to the RAF.  Now I'm beginning to wonder if the two were muddled up or whether both brothers enlisted in the same service - they were only a year apart in age.  I haven't managed to find anything about Harold's exploits in 1914-18.

Thanks again for helping with this, anything else you can enlighten me with would be most appreciated.

Bruce

3
World War One / WW1 RNAS service record - Geoffrey Caffin BROOK
« on: Sunday 05 May 13 00:22 BST (UK)  »
Hi everyone,

Can any experts out there help me out please with deciphering the details on this service record.  I'm unfamiliar with RNAS history and the handwriting is difficult.

What was his rank, duties/trade and the units he served with? 

I understand President II was a kind of training ship alongside in London, but what about 'Wing 4 Petite Sqn', followed by Daedalus (?something?) and the transfer to Squad 1 Wing No1?

Was he demobbed from President II at the end?

Any pointers gratefully received.
Bruce

4
Suffolk / Re: Kathleen (née Sharman) at Sudbury
« on: Friday 01 February 13 21:37 GMT (UK)  »
Hi,

There's a bit of a false trail here.  The Kathleen Sharman you are speaking of was most certainly my grandmother. 

Her dob was 18/12/1895 (registered in the sub district of Corby the following month).
She was married at Clipsham, Lincs on 14/9/1921 to John Evans.
John died in the summer of 1969.
Kathleen died on 31/7/1985 at Maranx House in Ponders Bridge, Huntingdon (having formerly lived at Hitcham in Suffolk since about 1955 when Grandpa retired from managing Brettenham Park Estate.

Bruce

5
Essex / Re: William Sharman at Eight Ash Green?
« on: Friday 01 February 13 21:07 GMT (UK)  »
I forgot to say, you were right about Suffolk.

Kathleen Sharman married John Evans on 14/1921 just 2 weeks after he left the army following service in the Royal Berks Regt during WW1.  The Evans' were farmers too and John Evans farmed at Babworth nr Retford initially. 

They moved around a bit, certainly to Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk where my dad was born in 1929.  Shortly afterwards John landed the job of estate manager for the whole of Brettenham Park Estate in Suffolk, working for the Warners (Sir Courteney, Sir Edward and then Sir Henry), so they went to live at Brettenham for the remainder of his working life. When John retired they moved to Hitcham, Suffolk.

6
Essex / Re: William Sharman at Eight Ash Green?
« on: Friday 01 February 13 19:08 GMT (UK)  »
Hi again sherlock1207,

Just to add some details and correct some others from your original post.

Kathleen Sharman d.o.b. was actually 18/12/1895 from her birth certificate, which is from the Corby sub district.  The birth was registered a couple of weeks later, so in the following year which is perhaps why you have her down as born 1896.

When William Taylor Sharman moved to Eight Ash Green it was not with his whole family and he didn't farm in Essex at all.  He retired and only he and his daughter Dorothy moved to live at the bungalow which was called 'Littlebury' (no house numbers there).  My dad and I think the "back home" that Dorothy referred to in her letter was Holywell, Lincsolnshire or maybe Clipsham 2 miles down the road - which is where Kathleen was living (at home, we think) when she got married. Either way "back home" is undoubtedly farming country in sw Lincs.

My dad says there was an article (obituary?) published in a local newspaper about William Taylor when he died.  We may even have a copy of it somewhere - we haven't exhausted all the documents we've found yet.  A search of Colchester/Essex or maybe Lincs newspaper archives might find also it.

Bruce

7
Essex / Re: William Sharman at Eight Ash Green?
« on: Friday 01 February 13 12:09 GMT (UK)  »
Hi there Sherlock 1207,

I'm new to this game of family history research and I'm still at the stage of quizzing family members before maybe signing up for some more extensive web based research - so forgive me if there are gaps in the information I can share.

Anyway, I just spent the last 3 days going through several suitcases of family documents at my elderly Dad's house and quizzing him extensively about his life - and then last night I came across your request for info about William Taylor Sharman d.o.b 18/2/1866.

William Taylor was my Great Grandfather and my dad can still remember quite a lot about him and has some photos of him.  Indeed, only yesterday, we were going through a load of farm tenancy agreements signed by him, his son Thomas Hoyles and, even earlier, by his father Thomas when they were all farming in Lincolnshire.  These documents specify in very great detail exactly what farming activities and responsibilities were required of the tenant and so give a great idea of what he would have been doing during his working life.  Dad has also told me a lot about his own dad and mum, John Evans and Kathleen (nee Sharman) and, relevant to your query, also about regularly cycling over to visit William Taylor and Dorothy at Eight Ash Green in the 1940's after the war.  I'd be happy to tell you what I have if you're still researching this and when I've scanned everything into my computer I could email copies of photos and documents if you like - but it may take me some time to do this as I don't have a scanner yet.

I'd be very, interested to see the family tree you've produced and especially in order to find out about Hilda's family as her daughter Sheila is (was?) my Godmother who I last heard from as a teenager.  We know there is an Ian Fryer who spent some time working at a port in east Africa (possibly Djibouti?), but who is the third sibling?, and their children?  I'd love to see the letter you spoke about which Hilda received from Dorothy early in 1962.

Do you know what became of Jane Sharman b.15/5/1861 who was the sister of your grandfather Thomas Hoyles?  Of course I'd be most interested in any personal narratives you have discovered as they would add immense colour to what would otherwise just be names and dates.

Thanks,
Bruce



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