Trafford

Born on the 2nd August 1889 - September quarter 1889 in the Barton on
Irwell R.D. - ref: 8c/679, the eldest son of Joseph & Sarah Elizabeth
Whitehead (nee Shaw).

1891 Census - 128 Barton Road, Stretford.   Son - aged: 1 - born:
Stretford.   Head of household - Joseph Whitehead - Married - aged: 33 -
occ: Manager of Lithographic Works - born: Manchester.   Also - Sarah
Whitehead - Wife - aged: 24 - born: Manchester.    Plus 1 servant.

1901 Census - 28 Highfield Road, Stretford.    Son - aged: 11 - born:
Stretford.   Head of household - Joseph Whitehead - Married - aged: 43 -
occ: Manager of Printing Works - born: Elton, Bury, Lancashire.   Also -
Sarah Whitehead - Wife - aged: 34 - born: Ardwick, Manchester.   Plus 2
younger siblings.

1911 Census - 190 St Albans Road, Watford.   Boarder - UnMarried - aged: 21
- occ: Office Manager - born: Stretford.

He was employed as an Assistant Manager at John Dickenson & Co, Hemel
Hempstead, Hertfordshire from 1909 to 1914.   This could have been at
either their Apsley or Nash Mills, both situated just south of Hemel
Hempstead, but in view of his boarding address, I think it more likely that
he worked at their Croxley Mill, Watford.    During his time at this
factory - the Lion Brand was adopted as the company logo in 1910 and in
1911, the Basildon Bond Brand established.

Enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service - c1914 ???  His RAF record states
that he had 7 years experience of the internal comustion engine acquired
whilst handling cars and motor bicycles.   Since joining the RFC ? - he has
gained a knowledge of wireless, navigation, experience on Seaplane Ships in
the North Sea.    He also had 12 months experience as an instructor of
Armaments in the RNAS.   He had attended the Gunnery School at Eastchurch,
Isle of Sheppy, Kent, taking W/T Observers special course for Seaplane
work.    He also had 9 months active service with the R.N. Armoured Cars in
Gallipoli and Egypt.

His records shows that he went to Eastchurch on the 10th November 1917.  
Appointed as Observer Sub-Lieutenant on the 14th December 1917.  From
Eastchurch he was sent to Cattewater (a Royal Naval Air Service station
situated to the east of Plymouth), on the 20th February 1918.

It was at or from RAF Cattewater that Joseph was "Presumed Drowned" on
active service on the 1st September 1918.

The RNAS Armoured Car Section was made up of squadrons of Rolls-Royce
Armoured Cars.   The section was originally equipped with unarmoured
touring cars and intended to provide line of communications security and to
pick up aircrew who had been forced to land in hostile territory.   One
vehicle was fitted with a Maxim gun and ambushed a German car near Cassel
on 4th September 1914.  Shipbuilders in Dunkirk added boilerplate to the
vehicles.  The new armoured car squadrons were soon used to great effect
forming part of Naval mechanised raiding columns against the Germans.    By
November 1914 the Section had become the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division
(RNACD) eventually expanding to 20 squadrons.    As trench warfare
developed, the armoured cars could no longer operate on the Western Front
and were redeployed to other theatres including the Middle East, Romania
and Russia.     In the summer of 1915 the RNACD was disbanded and the army
took over control of armoured cars, with the units soon coming under the
command of the Motor Branch of the Machine Gun Corps.