204878 Leading Mechanic Wilfred Claude Rowland Royal Naval Air Service from:Reading Wilfred Claude Rowland was born at 15 Lorne Street, Reading on the 11th May 1894. He was called by his second name, Claude, from a fairly early age. I have his Bible, it is inscribed: ‘Claude Rowland, All Saints Sunday School, Reading, chmas 1905. Emily Raikes/Super’
According to his Navy record his civilian occupation was as a motor mechanic and driver.
On 18th February 1916, during the First World War, he joined the Royal Navy. Served in: President II (Kingsnorth) this was one of the stations that constructed and operated Submarine Scout class airships. Kingsnorth Air Station was set up before the First World War, on the south side of the Hoo peninsula and the opposite side of the Medway to Chatham Dockyard.
Starting as an AMII, he was promoted to acting AMI 30th April 1917. He was transferred to Daedelus 1st July 1917. Daedalus was a hulk in the Medway used as the nominal depot ship for all RNAS personnel serving on other stations, which makes it impossible to know where he was at this time. His Trade Classification was Hydrogen Worker. Hydrogen balloons were used for spotting enemy positions and directing the targeting to hit them, the Navy used them to spot mines and submarines, not surprisingly the enemy was quite keen to shoot them down. Filling the balloons from tanks of compressed gas was a hazardous task even before they were launched. He was promoted to Leading Mechanic 1.Feb.1918 just as he was being transferred into the newly formed RAF. When the R.F.C. (Royal Flying Corps) and the R.N.A.S. (Royal Navy Air Service) became the Royal Air Force his rank changed to Cpl. Mech. and his service number became 212,110. At this time he was earning 5 shillings a day, over 3 times as much as a private on 1 shilling and sixpence a day.
The family believed that he was shot down whilst in an observation balloon, landed in no mans land during a gas attack and his lungs were damaged. His RAF service records do not corroborate this story. When he transferred to the RAF he was stationed back at Kingsnorth, he passed his Sergeant’s exam on 29.Oct.1918. He is still listed as a Hydrogen Worker but has no ‘special qualifications’ and the section headed ‘Casualties, Wounds, Campaigns, Medals, Clasps, Decorations, Mentions, Etc.’ has nothing recorded in it.
He moved from Kingsnorth 64470 Unit to the Discharge Centre at Crystal Palace on 3.Feb.1919 where the medical board gave him medical category ‘a’.
He was transferred to RAF G Reserve on 5. March 1919. The discharge date is blank but the records either side have ‘deemed’ Discharged 30.Apr.1920 on them, perhaps they turned over two pages as they whizzed through discharging everyone. His RNAS medal card records his eligibility for the British War Medal and nothing else so the other medal ribbons on his photo are a mystery.
So how did the story about the gas attack come about?
Hydrogen gas is very volatile and no doubt he inhaled at least a little every time he changed the pipes on the gas cylinders, this will have affected his lungs. It is possible the effects of the gas didn’t show up till later which is why he was passed as fit when he left the service, less charitable is the thought that the RAF Doctors were instructed to declare ‘fit’ as many men as possible to reduce the possibility of disability claims later. From his photo album it is clear he kept in touch with at least some of his comrades from the forces and probably discovered that he was not alone in developing a weak chest, it wouldn’t have taken much to put two and two together and realise the cause was the hydrogen gas. If anyone asked him about it he probably just told them it was the result of the gas he’d inhaled and they jumped to a wrong conclusion.
|