RNAS

[eastern wiseguy]

Evening all. I am wondering if anyone on the forum would be able to recommend a book on the story of the Royal Naval Air Service?
My grandfather served with them from 1915, and whilst there is a reasonable amount of literature out there, I have not a lot relating to their bases in East Anglia and anything to do with training.

He was a rigger, not aircrew.

Any suggestions gratefully received. (I have asked on the Nostalgia forum but thought I would try my luck here as well )
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/193x320/1b20147e_9b7b_41f3_a9ad_2baf66157ee7_4_5005_c_e86f91221d639d 304a6a0c857f7b2819553d4b18.jpeg
William Adair RNAS

[MPN11]

Snap! My Grandfather, Airframe Rigger, 9 Sqn RNAS and Depot at Dunkirk.

Can’t help with your query, but at least you have some suitable company!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/554x800/d0dfbca4_08f7_4188_924d_07b4e2b5b2e5_264cd4a54909c224a144435 a6f34eaefd7985441.jpeg

[NutLoose]

You might be able to get his records BTW

see

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/289670-r-n-a-s/

also may be of interest

https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-naval-air-stations

https://www.greatwarforum.org/

[MPN11]

Interesting links, Nutloose ... thank you!

[eastern wiseguy]

Snap! My Grandfather, Airframe Rigger, 9 Sqn RNAS and Depot at Dunkirk.

Can’t help with your query, but at least you have some suitable company!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/554x800/d0dfbca4_08f7_4188_924d_07b4e2b5b2e5_264cd4a54909c224a144435 a6f34eaefd7985441.jpeg Brilliant!!

[sandringham1]

Might we worth contacting the museum at Eastchurch it was an RNAS station, although not in East Anglia. https://www.facebook.com/Eastchurchaviationmuseum/

Richard

[ORAC]

https://www.military-history.org/books/the-royal-navys-air-service-in-the-great-war.htm

http://cloudobservers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/07/Royal-Naval-Air-Stations-100.per

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

https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details

[Liobian]

There's also some RNAS history in Alan Key's excellent book, The Fleet Air Arm: An Illustrated History, which may help.

Published by Scoval in 2008.

Good Hunting !

[Davef68]

Brad King's Royal Naval Air Service 1912 to 1918 (Hikoki) is very good, but it's long out of print and quite expensive. It does tend to deal with the operational side more than training, but I'm sure it mentions some training (Can't actually access my copy at the moment)

[WE Branch Fanatic]

This paper may be of interest:

Ashore, afloat and Airborne : The Logistics of British Naval Airpower, 1914-1945 by Benjamin Jones (https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/2935516/498772.pdf)

[SLXOwft]

I came across this Pen & Sword book: Voices in Flight: The Royal Naval Air Services during WWI £4.99 on Kindle. Written by former FAA AEO Malcolm Smith based on anecdotes"drawn from the extensive archive maintained by the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton". I think it is just pilots though. "He includes first-hand testimonies from pilots manning early seaplane stations."

I haven't read much about the RNAS since BRNC but I am going to buy this myself.

The following was in the bibliography of a history of the FAA I have:
The Navy Records Society (navyrecords.org.uk) published (in 1969) Documents relating to the Royal Naval Air Service , Volume I, 1908-1918 Edited by the RN Official Historian Capt. Stephen Roskill - I believe it is now available online to members (£40 per annum). "The documents are largely from the National Archives, with a small minority from personal collections in repositories such as Kings College London and the National Maritime Museum."

An internet search on 'Royal Naval Air Service books' returned quite a few others