Just noticed that the National Archives have now finished cataloguing all First World War Royal Air Force airmen's service records by name. The airmen's records are in series AIR 79: Detecting your browser settings Still can't find this chap though. I read the name on the postcard as 'C. J. Pinson' but this doesn't match any pre-1920 airmen's records. Am I reading the handwriting incorrectly? I've come up with another possible name but first would like to see what the collective wisdom here thinks? Lee
I had trouble finding my grandfather, Herbert Rees Blake, service record for RFC . Most of the records were at the Record Office in London which was bombed during WW2. I was lucky to find his name mentioned at National Archives and am waiting for the paperwork which has cost £26 + post. I hope it is worth it. PS If any one knows the occasion of the march past Royal Albert Hall I would be grateful.
Red ling should have asked me, I could have copied his airmen's record for less than a quarter of that cost! The RFC/RAF records are intact but were just not completely indexed by name until earlier this week. Herbert's record is: AIR 79/842/92830. However, I haven't been able to locate any records for a C J Pinson sadly. Lee
Thanks Lesley, although I was kind of hoping it was something else. Care to give us all a clue? I can't see it being anything else but Pinson
There is an RAF service record for a C F Pinsow but really don't think that second initial can be an 'F'. Care to give us all a clue? I can't see it being anything else but Pinson
Ancestry's handwriting guide If he began writing an F, like the topmost one above, from as low down as he did both Cs, he could have easily produced this result. Note the unnatural sharpness of the LHS of the top loop of the supposed J as far more likely formed by the cross-bar of an F meeting an unusually-angled top stroke. Or, then again, I could read his middle initial as an A. But as for the final letter, though ws may look like ms and vice versa through varying loop sharpness, both loops are almost invariably equally sharp/blunt and not as unequal as an interpretation as w would here seem to require. So I'd agree to Pinson - half-way to C F Pinsow but not quite there which makes me wonder whether an error in the record could account for the remaining disagreement. Steve
Lee, I'm a little confused by the expression above the written name, "Yours to a ??????". The first letter in that word and and the first initial are exactly the same. Am I missing something obvious here? Later: It appears to be an old expression of endearment - "Yours to a Cinder". That does retain "C" so no change there. Sorry for the sidetrack.
Ancestry's handwriting guide If he began writing an F, like the topmost one above, from as low down as he did both Cs, he could have easily produced this result. Note the unnatural sharpness of the LHS of the top loop of the supposed J as far more likely formed by the cross-bar of an F meeting an unusually-angled top stroke. Or, then again, I could read his middle initial as an A. But as for the final letter, though ws may look like ms and vice versa through varying loop sharpness, both loops are almost invariably equally sharp/blunt and not as unequal as an interpretation as w would here seem to require. So I'd agree to Pinson - half-way to C F Pinsow but not quite there which makes me wonder whether an error in the record could account for the remaining disagreement. Steve Steve, that's a useful handwriting guide. Thanks for that. Someone else has also suggesed 'A' and 'L' for the middle initial. I will pull the record for Pinsow in case the surname has been transcribed incorrectly in the Archives catalogue. The names are also handwritten in the service records, so the transcriber could have the same difficulty.
Cee, agreed it says "Yours to a Cinder" which would be a term of endearment to a sweetheart or wife, as in 'yours to ashes' or 'yours forever'. Although then signing it like that seems rather formal these days. Lee, I'm a little confused by the expression above the written name, "Yours to a ??????". The first letter in that word and and the first initial are exactly the same. Am I missing something obvious here? Later: It appears to be an old expression of endearment - "Yours to a Cinder". That does retain "C" so no change there. Sorry for the sidetrack.
This is where I'm at... There are no C Pinsons listed in the airmen records. The closest alternative is Cecil Frank Pinsow. Not being listed in the airmen service records could imply that he never transferred to the RAF. So the only C Pinsons listed in the medal cards are: Pinson, Charles Henry, Royal Field Artillery, 2148, Driver; Royal Field Artillery, 820697, Driver Pinson, Charles, Royal Garrison Artillery, 122792, Gunner No army service records for a C Pinson. <strike>Cecil Frank Pinsow not having a medal card could imply he never served in the RFC, so he's probably a red herring.</strike> (Edit: strike the above, I'm talking nonsense RFC transferring to the RAF and/or serving overseas from 1916 will not have an Army medal card anyway). So next thing to dig out is Gunner Charles Pinson's medal card and medal rolls.
OK Lee, Trying another tack, assuming him to be born in England/Wales between 1890 & 1905, I just ran a FreeBMD search for "C* Pinso*" births and got: * 1891 Q4 - PINSON, Claribel - Wolverhampton v6b p585 * 1894 Q1 - PINSON, Charles Henry - W. Derby v8b p437 * 1894 Q4 - PINSON, Charles Henry - Wolverhampton v6b p636 * 1895 Q4 - PINSON, Charles Edward J - Merthyr T. v11a p630 * 1899 Q1 - PINSON, Clarissa Plesance - Wolverhampton v6b p647 * 1900 Q1 - PINSON, Cecil Frank - King's N. v6c p447 * 1901 Q4 - PINSON, Charlotte - Stepney v1c p358 * 1902 Q3 - PINSON, Charles Victor - Bromley v2a p526 * 1905 Q2 - PINSON, Charles Henry - Stepney v1c p365 Hardly exhaustive but note no PINSOWs whatsoever (suggesting that's not a real surname) and Cecil Frank PINSON looking all the more likely... HTH, Steve PS: For belt 'n' braces I just reran the above search for "* C* Pinso*", in case of the old forename switcheroo so popular in my family, with no serious contenders amongst the 8 new results - though one was, teasingly, 1900 Q4 - PINSON, Jack Charles - Bromley v2a p464 !
Good find Steve. That does imply an error in the Archives catalogue at least. If he is my man that would make him between 16 to early 18-years-old in the photo. I will definitely check the "Pinsow" record to get a date of birth and see if there was previous RFC service.
Hi PsyWar.Org Yes should have thought of you. Have read plenty of your threads. The ref. that you quoted is exactly what I have ordered so I do not know what I am going to get. I had been on "Ancestry" and all the records they have for my grandfather are for him in 1st Gloucester Rifles 1904-1908
Red ling, here's an example of a typical airman's record. Two pages with most of the details on the first page. Lee
RAF officer service records are in a different record series. The place to look for him would be in file: AIR 76/79 but this file is listed as missing unfortunately. I can't find 2nd Lt S F Case on there: can anyone else track down his records?
Is it possibly an "I"? My name, Irene, is written with more of a "J" look sometimes. Also is there a faint line at the bottom of the "P" in Pinson making it "Binson"? Just a thought. Just noticed that the National Archives have now finished cataloguing all First World War Royal Air Force airmen's service records by name. The airmen's records are in series AIR 79: Detecting your browser settings Still can't find this chap though. I read the name on the postcard as 'C. J. Pinson' but this doesn't match any pre-1920 airmen's records. Am I reading the handwriting incorrectly? I've come up with another possible name but first would like to see what the collective wisdom here thinks? Lee
