First World War airmen's religious rite records now online
30 June 2014
In association with The National Archives, Findmypast.co.uk has today released online 342,000 airmen's labor records of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, dating from 1899 end to 1939.
The records from the succession AIR 79 (Airmen's records) live in continence information about an individual's peacetime and military career, as well as a material description, religious denomination and family status. Next of kin are often mentioned and this over has been fully indexed and is easily searchable.
The majority of records in this collection put a ing on the First World War and be d from 1912 with the formation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Also included in the assemblage are records from 1899 on the Royal Engineers Balloon Service which served in the Boer War, providing deep view into the lives of Britain's earliest airmen.
Drawn from athwart the world
The records reveal in what state the First World War brought hand in hand men from across the globe to attend alongside each other. Over 58 nationalities served in the RAF for the period of First World War, with men signing up from in the same proportion that far afield as India, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Poland, Mexico, Romania and Germany.
Included in the records is the in the beginning Indian to fly into combat, Hardutt Singh Malik (AIR 79/634/68661), who became the barely Indian aviator to survive the declared hostilities, despite coming under significant attack and ending up with bullet wounds to his legs that required different months' treatment in hospital. After the war, Malik joined the Indian Civil Service, serving because the Indian ambassador to France. Following his solitude became India's finest golf gambler, even with two German bullets stationary embedded in his leg.
William Spencer, first cause and principal military records specialist at The National Archives said: 'These records reveal the many nationalities of airmen that joined forces to battle in the First World War. Now these records are online, rabble can discover the history of their ancestors, through everything from their physical appearance suitable through to their conduct and the fearless acts they carried out which helped to get the war.'
View the records online or inspect The National Archives, Kew, to inspect a copy of the original records notwithstanding free.
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