Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

On April 13^th 1912 King George V signed a royal warrant establishing the Royal Flying Corps. The early days of military flying became a reliable cost effective way of reconnaissance. Initially the Royal Flying Corps (FRC) consisted of a Military and a Naval Wing with the Military Wing that was made up of 133 officers, and by the end of that year it had 12 manned balloons and 36 aeroplanes.

The RFC's motto was Per ardua ad astra ("Through adversity to the stars"). This remains the motto of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other Commonwealth air forces.

The RFC's first fatal crash was on 5 July 1912 near Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. Killed were Captain Eustace B. Loraine and his observer, Staff Sergeant R.H.V. Wilson, flying from Larkhill Aerodrome. An order was issued after the crash stating "Flying will continue this evening as usual", thus beginning a tradition.

These vital preparations were worth the wait in gold when war broke in 1914. The Royal Flying Corps produced a country wide recruitment drive to entice 18 to 30 year old men to take to the skies. It is believed, that a member of the Howard family stepped forward in this early period. There are also some suggestions that this conscription push came to Glossop. There is a tiny piece hidden away in an article found in one of the local papers in 1914 adverting positions for The Royal Flying Corps.

Do you know anyone from Glossop who was involved with The Royal Flying Corps?

The pay was good, from two shillings a day for a Mechanic unto nine shillings a day for a Warrant Officer. The RFC were also responsible for the manning and operation of observation balloons on the Western front.

It was in 1918 when The Royal Flying Corps merged with the RAF witch still exists today. By the end of the Great War, the RFC had 3,300 aircraft with 5,182 pilots in service.

If you know someone who served with The Royal Flying Corps or documents of a recruitment drive in Glossop please get in touch.

By M. Cox

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