Freshfield Flying Centenary special supplement to Civic News, The newsletter of the Formby Civic Society.

The aviators who one century ago made history on beach…... MAY 2010

ance in the air was so unfal- teringly true and perfect. As it rose, its movements were guiltless of the slightest wob- ble or eccentricity Paterson was a director of the Motor House Com- pany. Had spent eight months and £625 building an aero- plane based on the design of the Curtiss Golden Flyer. Paterson’s aeroplane weighed about 273 kg (600 lbs) and was powered by a 25-30 Compton Paterson in his biplane. horsepower Anzani engine. A six gallon fuel tank allowed flights of up to 90 miles. Top Cecil Compton Paterson. prise of the little knot of people speed was 41 mph. Paterson On Saturday 14 May 1910, present, he quietly and grace- fully rose from the earth, and then approached The Liverpool Daily Post re- soaring in to the air, sailed town Council for help to set ported that Paterson had away for about 100 yards. up an aerodrome and flying made history by becoming With the same ease that he had school. As the Council would the first man to take off from risen, he came down lightly to Freshfield sands not offer enough money, the ground amid the congratu- Paterson decided to erect a At half past three o’clock, lations of his friends upon hangar at Freshfield (later just as the sun had risen, the what, under the circumstances, aeroplane arrived on the must be regarded as a marvel- Shed 2, of what was to be- shore. Within an hour from lously successful debut. For come a row of five). the time of unshipping it, its two or three hours he contin- parts had been assembled ued his experimental trials, The Formby Civic Society is and it was ready for the fray. making upwards of a dozen grateful to Chris Aspin, For some twenty minutes or aerial excursions at varying so, Mr. Paterson drove the heights and distances. The John Mulliner, Nick Forder machine backwards and for- longest flight was about half a and the Manchester Mu- wards along the hard, dry mile at an altitude of about 30 seum of Science and Indus- sandy beach in order to test feet. It spoke well for the man- try for help in recalling the capacity and temper of ner in which Mr. Paterson had these historical events. the engine. Then, to the sur- built his aeroplane that its bal- Freshfield Aviators

Cecil Compton Paterson Higginbotham recalled later, Paterson’s ability as a pilot increased The accident was caused after the steadily. By November 1910 he had machine had been running along flown about 160 miles in total. Most the ground after landing from a of these flights were local, though on flight of 3 miles, and had covered 3 December Flight reported that quite 100 yards when a piece of Paterson had flown across the Mersey drift-wood caught the front wheel, to Hoylake with a passenger, and buckling it, and causing the ma- returned via New Brighton. Carried chine to cant over; but I was able to with him on most of these flights get out quite easily, and was not in- were two teddy bears, presented by convenienced in the least. lady admirers. On 10 December The breakages consisted of the pro- 1910, Paterson was awarded his Pi- peller, one wing slightly damaged, lot’s Club Certificate, (Aero Club and one wheel-rim buckled, so the Certificate 38.) It had taken so long accident was not so serious as re- for his prowess to be recognised be- ported. Flight. cause of the lack of accredited ob- servers at Freshfield. Impressed by Paterson’s biplane, Higginbotham ordered his own. This Paterson was becoming aware of the Miss Chase, an early passenger. was fitted with a French 50 horse- limitations of his Freshfield base and power Gnome rotary engine. The attempted longer distance flights. On Gerald Higginbotham biplane was completed by the Liver- 16 March, he attempted to fly to pool Motor House Company in Janu- Manchester with a passenger, but was Higginbotham was born in Maccles- ary 1911. Paterson flew this aero- forced down by the weather. Later field in 1877. He was interested in plane regularly, along with other that month, he hosted a party of stu- motor cars and became the first man types based at Freshfield. dents from the Liverpool Institute, to own one in Macclesfield. Bleriot’s Higginbotham took his Royal Aero two of whom had won a ballot for a 1909 flight across the Channel stimu- Club Certificate tests on 1 July, and flight to Southport. In May 1911, he lated an interest in aviation and was awarded Ticket 96. moved to Hendon to work for Claude Higginbotham set about building a Grahame White as a flying instructor, steel tube framed Bleriot copy. This On 12 August, Higginbotham was but not before he fulfilled the dream project was abandoned after a crash flying around and Formby, of Percy Amos, of Flixton, Manches- at Chelford in June. Instead, a Bleriot with his mechanic, when he hit an air ter, who had written to Flight offer- XI was purchased from Leo Swain, pocket and his biplane touched the ing a guinea (£1.05) for a flight as a Bleriot’s Northern agent, and towed sea. The propeller broke, and a loose passenger, See page 6 for Percy to his home at Ivy Lane. Finding flying wire sliced off part of the pi- Amos’s full account) fields off Congleton Lane too small, lot’s ear. Higginbotham and his me- Higginbotham decided to build a han- chanic were forced to swim to shore Claude Grahame White gar (Shed 4) at the established aero- and the biplane was recovered for On 3 August 1910 Grahame - White drome at Freshfield. He made flight repairs. had visited Freshfield in his Farman trials along the beach, until he be- biplane. He had become famous for came a competent pilot, and then his attempts to fly from London to flew fur- Manchester earlier in the year to win ther. Higginbotham’s Biplane a £10,000 Daily Mail prize. Gra- There hame-White’s visit was an endorse- flights ment of the increasing importance of were not Freshfield as an aerodrome. He vis- without ited again in 1911, trying out one of mishap, Paterson’s biplanes on Monday 13 and in February and using it to give his fian- Septem- cée, Pauline Chase, a flight. Miss ber the Chase was then appearing in ‘Peter Bleriot Pan’ at the Southport Opera House. was Paterson accompanied them in a Far- tipped man, and then took Graham White over on for a flight to Southport on the Sun- landing. day

Page 2 Freshfield Flying Centenary

In September, Higginbotham was appointed as a Royal Aero Club ob- server for Certificate tests at Fresh- field and Waterloo. These duties were to be carried out along with Captain Eifford Bignell and Mr. L. William- son, both appointed at the same time. Higginbotham’s next achievement was on 20 October, when he decided to copy the Coronation Air Mail and carry letters and cards from Fresh- field to Southport. A load of letters and parcels were collected from friends and endorsed with a special stamp, ready for a take off at about 4:00 pm. Higginbotham and his me- chanic landed on the Southport fore- shore, and took the mail to the post office for sending on. Higginbotham then flew the 8 miles back to Fresh- field in about seven minutes. R. A. King’s Farman Biplane. Higginbotham recovered his Paterson biplane from the sea in November son’s biplane, including on the at- King and Topham to land at Egre- and restored it to airworthiness, but tempted flight to Manchester. King mont. It was 1913 before King re- deteriorating weather limited flying ordered his own Farman biplane, ceived Aero Club certificate 482, this for that season. Higginbotham and which arrived at Freshfield on 26 being awarded on 16 May following Bignell travelled down to Laffan’s November 1910 and was first flown tests at Freshfield. By that time, he Plain to act as official observers for by Paterson, with King as a passen- was a Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Cody’s successful attempt at winning ger, two days later. It was housed in Navy Reserve and was stationed at the British Empire Michelin Cup No Shed 5. On 29 November, King be- the Central Flying School at Upavon. 1 for distance flying. came the first aeroplane passenger to Henry Gregory Melly be ferried across the Mersey when he Higginbotham continued flying from flew to Hoylake and back with Pater- Melly was a 42 year old electrical Freshfield in 1913 and, although he son. King was soon flying his own engineer from Aigburth. Having had still to travel from Macclesfield, aircraft. On 7 June, he flew to Col- learned to fly at the Bleriot school at was the aviator to remain at Fresh- wyn Bay and back, and returned later Pau, he brought his Bleriot XI to field the longest. to take part in a flying meeting. On Freshfield in August 1910. Eventu- A Whitwell Pochin 16 May 1912 King circled the Tower ally Melly owned three Bleriots, one at Blackpool, before landing with his of which was built at Freshfield in In 1911 Pochin began designing aero- passenger, F.O. Topham, on the Shed 3. He moved to Waterloo in planes and took over John Gaunt’s sands opposite the Imperial Hotel. early 1911 and set up the Liverpool hangar at Southport in August. In The following day, an attempt to fly Aviation School. However, Melly October, both Pochin and his me- around the Liver Building was pre- and his pupils continued to visit chanic were given flights by vented by a thunderstorm that forced Freshfield regularly Higginbotham in his Paterson bi- plane, and this may be why the first three flights of the Pochin monoplane were from Freshfield on 28 October. The following month, Pochin began taking lessons from Higginbotham. The monoplane was not a success and in 1912, Pochin is believed to have co-owned a biplane with Arthur Rim- mer. Robert Arthur King King was born on 9 August 1883 at and lived at Neston. Melly’s Bleriot at Freshfield., 1910. He was a regular passenger in Pater-

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3 Freshfield Aviators, continued.

Robert C Fenwick the 60 horsepower Green 4-cylinder wind, for turning in a short radius, Occupying Shed 1 at Freshfield from in line engine turned a single pusher and for going long distances, and November 1909 was Planes Ltd. This propeller, rather than two chain drive has proved remarkably successful, company had been formed by WP propellers. Planes Ltd. Secretary, and has been entered for the De Thompson, a Liverpool patent agent Charles Leslie, wrote to Flight in November 1910, Forest prize to France (London to and later chairman of the Liverpool Paris Flight). On one occasion, it Aeronautical Society. Thompson I have seen numerous letters in started with a monoplane and a bi- wanted to build a stable aeroplane plane at Freshfield to go a which he thought certain distance, turn round would be easy to a given point, and come back learn how to fly. He again. For about half a mile came up with the of the distance our aviator idea of ‘pendulum informs us that he hardly stability’, brought once put his hand to the about by concen- trating as much steering and elevating lever, weight as possible and all the bystanders agreed beneath the lower that its flight was wonder- wing of his design. fully steady as compared both He took his concept with the monoplane and the to Fred Handley other biplane which accom- Page, then in the panied it. It alone of the three process of setting The Bleriot monoplane was a crowd-puller! up an aircraft com- machines was able to go round pany at Barking and your paper on pendulum stability… the goal point owing to the developing successful designs. and I think you may be interested in strong current, the other two having Handley Page saw Thompson’s de- hearing that we have ourselves had to come to earth, and our avia- sign as a way of promoting his com- tested this pendulum theory to the tor, Mr Fenwick, informs us that, in pany and named the aircraft the his opinion, it is a much easier and Handley Page Type B. Fenwick uttermost… a machine… is being safer machine to manage than one worked as Thompson’s assistant, daily flown, often for long distances, replacing steel tubing, held together has been tried for weeks in every with the weight nearer the centre of with plumbers’ screw fittings, with conceivable manner, such as for gravity. lighter wood. height, for going out in a strong The aircraft’s undercar- riage was damaged during testing and then the hangar housing it collapsed in a gale. Handley Page began to call the aircraft ‘The Scrapheap’ and agreed that Fenwick could rebuild the aircraft at Barking only if Thompson formed Planes Ltd to emphasise that it was not a Handley Page design! Thompson was based in Liverpool and so trans- ported the aircraft to Fresh- field by rail for testing. Fenwick continued modifi- cation work and eventually the Planes Ltd biplane had Planes Lrd. Biplane at Freshfield. ailerons on the upper wing to replace wing warping and

Page 4 Freshfield Flying Centenary

Fenwick taught himself to fly on the biplane, and was awarded Royal Aero Club Ticket 39 on 29 November 1910. That same day, the biplane was damaged by the downwash from King’s Farman biplane flying close overhead, but was soon repaired. Fenwick, now a qualified pilot, re- turned to Barking, Essex, to become Handley Page’s first employed test pilot. Later, in May 1912, Fenwick came back to Freshfield after working with Sydney Swaby on the design of a The Mersey Monoplane. This plane had military trials. monoplane. This was licensed from The Mersey was flown from Fresh Planes Ltd to the Mersey Aeroplane 1912. On 13 August, at just after 6:00 Company. The most novel feature field extensively, with Fenwick re- pm, Fenwick took towards Stone- was the mounting of the 45 horse- cording over 600 miles in the air. A henge. Soon afterwards, the Mersey power Isaacson engine in the nose number of passengers were carried was seen to be in difficulties and driving a pusher propeller by a shaft aloft also, including Thompson, crashed. Fenwick, who was not passing through the nacelle. In De- Swaby and a small number of lady wearing a seatbelt, was killed. It was cember 1911 the War Office an- spectators. believed that turbulence had flexed nounced a competition for military The Mersey was taken to Larkhill, the lightweight structure and pre- aircraft and the Mersey was entered. Wiltshire, for the Military Trials in vented the elevators from working.

FRESHFIELD AERODROME summary

 On Saturday 14 May 1910, Cecil Compton Paterson, made history by becoming the first man to take off from Freshfield sands. “To the surprise of the little knot of people present, he quietly and gracefully rose from the earth, and soaring in to the air, sailed away for about 100 yards. With the same ease that he had risen, he came down lightly to the ground amid the congratulations of his friends upon what, under the circumstances, must be regarded as a marvellously successful de- but.” Liverpool Daily Post  Paterson was a director of the Liverpool Motor House Company who built his own aeroplane and set up the first successful aerodrome in the North West of . This consisted of five aircraft sheds. He was joined in 1910 by Robert King, from Neston, Henry Melly, from Aigburth, and Ge- rald Higginbotham from Macclesfield.  On 29 November 1910, Paterson and King took off in a Farman biplane to make the first crossing of the Mersey River by air.  Melly set up the Liverpool Flying School at Waterloo and on 7 July 1911, made the first flight from Liverpool to Manchester.  On 20 October 1911, Higginbotham flew to Southport in a Paterson biplane to make the first aerial delivery of mail in the North West of England.  Robert Fenwick tested the innovative Planes Ltd biplane and Military monoplane at Freshfield between 1909 and 1912.  The outbreak of the Great War (1914-1919) stopped flying from Formby until RAF Woodvale opened in 1941.

Page 5 Freshfield Flying Centenary Flying with C. Compton Paterson at Freshfield in 1911 - by Percy A. Amos

gracefully as a yacht. Here I took a both hands and yet feel quite se- photo of the ribbed and coursed cure, and that travelling at this sands and the incoming tide. A great speed over an exposed coast- long undulating course back be- line, the well-defined image of the yond our starting point towards frame and elevator and even the Liverpool found us at a height of wires, makes the photos a striking 400 feet. We swept round again testimony to the wonderful balance and passed directly over the line of of the machine and absolute con- the five large hangars. trol and skill of the aviator. I ad- Here I took photo number two. A mired the ease and confidence blur at the junction of the road and with which Mr. Paterson fought beach was a small crowd of spec- the gusts and wind waves, and kept the aeroplane running C. Compton Paterson, the first tators. We circle out to sea and dropped to about 200 feet over the smoothly. To my surprise he was to fly at Freshfield. hangars again to get photo number able to call out a running commen- three at closer range. Then at 300 tary upon his moves for my bene- Through the courtesy of C. Comp- feet and -- silence and a steep dive fit. The flight convinced me of the ton Paterson Esq,, the Liverpool with the beach rushing up to us, as vast strides which aviation has aviator I got a long-for flight and it made in little more than a year, exceeded my expectations in many ways. I arrived at the Freshfield aero- drome just after 2 pm on Saturday 8th May [1911], and met the racing Farman just returning from a spin. The wind was rising and blowing strongly, but Mr. Paterson decided to take me out, and I was in the seat, the engine throbbed, and away we went along the broad smooth sands towards Southport, and took the air with out knowing it. Now began the experience of Planes Ltd biplane being hauled to the beach from the hangars. which I had no conception. The sands below and sand-hills on our with the Gnome stopped we vol- right, the sea away directly on our planed to earth, landing as we and even if I cannot get aloft again left, all sank below and we stood started, imperceptibly. the experience has added greatly to still seemingly, although the ex- my already keen interest in avia- Although there is nothing striking hilarating rush of air said 50 mph. tion. about these photos at first sight, For some miles we kept this when it is borne in mind that it Editors Note; This slightly edited course at about 300 feet and, and was a misty, windy day, that I had account is reproduced from then we turn to the left and swept never been aloft before, and yet Flight, May 6th 1911, p 408, Cor- out over the sea, heeling over as was able to work the camera with respondence [1160].

Photographs of ‘Freshfield Aerodrome’ taken by Percy A. Amos from Paterson’s plane in spring 1911, Reproduced from Flight Magazine. These are probably the earliest ever aerial photos of Formby Point. The position of the five wooden hangars behind the plane in the top photo are shown in the right hand aerial photo.