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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: andrewdwilliams on Saturday 19 January 19 12:22 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I'm looking at the RFC/RAF service record of one of my ancestors from the First World War. It has some detail on the units he served with, but I can't figure out exactly what they are. From my reading of it, the units seem to be:
7 B. W.
1 B. Sq.
? C Clipstone (probably Clipstone Camp for demobbing)
I would have thought the B. referred to 'Bomber' but there is no reference to a 7th Bomber Wing in the RFC/RAF, and 1 Squadron appears to have had a reconnaissance role. Unless it is actually an R. and I am reading it wrong. Attached is the text as it appears on the service record if anyone has a better idea.
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The B is balloon. 1 Balloon Squadron (Crystal Palace) within 7 Balloon Wing are those mentioned. I can't find an RAF connection with Clipstone.
MaxD
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Clipstone is a village near Mansfield Nottinghamshire but during WW1 had a large training camp built for new recruits to the army. There may have been balloons there for defence of the trainees.
https://www.ourmansfieldandarea.org.uk/content/place/clipstone/clipstone-camp
During WW2 there was a nearby RAF camp at Worksop.
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The B is balloon. 1 Balloon Squadron (Crystal Palace) within 7 Balloon Wing are those mentioned. I can't find an RAF connection with Clipstone.
MaxD
That's great, thank you. I hadn't even considered Balloon as the prefix.
As it explicitly mentions Clipstone I think it must mean the camp rather than the Worksop camp as medpat has helpfully suggested. Although as it was 1919 I think it may have been possible he passed through for demob purposes.