Frederick Albert Randall

Frederick Albert was the second son of George and Alice Randall (née Milford). His parents were married in Peterborough in 1875 and had nine children; the two eldest died young. All the children were born in Peterborough: Walter George birth registered 1876 (J/F/M) d. 1882, Caroline Maude b. 1877 death registered 1878 (J/F/M), Frederick Albert b. 31 October 1878, Charles William Milford b. 1880, Hannah Rosier b. 1883, Alice Frances b. 1886, Ruth Elizabeth b. 1888, Ann Jane birth registered 1891 (J/F/M) and May Victoria b. 1898. At the time of the 1881 and 1891 Census, George, a railway storekeeper, Alice and their children were living with Alice's widowed mother, Alice Milford, in Fletton, Peterborough. By 1911 George, Alice, four of their daughters together with two of Alice's brothers were living on Oundle Road, Fletton. Frederick Albert had married Gertrude Martha Allet in 1901 (reg. J/F/M Peterborough) and at the time of the census were living on Towler Street, Peterborough. The couple later moved to Nottinghamshire and their two sons were born in Ollerton, George Thomas in 1902 and Charles Leslie in 1905. In 1911 Frederick, a joiner (house repairs) for the Rufford estate, Alice and their sons were living on Wellow Road, Ollerton. Frederick's RAF service record gave his wife's address as Forest Side, Ollerton. Frederick died in March 1919 (reg. J/F/M Southwell). His widow Gertrude married Frederick Buttery in 1920 (reg. Southwell) and in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled they and Gertrude's eldest son George Thomas, a clerk (local authority), were living at the Waterworks, Walesby, where Frederick was an engine attendant. Gertrude's other son, Charles Leslie, a foreman painter and decorator, had married Gladys Kibble in 1930 and in 1939 they were living in Nottingham. Gertrude Buttery died in 1956. Her eldest son George died in December the following year; he was then living on the Stockhill estate, Nottingham. Administration of his Will was awarded to his brother Charles. Charles died in 1966.

In 1901, Frederick Randall was a house carpenter and in 1911 estate joiner (house repairs) on the Rufford estate. Rufford estate had passed to the Savile family in the 17th century but was sold in 1938. Part of the estate comprising the former abbey, remains of the house and the grounds are now owned by Nottinghamshire County Council and form Rufford Country Park.

Royal Naval Air Service, later Royal Air Force (1 April 1918) Standing 5' 4" tall, Frederick Randall attested into the RNAS on 1 January 1916 and joined in the rank of air mechanic 1 (C). He was promoted to leading mechanic (C) 15 December 1916 and to petty officer 30 April 1917. Upon transfer to the RAF when the service was formed on 1 April 1918, Randall took the rank of sergeant mechanic. Frederick served in the following ships and shore establishments before transferring to the RAF: President II, 1 January 1916-31 January 1916. HMS Laconia 1 February 1916-31 May 1916. HMS Manica 1 June 1916-21 April 1917. HMS Hyacinth (Zanzibar) 22 April 1917-30 June 1917. President II 1 July 1917-31 December 1917. Crystal Palace 1 January 1918-31 March 1918. HMS Manica, formerly SS Manica previously RFA Manica, was hired by the Admiralty on 11 March 1915 as a Kite Balloon ship then commissioned on 22 March 1915 with RNR officers and MMR crew. The ship was at Zanzibar in April 1916 and sailed from Zanzibar in March 1917. HMS Hyacinth, a Highflyer-class cruiser, deployed to German East Africa in 1915 to blockade the German light cruiser SMS Konigsberg. HMS Hyacinth remained on the Cape of Good Hope Station for the rest of the war. Frederick's RAF service record noted that while in the RNAS he had served in East Africa from 7 February 1917-27 July 1917 and also that he had been admitted to Greenwich Hospital, probably on 1 May 1918 (no date of discharge). The document also had a note, 'Unfit 3 October 1918.' Frederick was discharged from the RAF on 13 November 1918 (unspecified disability). As a result of the degree of his disability, Frederick was awarded a weekly allowance of 22/9d (22 shillings 9 pence) with effect from 14 November 1918, 'to be reviewed in 52 weeks.' He was awarded Silver Badge No. 1610 on 26 October 1918. Frederick Randall died in March 1919 from the effects of malaria which he contracted while serving with the RNAS in East Africa. He was buried in Ollerton cemetery.

Mansfield Reporter, 7 March 1919 (extract): ‘Ollerton. Fancy Dress Dance. A most successful fancy dress dance was held in the National Schoolroom, on Wednesday night week. The proceeds, which amounted to £30, were in aid of AM Randall (RNAS), who served in British East Africa and is suffering from an attack of malaria fever.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Mansfield Reporter, 21 March 1918: ‘Ollerton. Death. We regret to record the death last week of one of Ollerton’s returned soldiers, namely Air Mechanic Fred Randall, who served for some considerable time with the Air Force in East Africa. He there contracted malaria fever, from the effects of which he never really recovered. Prior to enlistment, he worked as a carpenter on the Rufford Estate, and the coffin was made at the estate workshops. The interment took place at Ollerton cemetery on Friday afternoon. Mrs Randall wishes to return thanks for expressions of sympathy, and also to all who helped in any way at the recent dance which took place in the schoolroom for the benefit of her late husband.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Note: the estate made coffins during the Great War. The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department. It existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, the world's first independent air force. At the time of the merger, the Navy's air service had 55,066 officers and men, 2,949 aircraft, 103 airships and 126 coastal stations. The RNAS squadrons were absorbed into the new structure, individual squadrons receiving new squadron numbers by effectively adding 200 to the number so No. 1 Squadron RNAS (a famous fighter squadron) became No. 201 Squadron RAF. The Royal Navy regained its own air service in 1937, when the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force (covering carrier borne aircraft, but not the seaplanes and maritime reconnaissance aircraft of Coastal Command) was returned to Admiralty control and renamed the Naval Air Branch. In 1952, the service returned to its pre-1937 name of the Fleet Air Arm. (Wikipedia) Research by David Nunn Sources: Randall's service record TNA Air 79/1889 and census data