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Frank Bradsell (1879-1950) - Reg No. 38202 RFC then RAF

Frank Bradsell (1879-1950) - Reg No. 38202 RFC then RAF

Posted: 5 Feb 2015 1:06PM GMT
Classification: Military
Surnames: Bradsell
Hello,

Please help struggling to find his war service records and medal card index. Hoping its on here and just a incorrect transcribe of his name.

He was baptized Francis Bradsell and married a Annie Louise Fancett.in 1909.

His DOB is 20 Sept 1979 and he died in 1950. We have a photo of him in 1917 in the 2nd Squadren Northolt and have a found a one page record on findmyP.

His Offical number was 38202.

Any help welcomed.

Re: Frank Bradsell (1879-1950) - Reg No. 38202 RFC then RAF

Posted: 6 Feb 2015 4:42AM GMT
Classification: Query
This post was deleted by the author on 6 Feb 2015 9:09AM GMT

Re: Frank Bradsell (1879-1950) - Reg No. 38202 RFC then RAF

Posted: 6 Feb 2015 8:10AM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you. I already have these images which I got from findmypast. I cannot find them on ancestry and was hoping to find the index medal card and a pension or service history. Does anyone know where I can find more on his Army history?

Thanks.

Re: Frank Bradsell (1879-1950) - Reg No. 38202 RFC then RAF

Posted: 13 Mar 2015 2:59AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 13 Mar 2015 3:02AM GMT
I don’t know what the content of infosending’s message was before he deleted it so I may be repeating at least some of what he said.

Quite simply you already appear to have everything that exists for Frank Bradsell’s WWI service.


“I already have these images which I got from findmypast. I cannot find them on ancestry”

*** Like some other British records presently on Ancestry are not online with any other company, you will not find images of RAF records on Ancestry (at least for a while). The National Archives has partnership agreements/contracts that give sole online rights for a fixed period of time in return for digitising the records for the NA.

“was hoping to find the index medal card”

***WWI Medal Index Cards were produced by the Army Medal Office to help them manage locating a person's details in the actual medal rolls produced by the various regiments. As Frank Bradsell transferred to RAF when it was formed and from which he was discharged in April 1920, it’s possible he may not have “an army” Medal Index Card on Ancestry.

His WWI medal entitlement is given on page 2 of his record (British War & Victory Medals) it gives the Theatre of War as “France from [blank] to 18/1/19 with notes, “2075: 30/8/21”, and “page 123, book 5” indicating they were issued on voucher No 2075 at the end of August 1921 but the page and book number is not the same format as RAF Medal Roll reference e.g. RAF/101B19 page 474 (from MIC of Abbey, Thomas R). This leads me to believe that he didn’t serve in France (or wasn’t considered as having served) until after the RAF was formed and as such the ONLY place his medal entitlement will be recorded is in his RAF record. Ref http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/r... Section 6.1

“ was hoping to find ….. and a pension or service history”. Does anyone know where I can find more on his Army history?

***He served with the RFC (was part of the Army) from 18 July 1916 but then went on to serve with the RAF until 1920, so any RFC record information would have been transferred to the RAF and should be included in his RAF records.
His RAF record includes all promotions during his RFC service but only records his unit service starting with 74 Squadron (a training squadron in Hertfordshire) and he continued with them when they moved to France in 1918. As you already know he served with 2 Squadron RFC at Northolt that isn’t in his RAF record, then unlike some records I’ve seen, it looks like only part of his RFC service details were transferred to his RAF record. Unfortunately other than the RAF Muster Roll (also on Findmypast) that means there will be no other record for him anywhere.

As to pension records, the only pension records on Ancestry are for Army Pensions and then only for men who claimed a pension for disability or debilitating illness caused by war service before 1922. If Frank Bradsell claimed any pension for residual disability due his broken ankle, provided payment ceased before 1935/9 (not certain of date) any record would be in the files of the Ministry of Pensions, but the National Archives only kept a sample of those files. Any records of pensions still in payment after that date will still be with the War Pensions Agency, Norcross, Blackpool, but they have destroyed many older records without any thoughts of archiving or because the National Archives didn’t want them
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