John Edward Capper a Pioneer of British Military Aviation by Michael J

John Edward Capper A Pioneer of British Military Aviation by Michael J. Dunn Photographs are reproduced with kind permission of FAST (Farnborough Air Sciences Trust) unless stated otherwise eneral Sir William Nicholson, discussions, on official committees and at who, in 1908, became Chief of the meetings with his superiors. Imperial General Staff, declared: This article seeks to highlight the role Gaviation is a useless and expensive played by John Edward Capper in the fad advocated by a few individuals development of British military aviation. whose ideas are unworthy of attention. As Capper had a varied and wide-ranging Nicholson was adamantly opposed military career over a long period (it to ‘aviation’ in all its forms: captive began in 1880 and finally ended in 1943), balloons, man-lifting kites, airships and details of the rest of this career have aircraft. Nicholson was not alone. The been included. It included service as powerful opposition to a developing an infantry divisional commander on role for aviation in the British Army the Western Front, during the Battle of was able to strongly influence official the Somme, and responsibility for the policy towards military flying, and to organisation, reliability and tactics of the restrict the funds available to support newly formed Tank Corps. the policy. The early proponents of British military aviation struggled Capper – The Man against this sort of shortsighted and Capper retired from the army in 1925 inflexible attitude from the very start as Major General Sir John Edward of the 20th century. Only when the Capper KCB, KCVO, Legion d’honneur. Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed An engineer by training, Capper was in 1912 did Britain begin creating a balanced, military a thoughtful, capable, determined and practical officer aviation organisation capable of supporting the British who demonstrated a keen interest in leading-edge military Army in times of war. Even so, by August 1914, the RFC technologies such as the development and use of aircraft was considerably smaller than the air arms of both France and tanks. He was a strict disciplinarian, especially on and, more significantly, Germany. parade, and a firm believer in rigid adherence to the military hierarchy, and a product of the Victorian, class-driven society John Edward Capper that dominated the British Army up to the start of the Great Between 1903 and 1910, one soldier, Lieutenant Colonel War. But he was a man who could generate considerable John Edward Capper, Royal Engineers, emerged as a major respect, particularly amongst his men, and establish close influence in the development of British military aviation. friendships; for instance with the Wright Brothers. He was Through his roles as Commandant of the Balloon School, a man of considerable physical courage; flying balloons RE, and Superintendent of the Balloon Factory, RE (both and kites and piloting Farnborough’s airships on their first, located at Farnborough), Capper was in a unique position. hazardous flights. He commanded the only two units in Cartoon of Major General Sir John Capper in During the Great War, two contrasting the British Army that were, at that time, the Royal Logistic Corps officers’ mess, Deepcut. nicknames were given to Capper. By dedicated to aviation. Throughout his :courtesy of Francis Hanford the younger staff officers of the Tank period of tenure, military aviation evolved Corps, he was known as ‘Stone Age’. They significantly; from a focus on captive considered that Capper was too rooted in ballooning, through the construction the tactics of 19th century cavalry warfare of Britain’s first military airship Nulli( and was incapable of accepting the current Secundus) to the first, official, powered thinking on tank development, tactics flight of an aircraft in the UK (Samuel and deployment. This was not the case. Cody’s Army Aircraft Number 1). The perception was stemmed partly from Capper was well aware of how aviation, Capper’s failure to communicate with his in all it forms, was developing around the juniors due to his stern manner and strict World (particularly in France, Germany adherence to the following of channels of and the United States). He recognised command. In contrast, The Wipers Times the military potential of aviation and was wrote that Capper’s successor as GOC of anxious that Britain should not be left 24th Division was taking up the mantle of behind. He foresaw the emergence, and ‘The Professor’ … who, through nearly two eventual dominance, of the aeroplane as strenuous years, had led us from greenness the most practical and widely used means to understanding. Capper’s obituary in of flying. Capper saw it as his duty to The Times said of him He was indeed a promote the use of air power, particularly fighting general of the highest order, with using aircraft, by Britain. He did this at unfailing consideration for his troops and every opportunity: at public meetings, with a charm of manner; it was a privilege in numerous official reports, in private to serve in his command. 41.192 Cross & Cockade International Autumn 2010.

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