RNAS/RAF - Location of Bases

[wyndham]

My father initially joined the RNAS as a boy mechanic.  He was posted to the following:-

1.  President II

2.  Daedalus (Cranwell)

On 1 April 1918 he was transferred to the RAF.  He was captured and became a POW at Dulmen, Germany.  On repatriation he continued his service.

Following a short spell at Halton he was posted to a wireless training school at Crystal Palace, presumably in south-east London.

Can anyone tell me where President II  and Daedulus were, as I presumed the latter was not at Cranwell.  Also any clue as to where in Crystal Palace this school was?

I am pushing my luck now but has anyone any details of the POW camp at Dulmen?

[Jane MB]

Daedalus was the nominal depot ship for the RNAS to 1/4/18 (so it did not mean he was tied to one spot, it was like President II used as an admin base as well as the physical base). Just to be confusing it was also the seaplane school at Lee-on-Solent, opened 1917. If there are brackets after it, that was where he served . This excerpt is from a reply to a request on Great War forum. A great site with lots of knowledgable people!


This excerp is from daedalus cranwell search on google!
The Royal Naval Air Service Central Training Establishment Cranwell was commissioned on 1 April 1916, under the command of Commodore Godfrey M. Paine.

Cranwell later became known as HMS Daedalus. This was not strictly correct but arose because the officers and ratings of the Central Training Establishment at Cranwell were borne on the books of HMS Daedalus which was a hulk in the Medway and the nominal depot ship for all RNAS personnel serving on other stations. In addition to flying training and airship operations, a Boys' Training Wing was also established at Cranwell. Its task was to train Naval ratings as air mechanics and riggers.

In February 1918 Prince Albert, later Duke of York and King George VI, was appointed Officer in Charge of Boys and later Officer Commanding No.4 Squadron of the Boys' Wing. He left Cranwell in August 1918.

With the amalgamation of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps on 1 April 1918, ownership of Cranwell was placed in the hands of the Royal Air Force. The former Naval base title was replaced by the designation Royal Air Force Station Cranwell.

try the other site - much more knowledgable than me
from jane

[wyndham]

Dear Jane,

Thank you for your prompt response.  I realise I am being a pain but exactly where was President II and was there a President I?

Your reply was very helpful as it increases the brief knowledge I have of my father's service career which is from his official records.

Thank you once again.

[philipsearching]

I was looking for President II for another Rootschatter and found this site:
http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/H.M.S._President

[wyndham]

Thank you very much for this information on the various HMS Presidents.  It adds further detail to my father's history.

[scrimnet]

If he was indeed POW, you may find something here....

http://grandeguerre.icrc.org/

[wyndham]

I applied to the International Red Cross some years ago, early on in my research into my father's service career.  Their response was very disappointing as the very limited information they provided I already knew.  They even suggested that I would have to pay for this!

[George Clegg]

Hi there!

well nearly 4 years later picked up on this thread.  One of my relatives James Chorley 1899-1985 was also an Aircraft mechanic with the RNAS initially and then transferred to the RAF.  He was lucky and did not get captured (he stayed in the UK)!  His service history as far as I can tell goes something like this:

31 Dec 1917 - Enlisted RNAS
31 Dec 1917-2 Jan 1918 - HMS President II - Crystal Palace
3 -20 Jan - Tregantle
21 Jan - 25 Feb 1918 - Chingford
26 Feb - 31 Mar 1918 - Crystal Palace
1 Apr 1918 - Tx to RAF
1 Apr -1 May 1918 - RAF Crystal Palace
1 May - 17 July 1918 - RAF Redcar
17 Jul - 30 Oct 1918 - RAF Ayr
26 Feb 1919 - Tx RAF Reserve

I think we've done HMS President to death on this thread.  As everyone points out President was the name for several RN manpower accounting depots.  During WW1 CRYSTAL PALACE was also the base for the RNAS and RAF, used as a Ground-School and balloon observation station.