Royal Naval Air Service & Fleet Air Arm

Originally part of the naval wing of the Royal Flying Corps, a separate service existed from 1914 to 1918 when it became part of the Royal Air Force. From 1924 a Fleet Air Arm was created and the Admiralty had control of aircraft carriers and operations at sea, but officers and ratings were seconded to the RAF. The Fleet Air Arm was transferred to full Admiralty control in 1939.

RNAS Ratings

Ratings who served in the RNAS can be found in ADM 188/560-646 and have the prefix "F" to their service numbers. Their numbers can be found using the indexes in ADM 188.

RNAS Officers

Records of naval officers´ previous service can be found in series ADM 196, but records relating to service in the RNAS during the First World War are in ADM 273. The records are arranged by service number but each register has a surname index. There is also a card name index in the Open Reading Room.

Fleet Air Arm

Records of ratings who joined the Fleet Air Arm between 1924 and 1938 are held by the Ministry of Defence, Navy Search, TNT Archive Service, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote Derbyshire DE11 0TB. Records of men who joined from 1939 are held at Ministry of Defence, PPPA, Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 9XA.