Possible SE-5A Pilot

[Buster11]

Could any of the gathered brains of PPRuNe suggest a way in which I could find whether someone I knew about 60 years ago could have flown an SE-5A during WW1, as was generally believed. All I have is his name, no squadron details or rank. Grateful for any advice.

[ORAC]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-air-force-personnel/

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2132

[longer ron]

Airhistory have the muster rolls for RFC/RAF WW1
A bit slow to load if you use the text version but useful sometimes.
The details for each person are variable - some give a quite detailed potted history including Ranks held,Sqns and casualty etc - while others just have the Name,initials and 'trade'.
It is a useful tool though and might confirm if the individual was in the RFC and if you are lucky - maybe a Sqn number.

People index (http://www.airhistory.org.uk/rfc/people_index.html)

[Buster11]

Very many thanks, ORAC and Longer. I'll get stuck in.

[Buster11]

Looks like a visit to Kew's coming up, so thanks again. It's certainly getting narrowed down. Interesting how fashions for names change though; you don't get many Algernons, Redverses, Percivals, Reginalds, Clarences or Cedrics nowadays.

[aerobelly]

Airhistory have the muster rolls for RFC/RAF WW1


It is a useful tool though and might confirm if the individual was in the RFC and if you are lucky - maybe a Sqn number.

People index (http://www.airhistory.org.uk/rfc/people_index.html)
Thank you so much for that pointer! I was able to find the fate of a young man that my grandmother was nanny to while his father served as British Military Attaché in Berlin in circa 1900-03. Died [B502 SE5a] Probably spun with engine full on came to pieces at over 1000ft during practice. 2Lt JP Waters+ 56Sq in France 18/11/1917

I knew he had died in a training accident but no more. His father went on to be a Brigadier General inter-wars.

RIP Pat Waters.

'a

[longer ron]

Glad you found the link useful aero b.
Some of the entries have a fair bit of detailed info.

rgds LR

[aerobelly]

Glad you found the link useful aero b.
Some of the entries have a fair bit of detailed info.
#
Very useful, thank you.

To put a bit more flesh on the bones, Col. Waters was invited to see the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen and of course took his young son, and my grandmother to look after the boy. My grandmother recalled no other details when I asked her about it, she being probably less than 20 years old at the time and brought up in a village post-office & shop. The Waters must have made friends in Germany in the early years of the 20th C and maintained correspondence with them through the war. In my own family's archives is a letter from a German lady to Pat Water's mother with sympathies for the boy's death which was passed on to his earlier nurse. So in 1917 uncensored private post still went between Germany and the UK.

'a

[radar101]

From 56 Sqn archives

2Lt Waters John Patrick SR - joined 56 Sqn 3 Nov 17, killed 18 Nov 17 Listed as killed in accident in historical account in the 56 Sqn Operations Record
Not surprised - a lot of young pilots died while working up in the SE5A

eg - Jarvis Offutt (of the USAF Air Base named after him) died when he pulled up too quickly from a practice tactical dive and the wings were pulled off his aircraft.

Waters is commemorated on the Tenby War Memorial "John Patrick Waters, Second Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps. Killed, aged 18, on 18 November 1917, when the aeroplane in which he was flying broke apart"

[aerobelly]

Thank you radar101 for looking up these details, much more than I have ever known about Pat Waters. I hope Buster11 gets equal success in the search.

'a

[NRU74]

Also thank you radar101 for the Offutt steer. I first went to Offutt c 55 years ago and today is the first time I've ever looked up Jarvis O.
Thanks again!