Changing from Army to R.A.F. (WW1)

[Chestnutvilla]

Hello,

The following is from my Grandfather's medal card.

Medal Card Details:
Medal card of Crisp, John C H
Corps/Regiment/No/Rank
1st Lincolnshire Regiment 10/468 Private
Army Service Corps 185604 Corporal
2nd Royal Air Force 185604 Corporal
Date 1914-1920
Catalogue reference WO 372/5

Was it possible for an individual to change from the Army to R.A.F? I've noticed that the number has remained the same for the Army Service Corps and the 2nd Royal Air Force. Was this a natural progression from one to the other, or did he just decide to leave the army for the R.A.F?

He started off in Lincolnshire where he was born, but ended up in the Surrey/London area during wartime.

The Absent Voters List of Grimsby 1919 also states:

CRISP, John Cyril Horace
16 College Street, Cleethorpes.
10th Lincs. A.P.C., Surrey

Does anyone know what A.P.C. would stand for...Army Pay Corps, Army Police Corps??? (He was a police constable for the London Metropolitan Police after the war.)

Any help with the above would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Jilly

[Peter_uk_can]

Hi Jilly.

Here is a link to an interesting site about the Air Service.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafi...FADAA9DB6E.pdf

..

[Peter_uk_can]

A Google Search for 1914-18 Military Abbreviations (Personnel) brought up these results.

APC : Army Pay Corps and Assistant Principal Chaplain

From what you said in your posting, I would hazard a guess at the former.

[Neil Wilson]

The Royal Air Force was formed on the 1st April 1918 from various army units - in the middle of your grandfather's service.

[Chestnutvilla]

Thank you Peter and Neil for both of your responses to my message. They have been very helpful. The website about the beginnings of the R.A.F. is very interesting and informative.

I'm assuming that the Army Pay Corps must have dealt with financial matters of the Army.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

Regards,

Jilly

[Peter_uk_can]

You are welcome Jilly. I am sure I speak for Neil and everyone on BG Forum.

Thankyou goes a long way in helping the next person.

Peter

Wpg
Mb. The flat bit in the middle

[Mary Anne]

Jilly

If you want more information on anything to do with WW1, try The Great War Forum, they are very knowledgeable folks - there's not a thing about WW1 that's worth knowing that they don't know. Google "The Great War Forum"

Mary Anne

[Chestnutvilla]

Thanks Mary Ann and Peter! This is a great forum!

I'll take a look at The Great War Forum, Mary Ann. Thanks for passing that on. I've still got lots to learn about the military careers of some of my ancestors, so that is good to know.

You are both from Canada! I'm in Calgary, the boomtown that is starting to fizzle a bit! Hope you both have survived this awful winter we've had! We are starting to thaw a bit now, but it's back to the snow, cold and ice again tomorrow! These Canadian winters are too cold for my poor British bones! You'd think I would have gotten used to it after 26 years of living here!

All the best,

Jilly

[Mary Anne]

Hello, Jilly

Used to live in Calgary during an earlier boom, and also Edmonton, and I prefer the winters there to those here in Ottawa, where the damp and cold wind get into your bones, and it is mostly cloudy. It is sunny for today - but that will stop when the freezing rain comes

Best of luck with your research.


Mary Anne