R.F.C. ??

[Borley Manor]

Hi anyone,
     
      I have a reference by one of my maternal ancestors, about a Robert Kerr, possible son/grandson, doing the loop the loop, November 1st 1918. The possibilities of him being in the R.F.C. are reasonably good, age wise that is, so how does one get a copy of his Records
    Would it have been possible to have flown along with another chap/pilot just for a joy ride, that near to the wartime shenanigans  He may well have come from the Lancashire/Cumberland neck of the woods.....

Any help much appreciated

Borley Manor.

[ainslie]

The National Archives has a medal index card for a Robert James Kerr, RFC, Royal Flying Corps, no.53207, rank Air Mechanic 2nd Class, which you can download for £2.50 online, or see free via Ancestry.
It will show what campaign medals he earned, and may have more, such as a date of entry into a war zone.

[Borley Manor]

Bless you Ainslie,
   That was so quick. I only learnt of his existence this morning, and now this.
I must confess to not being up too snuff on the R.F.C. at all. It was all sealing wax and string, with a tent around the outside, as far as I can tell......I will get some books on the matter, that is how I do all my learning nowadays..

Thanks again, wonderful....
Borley Manor.

[annswabey]

Records for this Robert James Kerr are on Ancestry.  Living Camberwell, aged 34 in 1915.  Married Emily Ada Smith 1910, 2 children.  Don't know whether this is your man?

[mmm45]

May throw a spanner in the works here... RAF was formed April 1918.
RFC/RNAS amalgamated.
RAF records arent searchable online although held at Kew there are Medal Index Cards available online to RFC and some RAF
Ancestry also has Aero Club of Great Britain licences files which are worth checking
The lad 53207 was discharged in 1917 from RFC with Silver war Badge and Pension due to sickness.

Ady

[Borley Manor]

Records for this Robert James Kerr are on Ancestry.  Living Camberwell, aged 34 in 1915.  Married Emily Ada Smith 1910, 2 children.  Don't know whether this is your man?

Hi,
    This so usual for this family, if it is this chap, then I have him being born Liverpool J/F/M/ 1889. So, this leaves us ten years awry somewhere. My chappie is one of three brothers, a Gordon, and a Norman. Also, he has three sisters, I haven't got a clue who they are though. It would appear, that they moved from Toxteth L'pool, into Carlisle some time, as the remnants are living 56, Nelson Street Carlisle in 1901. The head is a Mary Elizabeth Kerr, her father/grandfather is living there as well aged 55 years....It just gets better and better as I try and delve.......

Thanks for your efforts everyone, it is appreciated...

Borley Manor

I have obtained te medal record of the chap we are talking about...  It looks as though he was discharged through sickness some while before he looped the loop enlisted 8.12.1915 and discharged 6.12.1917.  So, maybe this isn't the chap after all, back to the drawing board...

[mmm45]

416216 Sapper RW Kerr looks like he was awarded the 1915 star with Royal Engineers and then transferred to RAF so its a possibility??

Ady

[Romilly]

You can download RFC Service Records from the NA Site. I've done this with my late Uncle's Service Record, & incidentally he was still RFC in 1918.

They are downloadable from AIR 76/554 in the Catalogue on that Site.

HTH, Romilly.

[forester]

The roll for his Star is RFC, but the RAF number (406360 when you look closely) is for transfers from the Army to the RAF, September 1918. So definitely a possibility.

Phil