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Sgt. Albert Charles Jay
Royal Air Force
from:Pembroke Street, Islington
I have just found my Grandfathers service record and it has created more questions because I don't understand the Army lingo. He was Albert Charles Jay who joined the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in 1914, he actually left in December 1914. In May 1916 he joined the army again for the duration of the war, he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on the 31st March 1918 as a Corporal and became Royal Air Force on 1st April 1918 and they are the service papers I found. He was a Private when he left the Army and a Sergeant when the war ended. His Classification is listed as Disciplinarian, I dread to think what that means. I can't find out where he was or what he did during the war, he was supposed to have gone overseas but I can't see any info on that. I have two photos of him , which I will post on here. In a group where he is a Sergeant so I am assuming that was the RFC and on his own but in a different looking uniform. If any one can give me any information about what he would have done in the Army before the transfer or what his duties as a Disaplinarian in the RAC would have been, I would be very grateful.
Editor's Note: Private Albert Charles Jay served with the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment until 31st December 1914 and re-enlisted on the 31st May 1916 (Army unit not stated). He transferred into the Royal Flying Corps on the 31st March 1918. The Royal Flying Corps was renamed the Royal Air Force on the 1st April 1918. He was promoted Corporal and transferred to the Royal Air Force. He was promoted acting Sergeant (unpaid) on the 1st August 1918 and promoted Sergeant on the 25th Sep 1918. He was posted to C&S Upavon Dispersal Area on the 27th July 1919 for discharge, discharged to RAF Reserve in August 1919. Cannot find any record of the type of work he did or the army unit he served in from 1916 until move to RAF. In civilian life he had been a horse keeper at MICE(?) Railway. [Can find no reference to this historically] On his Marriage certificate - married on 4th August 1912 to Abigail Eliza Willson - his occupation is described as store keeper. Occupation in 1911 census was labourer. Quite a few of his siblings worked on the railways. Father was William Jay. Family lived in Islington area from Albert's birth in 1888.
