Alan Herbert Reffell (1895-1979)

Pilot 759 Royal Flying Corps

Alan Herbert Reffell was born on 14 March 1895 at Shere Surrey to parents William Joseph Reffell and Kate Maria Boorer. He was the second of three sons and also had four sisters. One of his brothers was Maurice Victor Reffell.

Alan Herbert joined the Royal Flying Corps before the outbreak of the war in 1913 aged 18. When he took his Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate in 1915, he was listed as having flown on a Maurice Farman biplane. An outline of his service history is shown below.

He was awarded the 1914 (Mons) Star, the Victory Medal & the British War Medal. Medal information can be found on the World War 1 medals page. He was also awarded the French Medaille Militaire.

After the Great War, Alan Herbert ran a motor business in Gomshall Surrey as well as working on a number of intresting projects, including Eric Robot. He died on 26 October 1979 at Crawley Sussex aged 84.

World War 1 Service History of Alan Herbert Reffell:

Service details taken from RFC service file AIR78/132 held in the National Archives at Kew and the Medal Rolls Index WO329, better known as the Medal Index Cards. Other information from his Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate.	30/6/1913 2/8/1914 15/9/1914 2/6/1915 30/11/1915 17/5/1915 18/5/1915 1/3/1916 30/5/1916 1/5/1916 7/6/1916 8/7/1916 1/4/1918 16/8/1918 18/11/1918 1/1/1919 3/7/1919 29/6/1921	Attested Farnborough To France Appointed Posted Air Mechanic Flyer 2nd class Awarded Royal Aero Flying Club certificate, British Flying School, Le Crotoy, France To UK Promoted to corporal Flyer 1st class Promoted to sergeant To France To UK Transferred to the Royal Air Force Delivery pilot Test pilot No2 AAP Hendon Reclassified Sergeant (Pilot) Transferred to reserve Discharged