What did he do in the war?

[kellogs]

Hi
I have a small section of an RAF service record. I have had a look at what some of the abbreviations mean and was hoping someone might be able to confirm if I have this correct. I gather from this section that this man didn't travel overseas and that he served his time mainly in Units over here?

[Albufera32]

Going by the right hand column, it lokks to me as though he enlisted (probably as airman 3rd class) on 3 Aug 1917 and was appointed airman second class on 2 Jan 1918. Both of these would have been RFC or RNAS. On 1st April 1918 he was transferred to the RAF on it's formation.

Going by the left hand column it looks as though he attended Flight School (I assume that is what Fg Ssh means). BEF would normally refer to British Expeditionary Force (ie the forces in France). H EST is I think "Home Establishment"

You probably worked all that out already. Others probably have more expert knowledge than I though. What is certain is that he is transferred onto the rolls of the RAF on the day the RAF was officially formed from the RFC and RNAS.

[mmm45]

ARD explained here

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/aircraft-repair-depots/

https://www.crossandcockade.com/StOmer/TheAircraftDepot.asp

Ady

[kellogs]

Thanks for the replies

So he did spend some time overseas then.
Having trouble finding the location of 52 Training school, if anyone has any ideas? Or where the flying school was for that matter.

[ShaunJ]

I think "3  Fg Sch" is No 3 Fighting School.

Mentioned here at RAF Bircham Newton in 1918:  https://rafadappassn.org/royal-air-force-bircham-newton-heritage-centre/

[ShaunJ]

52 Training Depot Station was at Cramlington: https://www.forgottenairfields.com/airfield-cramlington-955.html

[kellogs]

Oh thanks for that!

Still a bit confused as to whether he was training to be a pilot or mechanic. I suppose it would say on the service record if he had been a pilot?

[ShaunJ]

No he wasn't training to be a pilot. He was a mechanic. Entered the RFC in 1917 as an Air Mechanic 3rd Class and that was his rank on transfer to the RAF. That would have converted to Aircraftman 2nd Class in 1919.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_other_ranks

[kellogs]

Thanks, that's cleared the confusion. I kept finding two meanings for the AM and began to doubt my first thought that it had been Mechanic.