Malings Christopher 1883

Christopher Malings
1883-1934

Father Nm: Urban Malings 1825 Somerton, Oxfordshire, died 15 April 1903 Banbury.

Mother Nm: Sarah Burman born abt 1843 Green North Northants died

Marriage Dt: 7 September 1912 in Banbury,

K comments:
Spouse comments: Rebecca Jane May (known as May) Blencowe [4190] born 11.3.1885 Banbury died 2.6.1959 Banbury

Children. Lilian M Malings 1920

Born 1883

details

1891 Census

Lays Farm House, Somerton Road, Upper Heyford, Bicester

Urban Malings Head Married Male 66 1825 Farmer & grazier Somerton, Oxfordshire,
Sarah Malings Wife Married Female 48 1843 – Northamptonshire, England
Urban Malings Son – Male 9 1882 Scholar Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England
Christopher Malings Son – Male 8 1883 Scholar Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Sarah A Malings Daughter – Female 6 1885 Scholar Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England
Ralph Smith Servant Single Male 18 1873 Farm servant Souldern, Oxfordshire, England
Harriet C Carey Servant Single Female 17 1874 General servant domestic Northampton
1901 Census

9, Broughton Road, Neithrop, Banbury

Urban Malings Head Married Male 73 1828 Retired farmer Somerton, Oxfordshire, England
Sarah Malings Wife Married Female 59 1842 – Greens Norton, Northamptonshire, England
Urban Malings Son Single Male 19 1882 Builders apprentice Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire,
Christopher Malings Son Single Male 18 1883 Grocers apprentice Upper Heyford,
Sarah A Malings Daughter Single Female 16 1885 – Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England
1911 CENSUS
Sarah Malings Head Widow Female 68 1843 – Greens Norton Northants
Urban Malings Son Single Male 29 1882 Carpenter and joiner Upper Heyford Oxon
Christopher Malings Son Single Male 28 1883 Clerk Upper Heyford Oxon
Charlotte Ann Malings Sister in law Single Female 81 1830 – Somerton Oxon
1912
Married to May Blencowe at Banbury
Note: Before the war Christopher acquired the premises at 54 Bridge St and set up a retail and Wholesale Confectionery business.
WW1

Royal Flying Corps

Royal Air Force
Christopher Malings 61966, Aircraft Mechanic 2 (Driver) RFC, RAF
1916

During 1916 Christopher applied for an exemption so that he could continue running his Confectionery Shop at 54 Bridge St.

Applying for exemption from Service 1916. Owner of Confectionery Shop at 54 Bridge St
1917

In 1917 his exemption was refused and he was told to report for Service but again he appealed this ruling. He had until February  to report for duty.

Christopher Malings refused exemption 1917

  • 23 February joins the Royal Flying Corps from an Army unit. His Rank:- Air Mechanic 3rd Class, Trade:- Driver (Mechanical Transport) Learner.
    More Information:
    Airforce Pay:- 1s. 8d. Terms of Enlistment:- Duration of War
1918
  • April. The RAF is created and Christopher transferred Rank: Private.Rank (2nd): Driver (Learner) Service Number:61966 Royal Air Force Archive Reference: AIR 1/819/204/4/1316

Note. Christophers role as a driver was most likely to have been driving heavier vehicles llike trucks , because WRAF women were employed to be car drivers . An example here of a Leyland Truck and two RAF drivers from WW1.

The workhorse of the RAF was the Leyland Subsidy lorry or heavy tender, seen here with a trailer for transporting the wooden and canvas Bessoneaux hangars Source Motorising an Air Force https://www.keymilitary.com/article/motorising-air-force
Photographed at the end of the war are these stalwarts of the RAF, two Leylands, a Maudslay and a Crossley which is marked RAF on the windscreen Source Motorising an Air Force https://www.keymilitary.com/article/motorising-air-force

 

Note: Christopher was with the 103 Squadrom who from records appeared to be flying from different locations in 1918 , he was perhaps invloved in transporting Aircraft  equipment to and from Serny. This example of a portable workshopi truck..

Operating from temporary aerodromes with few facilities available, each squadron was assigned four well-equipped Leyland workshop lorries to maintain the aircraft and vehicles
  • 1 May 1918. Posted to 103 Squadron 21 Wing based at Serny, Pas de Calais France.

    Location of Serny

Note No. 103 Squadron was formed during the Great War as No. 103 Squadron, RFC at RAF Beaulieu, Hampshire on 1 September 1917,[1] equipped with Airco DH.9 aircraft.[8]

In May 1918 the Squadron was transferred to France and flew reconnaissance and day bombing operations on the Western Front. That June, following the foundation of the Royal Air Force, the squadron became part of No. 80 Wing RAF. The Squadron was disbanded on 1 October 1919 at RAF Shotwick, Flintshire.

1919
  • March. Discharged from RAF, placed on RAF reserve .
Medals
Most likely awarded the 1914-15 Star and British War medal
Sources
    1. Ancestry,  Find My Past, and BFA database
    2. National Archives
After the War
1920-29

Electoral roles show them at 54 Bridge St. Banbury where they ran the Confectionery Retail/Wholesale business. This was later to be taken over by J H Thornton when they retired in about 1929.

Courtesy of the Pictures of Oxon website
1931

Electoral role show them living at Ewelme, Twyford Gardens, Adderbury.

Death 1934

29 May 1934 Banbury

Banbury Advertiser 31 May 1934
1939 Census
90 Oxford Road, Banbury
Rebecca J M Malings 1885 Widow Private Means
Lilian M Malings 1920 Daughter
Probate 1960

A long delay in Probate , May’s younger brother left the assets of the estate.


Gallery

May died in 1959 and left the main assets of the family to brothers


There are service records in the National archives for this person they can be viewed and download from their website https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Brother Urban was a Carpenter and Joiner and a member of Trades Union Organisation later Works Manager for the Banbury Industrial Cooperative Society