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Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS)

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Rioja

Rioja Report 16 Mar 2008 14:03

Hello,

Could anyone shed any light on where to look for more info on the Royal Naval Air Service, in particular the following references?

I have just found out through TNA Seaman's Registers that my 2 x great grandfather was involved from June 1917 for a number of years.

I t looks like he was training first of all on HMS President II in Crystal Palace and then in Daedalus in Marston? which I gather are both land based training establishments.

Later in the record it mentions Westgate Air Btn, Engaged to R.A.F.

Naval/R.A.F records are a new area to me, so any help would be greatly appreciated

Regards

Claire Moores

Jane

Jane Report 16 Mar 2008 14:10

HI Claire

HMS Daedalus was in Lee On the Solent, Gosport. It is now closed. It was an training establishment. I don't know whether there was any other base called Daedelus.

Jane

Rioja

Rioja Report 16 Mar 2008 14:16

Thanks Jane,

That's great, thankyou, I will look it into it!

Claire

Jane

Jane Report 16 Mar 2008 14:23

After the WW1 the Royal Naval Air Service combined with the Royal Flying Corps to become the RAFand the FleetAir Arm. Both the RNAS and RFC men were drawn from the Royal Navy and Army respectively and Military Records may be found at Kew in any of those lists, check the guides on line or at Kew.

"Land based ships" such as HMS President and Daedalus were training establishments or barracks.

I have used this site http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKRNMainBases.htm to find out about bases such as these.

Jane

Jane

Jane Report 16 Mar 2008 14:51

Hi again, Claire

Just to add more to the mix, I took the following from the dreaded Wikipedia:

"The history of military aviation at Cranwell goes back to 1 April 1916 when the Admiralty commissioned the site as the Royal Naval Air Service Training Establishment, Cranwell. As the naval personnel were held on the books of HMS Daedalus, a hulk that was moored on the River Medway, this gave rise to a misconception that Cranwell was first established as HMS Daedalus.

With the establishment of the Royal Air Force as an independent service in 1918, the RNAS Training Establishment became RAF Cranwell, where young men and women still train to become Officers in the RAF. "

This website (http://www.rocassoc.org.uk/open/items/06/08cranwell.htm) is worth looking at to explain why your relative's records showed "HMS Daedalus". By tradition, all Naval personnel have their records held on a "depot ship" - if there isn't a ship to hand they will bring one with them. In this case they used a hulk (a decommisioned ship) built in 1826 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Daedalus_%281826%29).

Best wishes in your search

Jane

Rioja

Rioja Report 16 Mar 2008 15:26

Well, there seems to be a couple of possibilties here, thankyou for all your assitance!

Claire