RFC and RAF Kite Balloon Wings
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I am writing a book on Industrialisation during the Great War. At the moment I am researching Kite Balloons 1915-1918. I can not find much detail on how many the Army had! So far I am stuck on 4 Kite Balloon Wings on the Western Front. I would like to know how many sections and how many kite balloons the Army purchased.
I have accessed all 7 volumes of the War in the Air which have extensive coverage of the Navy and almost no mention of the Army apart from the Balloon Aprons around London. I have also read Alan Morris The Balloonatics and Gederic Hodges Memoirs of an old Balloonatic. Both interesting but without any hard data.
Any facts or data would help. I am especially interested in source references I can quote.Thank you Mike.
My apologies for a belated reply. I have been away on holiday.
Thank you for your suggestions. I do have a copy of all of the volumes of War in the Air and most useful they have proved except for numbers of balloons produced.
I will buy a copy of Vol 7 of the Ministry of Munitions official History. I have not seen it before and look forward to mining it for useful information.
All the bestGiles
It is Volume XII (12) of the M of M OH, Part 1, Chapter VI/2 pages 149-154. Also pages 130-132 on cotton fabric. Other pages could also be of interest.
Mike
Thank you.
I managed to buy the whole set. A wealth of information. Thank you for suggesting them.
GilesHi
There is a fair bit of information in the WitA volumes especially the appendices. In the Volume 6 Appendices volume the two ORBATs, August and November 1918, have the Wings (five 1, 2. 3. 5 and 8) as well as the Companies and Sections. In the text of Volume 6, in the relevant chapters you will find that 4 Wing left the Western Front at the end of 1917 to go to Italy along with other air and ground elements. There were KB Companies in other theatres, 21 in Palestine, 22 in Macedonia and 23 in Mespot, their sections are listed. Also remember prior to December 1916 they were listed as KB Squadrons with sections, these were under the RFC (Corps) Wing (there were about 22 Sections on the Western Front by the autumn of 1916). I presume you have also referred to Volume XII of the Official History of The Ministry of Munitions that has information on production. Depending on the information you are after there are various documents in the National Archives on Kite Balloons.
Mike
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