56th squadron RFC

[Paul in the Somme]

Dear Sirs

My name is Paul Allen and I have lived in Picardy since 1994.
I work as an independent since retiring and one of my activities is working as a tour guide in the “Underground City of Naours” (UCN). The UCN is 30 minutes North of Amiens in the Somme, France.

The UCN was dug out of the chalk and provided a refuge for up to 2000 people in times of invasion e.g. 30 year war (1618 to 1648).

During WW1 it was a tourist attraction for soldiers, and several thousand soldiers left their names on the tunnel walls.

I was guiding a group of Australians yesterday when I came across the following inscription

P W Keats ?
56 Squadron
RFC
23/4

I managed to miss off the date when I took the photograph but checked it today and it is 23 / 04 / 1918. I enclose a copy of my photograph so that you may check my interpretation.

I trust that the above may be of interest and look forward to your reaction in due course. It would be wonderful to identify the individual before the centenary.

[MASTIFF]

Hello Paul and welcome to the Forum.

I have to wonder about that inscription because the RFC ceased to exist on April first, or 1 /04 /18. It merged with the RNAS to become the Royal Air Force.

Cheers,
Tony

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Paul in the Somme

Dear Sirs

My name is Paul Allen and I have lived in Picardy since 1994.
I work as an independent since retiring and one of my activities is working as a tour guide in the “Underground City of Naours” (UCN). The UCN is 30 minutes North of Amiens in the Somme, France.

The UCN was dug out of the chalk and provided a refuge for up to 2000 people in times of invasion e.g. 30 year war (1618 to 1648).

During WW1 it was a tourist attraction for soldiers, and several thousand soldiers left their names on the tunnel walls.

I was guiding a group of Australians yesterday when I came across the following inscription

P W Keats ?
56 Squadron
RFC
23/4

I managed to miss off the date when I took the photograph but checked it today and it is 23 / 04 / 1918. I enclose a copy of my photograph so that you may check my interpretation.

I trust that the above may be of interest and look forward to your reaction in due course. It would be wonderful to identify the individual before the centenary.

Mate,
Welcome to the flagship 'The Aerodrome' where the finest minds on the planet get together and talk about their favorite subject - WW1

tcrean7828

tom

[Barry Hickson]

G'day Paul! Very interesting find you made there!
I checked through my Osprey Elite Unit book on 56 Sqd but found no note of him but that really proves nothing.
Might I suggest you try to contact Alex Revell who wrote "High in the Empty Blue" the seminal history of 56 Sqd.
If you send me a private message I will give you his email address.

[regular122]

I think it should also be considered that this could have been a rigger, fitter or mechanic. Steve

[ramset]

Hey Paul,
tcrean7828 has welcomed you to the right place for what you'll want to know!
And you've almost come to the right place for any answer concerning 56th questions. But the venerable ghost from here who really knows most of any 56th lore is Alex Revell, still spritely and available across the pond, as Barry Hickson will direct you. Welcome, and please let us know of your acquired knowledge, whichever continent acquired.

[josquin]

Paul,
Welcome to The Forum. No officers or other ranks with the name P.W. Keats
or P. Keats are found in the R.F.C. and R.A.F. service records at the National
Archive, Kew, nor does the R.A.F. Muster Roll of April, 1918, list anyone with
this name. The Muster Roll lists only John Henry Keats and William James
Keats, but it does list P.W. Keals, service number 19636, who enlisted on
28 January 1916. I believe this is your man. Further research revealed the
following:
Percy Wilfred Keals was born in 1887, at Kilburn, Middlesex, the son of
William and Fanny Keals. The family was residing in Willesden,
Middlesex in 1901, and at Battersea, London S.W. in 1911. Percy
married Catherine Gilchrist in London, in 1912. His prewar occupation
was a motor cyclist, his rank with the R.F.C. was Air Mechanic, 1st
Class and as a Private 1st Class with the R.A.F. He is not listed as
an aerial gunner so he probably had a ground crew assignment.
You can obtain a copy of his service record from the National
Archives, Kew, by using this reference: "Percy Wilfred Keals,
AIR 79/212/19636." He survived the war but I could not find
any information about his postwar life. I hope this is helpful.
Best regards,

Josquin

[R Gannon]

Hi

He is not in the extensive listing of 56 Sqn's ground crew in Alex Revell's seminal history of 56 Sqn - High in the Empty Blue.

Russ

PS for Josquin & Graeme - my 'like' button does not seem to work at the moment. Been trying to give 'likes' for a whole raft of posts by yourself and Graeme but no joy.

[Graeme]

Hi Russ

Been having the same problem myself - sometimes I've clicked on 'like' but nothing's happened.

Graeme

[Paul in the Somme]

Originally Posted by MASTIFF

Hello Paul and welcome to the Forum.

I have to wonder about that inscription because the RFC ceased to exist on April first, or 1 /04 /18. It merged with the RNAS to become the Royal Air Force.

Cheers,
Tony

Hello Tony and thanks for your message. I had the same thought about the date but I suppose that the loyalty of men to the RFC did not keep pace with the changes to its name.

kind regards
Paul