I’ve found a George Crowther in my family history research who as a 1st Class Air Mechanic RFC got his aviator’s certificate from the Royal Aero Club on 13 October 1915. He was just a working-class boy of 19 from Lancashire, and I can’t find him (nor did I expect to!) recorded among the officers. I rather think he would have joined the RFC directly in 1914, not transferred from an Army regiment. He survived the war.
What rank would he have held as the war progressed? I’ve come across a reference to the rank of Flight Sergeant in Sagittarius Rising, but can’t locate any explanation of who would be “allowed” to fly except Pilot Officers. Could he have flown as an air mechanic? I’d appreciate knowing something more of the structure and workings of the RFC – the RAF is by comparison well-documented.
Thanks!
Maggie
By: maggiemole - 31st March 2025 at 13:59
Now I can close this thread. Thanks to David Barnes who guided me correctly through AIR 79 (in contrast to TNA staff who had learned the opposite use of the index), I have found George’s record. He did not serve overseas – hence no medal. He went on to gain a Pilot 1st Class qualification in August 1916, but was classified under the trade of Car Driver – maybe he didn’t want to fly at the Front, or maybe the RFC didn’t want him to, who knows? On 21 Dec 1917 he was disrated as a pilot, and I’d guess it was because he simply wasn’t getting the flying hours.
Somehow he managed to fracture his skull, and was discharged 16 Nov 1918 as medically unfit with a six week pension.
I also now have his marriage certificate and the service record notes he married “without leave”!
Thank you all for your help.
Maggie
By: bazv - 31st March 2025 at 13:57
Hi again maggie
Do you know roughly when he fractured his skull ? a skull fracture might make the medics nervous about giving a pilot a high enough medical category to continue flying !If he had managed to become a 1st class pilot it might seem a little unlikely that the RFC would not want him to fly for them.
However a downgraded medical category would possibly be an automatic grounding.
edit…just a thought,if you know his marriage date,if he married without permission,he might have incurred the wrath of his CO I suppose ??
rgds baz
By: bazv - 1st January 2010 at 09:58
As a little thread creep,I stumbled upon this Hansard article where the ‘honourable’ gentlemen were debating whether ex RFC Observers should be allowed to wear their old ‘O’ Half Wing with Army uniform.
Seems a little harsh if they were not permitted to wear it since the ‘O’ wing was viewed as a survival decoration during WW1,a very hazardous job indeed.
By: maggiemole - 31st December 2009 at 21:48
Thanks, Stan: I see what you mean. There could be a whole lot of reasons why there might not be a medal awarded. I’m currently waiting to get a copy of George’s marriage certificate, having only recently been able to decide which one among many he was, and as this is from 1917 I am keeping my fingers crossed that he would have used his rank on the register, and maybe even his service number. (My father did in 1943, and he too was a sergeant pilot.) So there may be other ways to find him!
Maggie
By: Stan - 31st December 2009 at 09:46
Is there special significance in the fact that he isn’t on the medal rolls? It crosses my mind that maybe he didn’t serve overseas and might therefore not have had a medal? Or are many of these records missing, too?
Maggie
At the risk of oversimplifying WW1 campaign medal entitlements; The War Medal was awarded for overseas service and the Victory Medal for entering a theatre of operations. It was impossible to be awarded the 1914/1914-15 Stars or Territorial War Medal without qualifying for other campaign medals.
If he served in the UK for the whole war he wouldn’t have been entitled to anything.
More detail can be found here: (Moderator it’s a dealer’s site but I’ve only linked to the reference pages hope that’s OK)
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/ww1_1914_mons_star_wwi.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/ww1_1914_15_star.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/british_war_medal_1914_1918_1920.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/ww1_victory_medal.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/territorial_force_war_medal_1914.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/WW1memorialdeathplaque.htm
By: maggiemole - 31st December 2009 at 09:12
Gosh, you are all so helpful and knowledgable! Thank you for the suggestions and information.
Stan, I am always unsuccesful in driving the National Archives online, but am going to visit in the flesh shortly after the New Year, so I’ll enlist the helpful people there and see what turns up. Dave, you’ve been luckier than me!
Kev, you are quite right and have clearly followed my path! Yes, George was born in Bradford where his mother came from, but the family moved to Lancashire when he was a child and by 1911 were living in Nelson, Lancs. This is where he was when he joined up, and where he went back to after the Great War: he died there in 1972. I am probably guilty of some incorrect arithmetic to give him an age of 19 – except in my defence I’ll say that before I found the aviator’s actual certificate on Ancestry I was working from census data, which implies he was born in 1895, and I think he joined up in 1914, which led me to 19. But by 1915 he was certainly 21, you have it right. I am positive he is the same man, the path I have followed is tortuous (involving tracking the registration of a 1914 motorbike from a photograph!) and everything ties up. His father was Tom Crowther, son of my 2x GGF Joshua, from Halifax. Tom was the one who moved around, everyone else stayed put.
I haven’t been able to find him in any Ancestry military records, either: it may be that a visit to TNA will let me find him in the 1918 RAF transfer rolls. It is aggravating that so many WW1 records didn’t survive. Is there special significance in the fact that he isn’t on the medal rolls? It crosses my mind that maybe he didn’t serve overseas and might therefore not have had a medal? Or are many of these records missing, too?
Baz, thank you for all those interesting leads, especially the images of the badges, which begin to make sense of the ranks in the RFC. I haven’t read the long pdf article yet, but am saving it for when I’ve finished online this morning.
Maggie
By: bazv - 30th December 2009 at 19:28
An Article from ‘Air Power by’ W/C ‘Jeff’ Jefford about some of the RFC NCO pilots
pages 89-99 refer
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/497AFC72_1143_EC82_2E2229178FBF3228.pdf
By: bazv - 30th December 2009 at 19:09
Just out of general curiosity,and because NCO pilots were always of interest to me …
According to Flight Magazine…the first RFC NCO pilot was (quote) 2nd Corporal Frank Ridd ,Royal Engineers who qualified 4/6/1912 (aviators certificate 227) …
Also here…
Old Army ranks can be quite confusing 😀
Was a 2nd corporal similar to a Lance corporal ??:D
Hmmm…can of worms with different ranks for different units !!
By: kev35 - 30th December 2009 at 13:44
Maggie.
I’m a little confused. (Some here might just tell you that’s normal.)
You describe your George crowther as “just a working-class boy of 19 from Lancashire” but the George Crowther you’ve found the Royal Aero Club Certificate for was born September 10th, 1894, and was from Bradford in Yorkshire? The birthdate also means he was 21 when he gained his certificate. I cannot find a Medal Index Card for him either at Ancestry or at the National Archives. In fact I can find no medal index card for any George Crowther either in the Royal Flying Corps or Royal Air Force.The link bazv gave you to the Flight Archive is to the same man. It is puzzling because in the photo of the George Crowther who received his certificate, he is wearing the maternity jacket of the RFC and what appear to be RFC wings.
Do you have any more information on your George Crowther? Details such as middle initials, date of birth, or where he was born and was living when he joined up would be helpful.
It may well be the same man, but for the moment I am cautious. I’ll keep looking and see if I can find anything else.
Regards,
kev35
By: DaveH1962 - 30th December 2009 at 12:02
Maggie
I’m no expert on WW1 aviation but I do know that providing he didn’t go on to serve past the mid 1920’s your relative’s service record will be held by the National Archives on open view. This should give you all the detail you are seeking. I THINK you can order a copy electronically from their internet site.
I’ve done this recently, looking up my Grandfather’s records and he also served in the RFC.
You can download a copy of his Medal Record at a cost of £2.00 which will give you an overview of his entry into the service, theatre of ops. and rank attained.
Best of luck!
By: bazv - 30th December 2009 at 10:48
Link here to RFC rank structure (with pics)
By: bazv - 30th December 2009 at 10:45
Maggie
I realised afterwards that you had probably seen that link already 😀
The only 2 RFC Air Mechanic Pilots (ie who flew in that rank but not under training) that I am aware of are
…
(1)…Air Mechanic 2nd class Frank Courtney
(2)…Air Mechanic 1st class ‘Oujie’ Noakes
In fact F Courtney was instructing at Farnborough as an AM2.
But those 2 were unusual and I would imagine that most non commisioned pilots would have been promoted to sergeant as soon as they were awarded their ‘Wings’
rgds baz
By: bazv - 30th December 2009 at 10:20
Hi Maggie…welcome to the forum
Yes the RFC did have Non Commissioned Pilots.
George Crowther is mentioned in this old ‘Flight’ archive
when he recieved his pilots certificate.
edit…I misread it at first but it appears his Aviators certificate was No 1916
rgds baz
By: Stan - 30th December 2009 at 10:20
Maggie
I’m no expert on WW1 aviation but I do know that providing he didn’t go on to serve past the mid 1920’s your relative’s service record will be held by the National Archives on open view. This should give you all the detail you are seeking. I THINK you can order a copy electronically from their internet site.
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December 30, 2009 at 9:43 am