The Royal Naval Air Service was established just before the outbreak of war in 1914, although naval aviation had its origins a few years.  In April 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps merged to form the Royal Air Force, and it was only in 1937 that the Admiralty regained control of naval aviation.

Records of ratings who served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War are in record class ADM 188 at The National Archives.  Any rating who later joined the Royal Air Force will have their subsequent service recorded in AIR 79.

Records of officers who served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War can be found at The National Archives in Admiralty files ADM 273.  These records do not provide details regarding officers’ previous Royal Navy service (see ADM 196) or subsequent Royal Air Force service (see AIR 76).

Records of those who joined the Fleet Air Arm during the period 1924-1938 are held by

Navy Search
TNT Archives Services
Tetron Point
William Nadin Way
Swadlincote
Derbyshire DE11 0PB

Records of those who saw service during the Second World War and beyond are still held by the

PPPA (Pay, Pensions, Personnel, Administration)
Centurion Building
Grange Road
Gosport
Hampshire PO13 9XA

The Fleet Air Arm Museum holds copies of records similar to ADM 273, engagement papers of some Royal Naval Air Service personnel who did not transfer to the Royal Air Force, and officers who enlisted as ratings but were later commissioned, in their Centre for Naval Aviation and Research.

Fleet Air Arm Museum
Box D6, RNAS Yeovilton
Near Ilchester, Somerset
BA22 8HT
Website: http://www.fleetairarm.com/ 
Research website: www.fleetairarmarchive.net

The Royal Air Force Museum can provide copies of the Certificate Record cards and, in many cases, photographs of Royal Naval Air Service pilots who trained at civilian flying schools.

The Royal Air Force Museum
Grahame Park Way
Hendon
London NW9 5LL
Website: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/