Looking for a DAWSON who served with the RFC

[Strutter15]

Hello all.
I think this might be a really big ask, but a former work colleague I worked with in the 1980's told me that his grandfather served with the RFC during WW1. My work colleagues name was DAWSON, and lived in DERBY, England,and, as far as I know, was a non flier, although he could have possibly been an Air Mechanic/observer. I don't think that my work colleague knew much about his grandfathers involvement in the Great War, as he didn't.tell me much about him. If his grandfather was on his fathers side, then it would possibly make it a little easier, but if it was on his mothers side, then I think that it would be a near impossibility. Thanking anyone in anticipation of any information,
Strutter15

[Airshipped]

Hundreds of possible candidates, e.g. place of birth is one thing but next-of-kin address quite another.

The three most likely?

Horace Hall Dawson of Tideswell, Buxton;
John Edward Dawson of Ashbourne;
Theodore George Dawson of Derby.

H.H. Dawson was born 22 Mar 1888, a 'taper and warp dresser'. Attestation date: 29 Jul 1918, i.e. he was over 30 at the time. His next of kin address is that of his mother, Hannah Dawson of Sherwood Rd, Tideswell. Service No: 278443, a Private 2nd Class. Looks like he initially served at Pulham (d-squiggle probably should read as 'depot'?), the airship station. To ACS Manston by late Aug 1918. With the BEF from 7 Oct to 10 Dec 1918 then back to ACS Pulham. To ACS Manston by 3 Jan 1919. Can't read the final entry properly but looks like 'DC Clipstone', i.e. dispersal centre, on 29 Jan 1919. (I'd defer to others on whether that would have been the Clipstone in Nottinghamshire, i.e. adjacent to Derbyshire, or whether it would've been Clipstone in Bedfordshire near the RAF Leighton Buzzard).

J.E. Dawson was born on 10 Sept 1889, a motor engineer. He joined on 16 Sept 1914. An ex-RNAS man, i.e. RNAS Service No. F0457. RAF Service No. 200457. His next of kin is given as his father James, of Park View, Osmaston, Ashbourne, Derby. Dawson was tall for the era: 5 feet 11 inches. Had tattoo marks on right wrist. In the RAF era he transferred from Paris to Home Establishment on 10 May 1919. He served in the RNAS as Air Mechanic 1st Grade, Leading Mechanic and - upon transfer to the RAF - as a Corporal Mechanic. Unfortunately with the RNAS it can be difficult to trace the locations of the 'other ranks'/'lower deck' as the service records often just make reference to the books upon which the men were carried; in this case 'Pembroke III' to 31 March 1915, 'President II' from 1 Apr 1915. Happily enough though in Dawson's case it shows 'Paris' in brackets on the President II entry, which suggests that he was posted there from 1 April 1915 or from 15 Dec 1916 onwards - i.e. from the time of his promotion to Leading Mechanic.

T.G. Dawson was born on 21 Jul 1894. Attestation date: 5 Jul 1918, service No. 265381. Occupation:fitter (general) at Rolls Royce. Next of kin: his father James, of 73 Shaftesbury st, Derby. Enlisted as an Air Mechanic 3rd Class. (You'd wonder why Rolls Royce would release staff who were needed for war effort production?). He doesn't appear to have seen any service, being posted to STHC, which I'd take to be one of the schools of training for RAF mechanics? Dispersal Centre Clipstone on 6 Mar 1919.

[Strutter15]

Hello Airshipped, and thankyou very much for your reply. Is that all the information that you have, or do you have any info on their respective active military service? Many thanks, Strutter15