History of No.14 Balloon Section

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   Does the Royal Aero Club have albums for the Aeronauts' tickets? - Some of the earlier ones are there. I don't know whether records were kept during the war.

I'll take a look at the earlier C&C.

A very comprehensive account, with nice cover art by Peter Green and Joe Michie. The drawings from various manuals are reproduced as a fold out drop in - Drachen, Caquot and many of the adaptations to ships for fleet use at sea. 
I only feel 'qualified' to comment on the early history of RNAS kite balloons and David covered the Gallipoli campaign in two paragraphs - I regret my article uses very many more.

I don't believe the article can be usefully updated. But there is plenty of opportunity to enhance with new research and detailed articles on individuals and units.

I'll stick to my RNAS research, but thanks for the offer. Surely, someone else will have a go.

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Ian Burns Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Member Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 274	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ian Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 Jun 2014 at 21:23
	Does the Royal Aero Club have albums for the Aeronauts' tickets? - Some of the earlier ones are there. I don't know whether records were kept during the war. I'll take a look at the earlier C&C. A very comprehensive account, with nice cover art by Peter Green and Joe Michie. The drawings from various manuals are reproduced as a fold out drop in - Drachen, Caquot and many of the adaptations to ships for fleet use at sea. I only feel 'qualified' to comment on the early history of RNAS kite balloons and David covered the Gallipoli campaign in two paragraphs - I regret my article uses very many more. I don't believe the article can be usefully updated. But there is plenty of opportunity to enhance with new research and detailed articles on individuals and units. I'll stick to my RNAS research, but thanks for the offer. Surely, someone else will have a go.

Ian Burns Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Member Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 274	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ian Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 Jun 2014 at 22:10
	David Hide also has a brief but interesting article on KBs with the Grand Fleet - All At Sea, V32N3.

ROBPUGH Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Member Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 172	Post Options Post Reply Quote ROBPUGH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2014 at 10:13
	Because my main reply is ‘Pending Approval’, here is another casualty report you might find interesting in the meantime. To: - H.Q., R.F.C. ---------------- Date 28-11-17. Casualty report on Balloon No. F.M.86D. on charge of 2nd Balloon Wing, Section No.2. Date of issue: 23-10-17. Hours flown: 54. Details as to why Balloon is unserviceable: - Balloon was lost at 2.15 p.m. A heavy gust of wind struck the balloon while being taken from the winch to the bed. Owing to the slippery ground and obstacles intervening – e.g., a line of pollard willows – the crew failed to hold her, and the balloon blew away. H.Q., 2nd Brigade, R.F.C. ------------------------- Herewith report on loss of balloon F.M.86. I have investigated the matter, and am of opinion that the loss was due to an accident. The position from which the balloon ascended has been in use since July, and is considered a safe one. The Flight Sergeant, who was in charge of the crew, which was above the standard strength, is a capable N.C.O., and Lieut. Giffard, acting O.C., No.2 Section, was Ground Officer. The wind was not unduly high whilst the balloon was in the air, and it was hauled down when the wind commenced to rise. The suddenness and nature of the gust which caught the Balloon probably made it quite impossible to rip. The basket had been detached, but the balloon itself is believed to have been lost over the enemy lines. 28th November 1917. No.1 Squadron report Balloon seen to be brought down by E.A. over TOURCOING, after having been fired at by E.A.

Ian Burns Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Member Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 274	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ian Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2014 at 14:48
	Yes, the "Pending Approval" does seem to be stalled at the moment - I've had one stuck there for almost a week now. Webmaster please note! The loss report was very interesting. Mainly because it confirms that there was some form of serial number attached to the kite balloons. I have seen the following associated with 13 KBS, RNAS, at Aden : AM 74, BM 173 and SB 239. Yet another mystery waiting to be investigated.

KK Members Profile Find Members Posts Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2011 Location: uk Status: Offline Points: 147	Post Options Post Reply Quote KK Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jul 2014 at 12:54
	Major Faithful had a DSO but that might be for action in a Scottish regiment pre RFC

NickForder Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Senior Member Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Location: Bolton Status: Offline Points: 1369	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickForder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jul 2014 at 11:34
	GFB Faithfull, Major(KBO) in the April 1918 Air Force List. Are sure about the DSO ? There is no listing in the DSO book or the Honours & Awards supplement to the Army List.

NickForder Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Senior Member Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Location: Bolton Status: Offline Points: 1369	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickForder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jul 2014 at 11:21
	The Royal Aero Club does have balloon pilots' licence photo albums (they are on Ancestry) but many KBOs didn't get licences because they required experience with free reand that was available in England only and Trenchard was reluctant to send KBOs home to train for a pointless qualification (there being no free balloons in France). I re-read Alan Morris' 'The Balloonatics' over the weekend. Though it is a good read, it remains limited in that it concentrates on (relatively) unusual incidents (like attacks by aircraft), even though the author makes mention of trying to convey something of the routine nature of the work. One does wonder what happened to the veterans interviews, as only extracts are included in the book ? Generally, though, the book suffers from the same fault as Farndale's 'History of the Royal Artillery : Western Front 1914-1918', in that it contains lots of information but it is extremely difficult to determine what specific units were doing at a specific time. So, for instance, 12 KB Company, 3 Balloon Wing, was with VI Corps on 11.11.1918, but where was VI Corps and what were the artillery units the KBs were working with ? So, a Journal article on movements and artillery unit associations for KB units would be greatly appreciated (by me, at least !). I presume that the KBS would have a war diary, or would this be kept by the Company or Wing ? Next task is tracking the movements of 45 KBS 2.6.1918 to 1.1.1919...

NickForder Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Senior Member Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Location: Bolton Status: Offline Points: 1369	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickForder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jul 2014 at 16:36
	According to TNA Faithfull was a substantive Captain in the 126th Baluchis, Indian Army

NickForder Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Senior Member Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Location: Bolton Status: Offline Points: 1369	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickForder Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jul 2014 at 16:41
	Colonel George Ferdinand Hay Faithfull married Leila Elizabeth Josephine Reynolds, daughter of Sir James Philip Reynolds, 1st Bt. and Elizabeth Emilia Leila Roskell, on 17 July 1919. He was Officer, Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). He was Indian Army and Royal Air Force (d ) issue in 1942.

NickForder Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Senior Member Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Location: Bolton Status: Offline Points: 1369	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickForder Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jul 2014 at 16:43
	DODD, ALBERT, Lieut., Royal Air Force, 3rd son of Joseph (and Anna Maria) Dodd, of 304, New Chester Road, Port Sunlight. He was born 20 October 1898 in the parish of St Mary’s, Widnes, co. Lancaster. He completed his education at the West Bank Board Schools, Widnes, and was also educated at the Port Sunlight Schools, gaining a “Lever Scholarship” in July, 1911: continued his education at the Birkenhead Institute, and also gained an Oxford Junior and Senior Scholarship in 1914 and 1915. Certificates for the Lancashire and Cheshire Institute of Chemical Courses of 1915-16-17, and matriculated as a student of the London University in 1916. He was employed by Messrs’ Lever Brothers, Port Sunlight, as an Analytical Chemist. On 1 June 1917, at the age of 18 years and eight months, he joined the Artists’ Rifles OTC, and gained his commission to the Balloon Section, Royal Air Force, on 1 November 1917. He served with No.11 Balloon Section, British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, until 30 October 1918, when he was killed in action at Salache. Buried at Vicely, in a French cemetery. Lieut. Col. G F H Faithfull, command 3rd Balloon Wing, Royal Air Force, wrote: “Your son was a very promising officer and a good Observer, who had done a great deal of very valuable work during the strenuous times of the last few months,” and Major W Huxley: “He was one of my most keen young observers, and I was most interested in him, as he had shown great promise. He had, as you know, gained his Observer’s badge just before going.”"

History of No.14 Balloon Section

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