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Description: | 2 interesting ms & ts diaries (98pp) kept during his service as a rigger in the RNAS, with the eventual rank of Warrant Officer, January 1915 - February 1919, and describing his experiences during Flight Commander J T Cull's expedition to East Africa to assist in the destruction of the German cruiser Konigsberg (January - July 1915); in Mesopotamia under the command of Squadron Commander R Gordon during the advance up the River Tigris to Kut (October 1915), the rapid retreat to Basra (November - December 1915) and the unsuccessful attempts to relieve Kut (January - April 1916); his service in the United Kingdom as senior technical NCO of No 3 Flight based at Calshot Naval Air Station, (August 1916 - March 1917) and as Chief Petty Officer, No 3 Aircraft Depot, initially based at Dunkirk, No 4 Armament Supply Depot (?) and No 3 ASD (now under the control of the RAF) with responsibility for the inspection and construction of aircraft (March 1917 - November 1918). Some of the diary entries reveal signs of the latent rivalry between the RNAS and the RFC prior to the creation of the RAF in April 1918 and he also comments directly on his feelings of regret at the loss of the RNAS' independence.
Cataloguer AAM
Catalogue date 2001-04-24 | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Sutcliffe, G W | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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