Uniform, service & approx. yr..........

[Jen~Ealogy]

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s286/Lillylin/grandfatherwilliamdutton2.jpg

My grandfather, second row from back, third in from the left.....can anyone tell me exactly what the uniform is please and when the pic may have been taken?

I believe he served in the Air Force but don't know what his duties would have been, I don't believe he was a flyer as he had a slight squint in one eye.
He was born in 1883, so I don't know if this would have been around/during the 14/18 war or, whether it was a national service uniform.

If it was during WW1 that would have made him about 31ish, which looks about right but as I didn't know him in person, it's difficult to make a guess at.

[borobabs]

Posted pic for you Jen

[Jen~Ealogy]

Thanks a lot Babs, I don't know why I'm only getting them up with the link, and not on full view.......this never used to happen.

[borobabs]

You need to use the very last line in the drop down box on photo bucket;;
all I do is R click copy and come on and paste ;;

[Jen~Ealogy]

That's what I do Babs, last line right click to copy and come on here but when I put the pic in the thread, the url never shows up so I go to edit and copy from there, which it allows me to do, but you don't get the picture without clicking on the link???
I used to be able to do it correctly/easily with the url showing in the thread so don't know what's changed but this has gone on for months now.

[borobabs]

Have you tried the other links in the yellow postcard shape , when I click onto postcard I take out the http and then copy and paste

[Jen~Ealogy]

It's the postcard I always use Babs......is there another way to go about it then, in case that's the answer here?

[Jen~Ealogy]

I may have just answered my own question there Babs.......if I ignore the postcard and go straight to edit, then paste........that might work.

[borobabs]

If you use the last line on PB then you just paste it as normal dont use the box lol try it and see ;;

snap

[Jen~Ealogy]

grandfather

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s286/Lillylin/grandfatherwilliamdutton2.jpg

[Jen~Ealogy]

Nope......that didn't work either Babs..

[don.t]

Jen........ The photograph is from the 1st World War period and he is dressed in the uniform of the Royal Flying Corps or Royal Air Force depending on just when the photograph was taken. The tunic that he has on is the plastron fronted tunic worn by the RFC/RAF at that time. The Royal Air Force was formed on 1st April 1918 with the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

don

[Jen~Ealogy]

Thankyou for the info Don, would he have been enlisted then and if so, would he have only served the obligatory 2 yrs, if say it was after 1918?
He did have a young family at that time and we were never aware that he served any great length of time in the service.

[don.t]

what was his name Jen as many men who were in the RFC/RAF transferred over from the army and you may find him on the medal index card's at Kew.

don

[Jen~Ealogy]

His name was William Dutton Don. Never heard no talk of the Army though Don.

[don.t]

Morning Jen..........The reason that I ask is that the picture shows a mixture of uniforms with some wearing the service dress of the army whilst some have the plastron tunic of the RFC/RAF, the back row is the best example as all the men except one are wearing army uniform. Also you will note that some are wearing a service dress cap while others have the forage cap that was adapted from the army and worn by the air service, both cap's would be in khaki as it was only after the 1st world war and after the RAF had become established that the uniform was blue. I can only see one serviceman with a ribbon up in the whole picture so would suggest that it predates 1919. I have not had to search for any family members who were in the air service during either war but believe that you can get detail's from documents at Kew that give such things as name, address and units served in from the 1st World War RFC/RAF, you will have to look at Document AIR 76 to obtain the information. Unfortunately it does mean a visit to Kew as these documents are not on line (I would check it out that I have the right document first just in case I have it wrong).

As for the length of service, most service personnel signed on/were attested for the duration of the war and were discharged from service by the end of 1919 (as I understand it), whilst many had been pre war soldiers and had either carried on as normal in their regiment or as in the case of one of my grandfathers had served in the military before in the Territorial Force and had transferred over to the regulars. Do not forget that the soldier (or in fact any one in the service's) could stay in the force's after the war and sign up for a continuation of their service.

don

[borobabs]

Nope......that didn't work either Babs..

Sorry babe all I can suggest is trying out few dif ways with each one , I only use the 4th one now easier ;;

[Jen~Ealogy]

Thanks Babs, I will have a play around....and if nothing works, at least I'm still getting the pics on here even if they're not visible.

Don, thankyou for your most interesting information, which I shall steadily sift through. I shall have a word with my brother whom I beleive has some kind of document......in the form of a certificate (I think), which belonged to grandfather and related to his service. I have never seen it myself so cannot explain further....... but it may be somewhere to start.

I think grandfather would have been demobbed (2 b's?) after the war, as his little family was growing steadily (8 children in all).....and once back on civvy st. he supported them by working for a window cleaning company.