Nature of Source
Records of officers attached to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) which was established in 1912. Originally the RFC was a corps of the British Army. The records of RFC officers who died or were discharged before the creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 will also be found in the series of records. All official officer service records were destroyed by enemy action during WWII which includes the records of officers who left the RFC immediately before WWI.
These surviving service records were extracted from War Office correspondence of pre-war regular army officers. Officer records and details can also be found in the Army Lists.
For RFC officer service records see:
Army – Officer Service Records
Royal Air Force – Service Records, Officers
The Royal Flying Corps was established in 1912 coming under the control of the War Office. The RFC included the Military Wing and Naval Wing, the latter becoming the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in July 1914 under the control of the Admiralty. The Royal Air Force was founded on 1 April 1918 following the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps coming under control of the newly created Air Ministry. The RFC and RNAS and the RAF are and were organised into squadrons (roughly equivalent of an army regiment), wings and groups, although confusingly for RNAS research a number of different squadrons and wings were assigned the same number.
During WWI, the RFC was deployed over the battlefields performing aerial reconnaissance trips and bombing missions whilst the RNAS was also deployed for home defence against enemy attack and overseas.
Service records for all deceased service personnel who served after 1920 remain with the Ministry of Defence with each military service maintaining its own record office. See the MOD detailed guide ‘Requests for personal data and service records: How to apply for access to personal data held by the Ministry of Defence’. You can apply for Royal Air Force (RAF) records online if you’re the person’s immediate next of kin, the person died more than 25 years ago or the person died less than 25 years ago but you only want basic information about them.
Period Covered
1912 – 1918
Genealogical Value
N/A
Further References
- Bevan, Amanda. Tracing Your Ancestors in the National Archives: The National Archives, 2006
- Cooksley, Peter G. & Batchelor, Peter F. VCs of the First World War The Air VCs: The History Press, 2014
- Cooksley, Peter G. The Royal Flying Corps 1914-1918: The History Press, 2014
- Fowler, Simon. A Guide to Military History on the Internet: Pen & Sword, 2007
- Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your First World War Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword, 2013
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988: Air Britain Historians, 1989
- Hobart, Malcolm. Badges And Uniforms of The RAF: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
- Hobson, Chris. Airmen Died in the Great War, 1914-18: The Roll of Honour of the British and Commonwealth Air Services of the First World War: Hayward, 1995
- Lee, Arthur Gould. Open Cockpit: Grub Street, 2012
- Ingham, Mary. Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books 2012
- Levine, Joshua. Fighter Heroes of WWI: The Extraordinary Story of the Pioneering Airmen of the Great War: Collins, 2011
- McConnell, James. Recollections of the Great War in the Air: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2013
- McInnes, I & Webb, J. V. A Contemptible Little Flying Corps: Naval and Military Press, 2001 (Includes brief biographies of all non-commissioned airmen who joined the RFC between 1922 and 1914)
- Mackersey, Ian. No Empty Chairs: The Short and Heroic Lives of the Young Aviators Who Fought and Died in the First World War: Phoenix, 2013
- Philpott, Ian, The Birth of the Royal Air Force: Pen and Sword Books 2014
- Spencer, William. Air Force Records: A Guide for Family Historians: The National Archives, 2008
- Spencer, William. Family History in the Wars: The National Archives, 2007
- Spencer, William. Air Force Records: The National Archives, 2008
- Storey, Neil. Military Photographs and How to Date Them: Countryside Books, 2009
- Tomaselli, Phil. Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2014
- Tomaselli, Phil. Air Force Lives: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
- Tracing Your Family History: Royal Air Force: Imperial War Museum, 2006
- Usher, George. Dictionary of British Military History: A&C Black Publishers, 2006
- Yeates, V.M. Winged Victory: Grub Street, 2004
TNA Research Guide: RAF, RFC and RNAS personnel after 1913
TNA Research Guide: Looking for records of a British Army officer after 1913
Websites
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/officerroyalflyingcorps.htm (TNA Guide: Looking for records of an officer in the Royal Flying Corps)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Corps (Wikipedia: Royal Flying Corps)
www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html (Veterans UK)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=military-and-maritime (TNA Research Guide Military and Maritime)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-subject (TNA guide: Looking for records of a Royal Air Force squadron)
www.iwm.org.uk/research/tracing-your-family-history/tracing-your-army-history (Imperial War Museum Research Guide: Tracing Your Family History. Guides to help you start your research into your Royal Air Force family history explaining what records you will need and where to find them. Subject areas include: Service records; Casualty information; Medal records; Unit and operational histories)
www.rfc-rnas-raf-register.org.uk (David J Barnes Military & Aviation Research 1914 -1919: R.F.C., R.N.A.S.,R.A.F. Register 1914-1919. Central source of service and biographical information of all those who served in the British and Commonwealth Aerial Forces during the First World War)
https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWRFC.htm (Spartacus Educational. Royal Flying Corps)
www.ukmfh.org.uk (UK Military Family History Online: Links to web sites with online data and information to aid in military family history research)
www.militaryarchiveresearch.com (Military Archive Research, by Dr Stuart C Blank)
www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/our-history (Royal Air Force: Our History)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/lest-we-forget (Royal Air Force Museum Information Leaflets including Researching First World War personnel, Researching Royal Air Force unit records and Researching Royal Air Force stations)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/research-enquiries/history-of-aviation-timeline (Royal Air Force Museum: History of Aviation Timeline)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/lest-we-forget (Royal Air Force Museum Online Exhibition: Lest We Forget)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/MilitaryRecords (GENUKI Guide: UK and Ireland: Military Records)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/BritMilRecs (GENUKI: British Military Records by Jay Hall)
www.waafassociation.org.uk (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Association. In dedication to all past and serving airwomen of the RAF who served at home and abroad, we pledge our friendship; and to those who lost their lives, remembrance)
www.associations.rafinfo.org.uk/acronyms.htm (Royal Air Force Acronyms and Abbreviations)
www.rafaberporth.org.uk/page25.html (Royal Air Force Aberporth. RAF Slang and Acronyms)
https://war.web.ox.ac.uk/great-war-archive (Oxford University: The Great War Archive: WWI digital photographs, audio, film, documents, and stories submitted by the general public. The initiative was run by Oxford University between the 3rd March and the 30th June 2008. Users can share First World War objects on the The Great War Archive Flickr Group)
www.europeana.eu/portal/en/collections/world-war-I (Europeana 1914-1918. Explore the untold stories and official histories of World War I in items from across Europe including postcards, letters, diaries, images and other memorabilia)
Online Databases
See:
Army – Officer Service Records
Royal Air Force – Service Records, Officers
CD Roms
Surrey History Trust (Surrey Recruitment Register, 1908-1933. details of about 85,000 men who signed up for service in Surrey between 1908 and 1933, including volunteers and conscripts in World War I)
Naval & Military Press (Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1919: This publication is arranged in two parts: Part I The Old and New Armies, Part II The Territorial Force. RFC officers, both Regular and Territorial, are included in Part I, but not RAF, which came into existence on 1st April 1918)
Manchester and Lancashire FHS (Oldham Chronicle Index of Service Personnel 1914-1919: Details of service personnel mentioned in the Saturday editions of the Oldham Chronicle1914 to the end of December 1919)
