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PRINTED BY PRINTERS - 1976 CHAPTER 4 covered with the Union Jack, to the cemeter'j chapel . The band from the R?yal Garriso, SOUTHAMPTON'S MARINE AIRPORT Artillery, , played Chopin's FunerEI '. ,-..... AND HAMBlE March and the ceremony was attended by GALLANT CAREER ENDS-SOUTHAMPTON RAF detachments from Calshot and Felixstowe AIR OFFICER KILLED IN and included a survivor of the crash. Lt. CRASH c ~..;.: . Pakenham Walsh. The chaplain to the RAF, . .... -: ,.. ... Those were the headlines in April 1920. the Rev . G. H. Collier. officiated. and so ~-::: ' .... ~ : : ..~ ... . which shocked the people of Southampton Major Edwin Rowland Moon, when the death of Sqd .-Ldr. Moon was re­ DSO and bar. and Chevalier of the Legion of ported. What began as a routine training Honour. was buried with full military honours. flight from Felixstowe ended in disaster when At the beginning of April a development, a flying boat from No. 230 Squadron which that was looked upon with much interest, took at the time was carrying five officers and one place when 's and Supermarines, together airman. suddenly spu'n into the sea from a with the Beardmore Aero Engine Company and '" <­ height of 1700 ft. The flying boat was air­ Furness Withy Limited, discussed and imple­ borne for about one hour and members of the mented the beginning of an aviation enterprise crew. under the supervision of Major Moon. in the Bermudas. It was envisaged that from as he was affectionately known by Sotonians. the interest created by the giving of joy rides, had been practising landing on the sea . that a flying school would develop and even­ Sqd.-Ldr. Moon. who was now the Command­ tually, the more serious business of charter ing Officer at Fel ixstowe. then took over the flying and photographic survey work. There controls to demonstrate the aircraft's gliding were already two 504 L Avro in the ability. A sudden bump was felt on the tail islands and these were joined by a 160 hp and the flying boat became unmanageable. flying boat shipped from South­ ..... '.. Moon did all he could to control the machine's ampton via New . and plans were in hand .. descent but insufficient height prevented a to send more aeroplanes if the venture suc­ full recovery. and even though the machine ceeded. This undertaking was short-lived, struck the water on a fa irly even keel, the but the type of Avro mentioned was force of the impact 'submerged the craft and inspected by a delegation of Japanese naval she instantly broke up on partially re -surfacing. officers at Hamble in May. Twelve months Four of the crew, including Moon, were later the outcome resulted in the sending to drowned and so tragically ended the life and ten of these machines to train naval career of Southampton 's first pioneer aviator. pilots and the building of this type of aero­ His body was brought to his home at plane. under licence, by the Nakajima Aircraft Bassett and then taken on a gun carriage • Company, .

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(,c '-~. 0'; ,.___ .:.. 0..e-. C' ( Supermarine Sea Eagle 35 ck', to the cemete:y the R?yal Garrison ed Chopin's Funeral , was attended by shot and Felixstowe of the crash, Lt. laplain to the RAF officiated, and s~ Nin Rowland' Moon, ier of the Legion of JII military honours. )ril a development, much interest. took ·ermarines, together ngine Company and ;cussed and imple­ aviation enterprise !nvisaged that from giving of joy rides, The Bris tol Figh ter ' the Tourer men tioned on the nex t page was a de velopmen t of this aircraft. develop and even­ lusiness of charter Also in May, two other visitors to South­ eleven months Civil Aviation had made 37,282 rvey work. There "mpton were the South Africans, Colonel Van flights, carrying 67,496 passengers and ro seaplanes in the Ryneveld and Major Brand, who returned to 102,777Ib. 01 freight with the loss of only ned by a 160' hp to be knighted by King . one passenger killed and twelve who were pped from South­ Earlier in the year they left for injured, ns were in hand S o ~'~" Africa in a Vimy called the As anticipated, the local aircraft firms were the venture suc. 'Si. ~ I ' Queen', but crashed on reaching . experiencing difficult times and every effort was short-lived, They continued their marathon in a RAF Vimy was made to sell their products, and the mentioned was which took them to Rhodesia. and eventually resulting publicity from aeroplane races and Japanese naval ended up by flying a borrowed DH 9 into Cape trials was most welcome. The Hamble-built Twelve months Town. It was the Colonel who, ten years Avro 'Baby' secured second place in the July in the sending to later, suggested the name 'Vildebeesf for the 1920 Air Derby, piloted by Capt. H. A . to train naval Vickers which was test flown Hamersley, and the 350 hp R.R. Eagle engined type of aero­ from and Stokes Bay. (G-EAVE) from Super­ jima Aircrah Mi:;(j r Brand was to become Air Vice Marshal marine Aviation Works at Woolston, also came Si r Guintin Brand, the Air Officer Commanding second in the 's seagoing and No. 10 Air Defence Group during the Battle mooring out trials on the east coast in of Britain, whose fighter stations included the October. The ' Eagle' was the only aircraft in one at Middle Wallop. the competition to complete all the tests During 1920 the British Aircraft Con­ without requiring any replacement parts. A structors held an exhibition in with the prize of £8000 was awarded. The winner object of impressing upon the public that of the trials was the (G-EAUK). flying had now progressed beyond the experi ­ In the IW, S. E. Saunders were constructing me ntal stage and could now be accepted as a a 'monster' flying boat. the Vickers designed sa f e mode of transport. 'Aerial Motoring' 'Valentia N126', which was to carry a crew of Was mentioned and figures quoted of 30,000 eight. and J . Samuel White were building passengers being carried in . flight between 'Wasp' aero engines, 1 May and 1 without accident. In July 1920, Lord John Sanger, Roya I Whilst spectacular flights were being made, Circus, Lymington, advertised in the Hamp­ such as Alcock and Brown's trans-Atlantic shire Advertiser and Southampton Times for aChievement. the purpose of the B.A.C. was an aviation ground within reasonable distance to get the British public air minded, and this of Southampton and suitable to land his aero­ Was helped by lecturers who toured the plane on Tuesday 27 July. country giving talks on aviation. At the start The Hampshire A dvertiser and Southampton of one of these tours, Major W. T . Blake gave Times in 1921 publ ished a series of excellent a talk at the Coliseum, Southampton, entitled aerial photographs showing many different 'Flying For Pleasure and Profit' and stated that views of Southampton taken by the Central during 1920 the US air mail service delivered Aerophoto Company. Later, Arthur W. Hobart, 100 million letters compared with the three­ of Kenley, , in 1923 and Surrey Flying c;..!a rters of a million delivered in the UK. Services of Croydon in 1926, a Iso had their 2 meeting was considered to be of import­ excellent work published in the same news­ ~:::: e and the Mayor took the chair. paper. The aeroplanes used for this work Figures issued in July 1920, by the Con­ were based at the or Hamble troller General showed that .during the last airfields. 36 The RAF were also busy in this field of before the meeting of his friends, N"r. work, and pilots from the School of Photo­ Pinckney and his pilot, T . l. Tebbitt, and graphy, Farnbor-ough, flew over Old Win­ passenger intended to fly to the Avro Aero. Hill and elsewhere in 1922 at 2500 ft plane Works at Hamble. They left Lymington, with their cameras busily clicking. This led flew over Southampton Water and tragicaHy to a number of archaelogical finds, and in the owner and pilot lost their lives when the 1924 an Avro and later a better aircraft crashed at Hamble. The butler 0(1 equipped de Haviland DH 9, flown by Capt. Lodge and the coachman from Hamble Gaskell, photographed Teg Down, Farley Cliff witnessed the accident and Mr. C. C. Mount, and other sites in the Test Valley be­ Perrin from the Avro Works, together with a sides extensively covering the whole of nurse, rendered first aid. However, aviatio.l Wessex: thus continuing Major Eskdale's accidents did not always end in disaster and pioneering work with the which many successful forced landings were accom· culminated in the photographing of Stone­ plished. '. henge from a war balloon in 1906 by Lt. P. H. The 1920's continued the 'barn storming' Sharpe. It is interesting to note that in 1927 era of exhibition flying, and a M iss Sylvia the Ordnance Office staff carried out a series Boyden, a parachutist from Woolston, narrowly of air photography experiments for map­ escaped injury on landing when giving a making near Eastbourne, and some ten years demonstration in , later this method of map-making was con­ Details of Supermarine's new 'air battleship' tinued from . were released to the Press in July 1922 and In May 1921, a Mr. Pinckney flew his it was specified that the new flying boat would Bristol 'Tourer' biplane, a development of the be 'the eyes of the fleet and able to go through WW1 fighter, from Croydon to Lymington in the water under its own power, unaided. A anticipation of entertaining a number of his crew of twenty was mentioned, with ample friends at Beaulieu aerodrome. He was the sleeping accommodation. Two 650 hp engines guest of his brother-in-law, Col. Curtis, Buck­ would provide the power and its hull would land Manor, Lymington. His aircraft, powered be the world's largest. However, the 'Scylla,' by a 300 hp Hispano engine, was brought as it was called, appears never to have been back from and was the same completed. type that flew over the 20,000ft: high Cor­ Aeroplane trials and the King's Cup air dillerosin South America in 1919. The day races of the early 1920's brought to the

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Supermarine Southampton (Wooden Hull) N9898 37 attention such pilots as , stated more forcibly the importance of estab­ friends, tvr. pLJ' w: ·,'; the test pilot for at Hamble, lishing an air rome to and , and Tebbitt, and an d Cap t. H . C. Baird, who held a similar Lord Apsley sh owed his practical interest in Avro Aero_ position with Supermarine~ of W~olston. T.he y aviation by purchasing a number of aeroplanes left Lymi8gton, fleW va rious machines, including the light and was frequently to be seen flying over his and tragically aeroplanes, Avro's 'Avis' and Supermarine's home at Stockbridge, and later based some I ives when the 'Sparrow' respectively. 'Sea Eagle I(' won the of his aircraft at Eastleigh aerodrome. On The butler of in 1922 and this success, one occasion he ditched in the Solent in his n from Hamble too cthor with the experimental flying boat Shackleton-Murray SM1, G-ACBP. Mr. C. C. se~ ' ,":: 5 along the south coast and the IW, with a At the end of March 1924 a round-the­ endl)ied Supermarines to win orders for their world flight was attempted in a Vickers Vulture aircraft from all over the world. Amphibians amphibian, by Sqd .-Ldr. Mclaren. He de­ and flying boats were developed and names parted from the R.I'IF station, Calshot. but sand like 'Seagull', 'Sea Eagle', 'Scarab', 'Seamew' and water in the petrol ended his efforts at and 'Southampton' featured in av ia tion maga­ . The KCAR that year featured zines and the local newspapers. A. J. , Capt. Baird and F. L. Barnard, The 'Kittiwake' amphibian flying boat. built the finishing line being at Gosport for land giving a by S. E. Saunders at Cowes, was successfully planes and Lee-on-Solent for seaplanes. fli;nt- re sted by F. Warren-Merriam in 1921. A most unusua I case was brought before the But this twin-engined biplane never went into 'air battleship' magistrates at Winchester in August when productIon. 'Warren-Merriam built a Iy 1922 and Thomas K. Breakell, a pilot, was summoned and entered it for the competition g boat would for flying an aeroplane at night without lights.. in October, 1922. It crashed and then was to go through The owner of the aircraft, Geoffrey V. Peck, converted into a two-seater instructiona I unaided_ A was also summoned for aiding and abetting. gl ider, but the gliding school started by , with ample The prosecution was under the Aerial Naviga­ Vi ~ ';' ;) n-M err ia m was not successful and hp engines tion Order of 1922, and Detective Officer c:c.·;;d in 1923. ts hull would Collier gave evidence that whilst on duty at lr, the 'Scylla: Avros in December 1922 produced a re­ Eastgate Street at 9.30 pm on Saturday even­ to have been markable aircraft, the 'Aldershot I(' (J-6852) ing, he heard the aircraft engine and saw the -the most powerful single-engined biplane aircraft flying wit:lout lights towards·G i les Hill air i~ the world. This machine was powered by and heard it fly back again over the Guildhall. the a sixteen cylinder 1000 hp Napier engine and Breakell and Peck pleaded not guilty and a four wheeled undercarriage was necessary stated that the aircraft was not fitted with to 'Odpp ort its weight. Bert Hinkler took it up lights. They were informed that red, green fv ;~s which was witnessed by and white lights must be displayed between A i; Vice Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond. sunset and sunrise. They were fined £1 - a The RAF were now on a peace-time footing most extraordinary case. but new and modified aircraft were being re­ ceived at the local RAF stations. At Gosport The development of aviation was not with­ No. 3 Squadron were equipped with Avro out its setbacks, and in August 1923 a Fairey Bisons and at Calshot, Felixstowe F5 flying 1110 (N-9460) seaplane caught fire and dived boats manufactured by S. E. Saunders and into the Solent, the crew being rescued, and th'O Gosport Aircraft Co., Ltd., were in use the following month the Blackburn Pellet wi~h No. 230 Squadron until 1925, when No. (G-EBHF) was wrecked off Cowes after a 480 Flight received wooden hulled 'South­ forced landing near Calshot. A RAF Bristol ampton' class aircraft. fighter (F-4840) forced landed at Butlocks Heath, , in September 1924 without The active interest in aviation matters injury to the pilot. The following year a No. shown by prominent members of the South 32 Squadron's Gloucester Grebe from Kenley Hants communities in the pre-Great War days aerodrome crashed onto a cookery school at was continued in the 1920's. Lord Montagu, Locks Heath, killing a girl, and an airman of in 1920, advocated six imperial air routes to No. 12 Squadron plummeted to his death at I;:'ia, Africa, Australia and North America, Andover when his failed to open. and took part in the House of Lords' debate about the RAF in July, 1922. The junior The 1925 Schneider Trophy was won at Member for Southampton, Lord Apsley/asked Baltimore by the Americans, the British pilots the First Lord of the Admiralty (March, 1923) being Messrs Ba ird and Broad, supported by about the present and future strength of the Hinkler. Also in 1925, because of the associa­ aircraft used by the . Both tion of Supermarines with Southampton, a 1\1," mbers were voicing the views of many public subscription was raised to buy plaques, (, ' ~ Clrs and genuine concern was felt about to be displayed on the Southampton Class t,; role of Britain in keeping abreast, if not, flying boats made at Woolston. A visitor to il '.Jeed, leading the world in these fields of the station at Woolston that avia tion. Lord Montagu in the following year year was a Dornier Wal flying boat of the ' -> ..... , .. ' ~'~ I i; ~ ~ The Swedish "r ' . -­ Dornier Wal '/ ~ ~ ..~ : .-' flying boat at • _~ ., ' 4 the Imperial Airways station Woolston 1925

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Swedish airlines on a proving flight across the flying ground. One of the passers-by who . It was a parasol fitted stopped to witness this event happened to be with two Rolls-Royce engines and equipped Miss Whitlock's father, who was completely to seat ten passengers. This flight brought unaware that it was his daughter jumping out once again to the attention of the authorities of the aeroplane. During the summer a the need for provision at the Docks to accept number of other people made their first para­ marine aircraft, but the shipowners continued chute jump, but before doing so a lega I form their 'wait and see' policy. nicknamed 'a death warrant' had to be signed. Three new important aircraft appeared in Before going any further, let us return to 1926-the Cierva autogiro at Hamble-the July 1923 when the British Marine Air forerunner of the Supermarines 'Walrus', the Navigation Company, under Herbert Scott 'Seagull' at Woolston and the '' with Paine, began the first commercial flying boat No. 12 Squadron at Andover. The chief in­ service to the from South­ spector at the A . V . Roe factory at Hamble ampton. The aircraft used carried six pas­ was Mr. F. A. Oddie (later of Oddie, Bradbury sengers and were advertised to, connect with & Cull) , who worked in close co-operation the fast trains to Waterloo, enabling one to with Senor de la Cierva, the autogiro' inventor. breakfast in , lunch in London, and be One of the difficulties of getting the lift blades able to return for dinner. The actual flying rotating before the aircraft took off was over­ time being ninety minutes. The Air Ministry come when a direct drive from the engine was as early as June 1922 had given permission introduced in 1932. Before this they were for flights from Southampton to Le Havre and spun in a similar manner as a toy top is made Cherbourg, and in January 1923 herd talks at to spin. Frank Courtney was the test pilot as Supermarines to discuss a commercial air link Cierva did not learn to fly until 1927, when the between England and the Continent. obtained his pilot's licence with the Hampshire Sir W illiam Sefton-Brancker, Director of Aeroplane Club. Civil Aviation, stated in January 1924 that the As far as the Wide Lane airfield was con­ Woolston Airport would be taken over by the cerned the highlight of the 1920's occured in newly-formed Imperial A irways, and South­ 1926 when the Surrey Flying Services from ampton would have its first airport. This Croydon brought their aeroplanes for air taxi became a reality in August 1924 when Capt. work, joy riding and the additional thrill of V. H. Garwood became the manager, operating making a parachute descent for those who under the Imperial Airways flag and using had enough courage to do so. Over 3600 Supermarine amphibians. By October, the' passenge.rs were carried and Mr. Joseph aircraft were fitted with radio and modified Dunning, a pilot member of the Hampshire to accept the larger 450 hp Napier engine and Asroplane Club, made a descent using a capable of seating twelve passengers. 'Guardian Angel ' parachute. Miss D. Whit­ 'The service from Woolston to be­ lock, of Eastleigh, who worked at the Atlantic tween July 1923 and July 1924 pioneered the Park Hostel, became the first livoman to make way for later developments and was con­ a pa rachute jump in Southampton. She was sidered successful even though the first civil watched by about 15,000 onlookers as she amphibian G-EBFK was lost in a crash in climbed into the Avro, accompanied by Capt, May 1924. The negotiations with the French A. A. Anderson and piloted by Mr. Flynn. At authorities to extend the route to Cherbourg about 1000 ft she climbed out of the , became protracted and later, whenever an jumped and landed safely in the centre of the occasional flight was made from Southampton 41 ) ur of Scandinavia, and Lindbergh's flight from Newfoundland. Miss Earhart thus Fl i· .l' tic flight to Paris. After a tremen­ becoming the first woman to fly the Atlantic SO: . d Oli ' : ,;r; eption in Paris and London he flew was welcomed by the Mayor and Mayoress . his aircraft 'Spirit of St. Louis' to Gosport in The aircraft, a three-engined mono­ preparation for it to be shipped back to the plane called 'Friendship', was forced down in States. the Burry Estua ry, Wales, and so prevented M cllroys, of East Street, Southampton, a direct flight to Southampton as wa s planned. celebrated their 53rd anniversary by giving Later the aeroplane wa s sold and dismantled, priJ; to the persons who guessed the correct the engines returning to America in the he; ~, l which an aircraft, piloted by Mr. D. 'Olympic' and the transported to Val' '!I,ssel, would fly over their shop on the London Docks by the well known fi rm of 17 and 18 May 1928. Messrs. George Baker and Co. and shipped The future of Southampton as a great airport to New York in September. wa s debated on many occasions and the com­ Other visitors to the Solent seaboard petition between air and sea for the Atlantic included a group of Spanish Air Fo rce Officers pa ss enger traffic wa s emphasized when a to Woolston; an Italian airman, Col. de bi-wcek ly service was suggested. Bernardi to Hamble where he inspected a Co'- -,J nder C. D. Burney stated that if South­ number of aircraft and made a fl ight in an ;sers-by who a r;~:) ' , i was chosen as the UK terminal a con­ Avro 'Avenger', and a Mr. George H. Storck jpened to be ven ie nt local landing ground must be found. of Seattle, who purchased an Avian fitted with s completely It wa s envisaged that a start could be made floats, called it the 'Seattle Spirit' and set off jumping out in 1930 and the minutes of the Southampton for a round the world flight of 27,000 miles. , summer a Corporation show that application was made (He had built an aircraft in 1908) . Hamble 3ir first para- by Captain Boothby RN (Retd.), Director of Aerodrome at this time was a busy place, with a legal form Air Venturers Ltd ., for a site for construction, the Hampshire Aero Club contributing to its to be signed. ojJ >; :"'d ion and landing facilities for at active life. It wa s a favourite ja unt for us return to the' _;tleigh Aerodrome . H.A.C. members to fly from Hamble to the Marine Air i-,.:; successful Hamble Air Pageant was Ensbury Pa rk race course at Bournemouth, erbert Scott repeated in 1928 and included the display of but th is was prevented in 1928 when the race II flying boat an Avro Gosport and Cierva autogiro. Mr. course was closed down. from South­ John Tranum, the wing walker, performed and In the IW the indomitable Warren-Merriall, ied six pas­ made a parachute descent. the Gloster 'Game­ who started his Aviation Bureau in 1926, was connect with co cks' were back to thrill the crowds once giving joy rides in his Avro machine from the Ibling one to aga in and Lady Heath, who achieved an West Cowes Aerodrome during the Whitsun ldon, and be al l ,':!e record for light seaplanes in a Short hoiiday of" 1928 and was contemplating a actua I flying ~jL , ,:: 1, attended the display , The increase seaplane and landplane school . The school in tr affic and visitors meant a very busy time appeared to have the necessary support re­ Air Ministry + n permission for the police force, who II'{ere under the quired, but foundered and in 1932 the Avia­ .e Havre and control of Superintendent Pragnell from East­ tion Bureau was moved to Southampton. He le igh. herd talks at was joined in 1927 by Captain Vaughan whom One of the highlights of 1928 occurred he taught to fly in 1915. Boulton and Paul ~rcial air link It. when M iss Amelia Earhart and her pilot, Mr. Sidestrand were now flying with No . Director of Wi lliam Stultz, arrived at the Imperial Airways 101 Squadron from Andover RAF station. 924 that the St:::!()f1, Wool ston , on the completion of their Another new Cierva autogiro appeared at over by the and South­ rport. This when Capt. er, operating J and using ktober, the' nd modified • r engine and gers. Guernsey be­ lioneered the d was con­ he first civi I a crash in h the French o Cherbourg vhenever an Southampton /I (Metal Huff.- Lion engines) prototype G - EB YU 1928

Hamble and after a 3000 mile tour of England On the I.W. S. E. Saunders received a con­ and Scotland flew to Paris for a continental tract to build sixty-five side by side two-seater sa les display. all metal Bluebirds and talks were in progress The most significant event of 1928 which about a possible merger with that firm and the was to make a major contribution to the local Avro Aviation Company. aircraft industry was the appearance of a The holiday resorts of brand new aeroplane, the Simmons Spartan attracted an increasing number of 'flying (G-EBYO) in the KCAR. It was designed firms' and Phillips & Powis Aircraft Ltd. from by Mr. Simmonds, the first chairman of the Reading, who built Miles aeroplanes, brought HAC and was flown by F / L S. N. Webster, a three-seater to Naish Farm, Highcliffe, offer­ AFC. The aircraft was built with the help of ing 5s. flights over the Whitsun weekend. Mr. Simmond's colleagues at Supermarines Aviation was gathering momentum and and caused much interest in aviation circles regular international flights by aeroplane and where it was considered to rank with the Avro airship, together with the steadily increasing Avian, the DH Moth and Blackburn Bluebird. numbers of aero clubs giving more people the This was the beginning of Simmonds Aircraft opportunity to fly an aircraft, brought in the Ud. and the old Government Rolling Mills at golden age of flying. Weston were taken over to produce the At the end of 1929, the Mayor of South­ Spartan light aeroplanes which featured, in ampton stated that negotiations with Mr. J. particular, interchangeable wings. E. A. Willis Fleming, of Chilworth, for the January 1 1929 was an important day 100-acre site for an aerodrome in the parish when the first production Simmonds aircraft of North Stoneham, was with the full approval was named 'Cirrus Spartan' by the Mayoress, of the Air Ministry. This was the outcome of Mrs. M. H . Pugh. Orders had been received the suggestion made twelve months earlier by from all over the world, and fully justified the the Air Council, who were prompted by a comment of 'the first positive addition to speech made by the Prince of Wales, that more British aviation for ten years'. By May, fifty­ aerodromes were needed and that every major four machines had been ordered and Simmonds town, like Southampton, should have its own Aircraft Ltd. had contracts to build Blackburn municipal airport. Bluebirds as well . The biggest order was In late 1929 and during 1930 the British placed by the National Flying Services Ltd., airships and R101 made a number of an organ isation wh ich centra lIy organ ised trial flights over South Hants and the IW prior those flying clubs prepared to join the scheme. to their anticipated journeys to North America 43

Jnd Inelia respectively. Much was expected through, the jungle for help Matthews was from these huge flying sh ips which became found by some natives and was taken to the focus of public attention and a topical hospital. He eventually arrived home at source of interest during their brief reign of Southampton in the middle of September and glory, Therefore it wa s not unexpected when was greeted at the Docks by his family and the Southampton-built R 1 02 ' appeared and his Avro colleagues, who could see that he became the only dirigible to pa ss through the had not fully recovered from the exper ience. . It wa s, of course, a large model Matthews and Hook took off from Lympne and constructed by the students of the University flew into trouble right away, . losing a day in College to raise mclney during their Rag Day with p~rol tank trouble. Leaving procession. The German Graf was Lyons, behind schedule, they flew 600 miles another visitor to the Solent airspace and the over the sea to Caltagirone in Sicily. They sight of these large airships left an indelible found difficulty in obtaining petrol and had print on one's memory. to wait for visas at and Basra. Arriving The crash of the R 1 01 in France shocked at Karachi with a split petrol tank they were the nation and put an end to airship develop­ delayed two days wait for a new one. On then ment in England. A memorial service was to Jodpour, Allahabad and ,Rangoon they en­ held at St. Mary's Church, Southampton, in countered the monsoon storms, the engine October, and was attended by the civic became waterlogged and they crashed authorities and representatives from the into a thicket of bamboos which saved the University College, industry and commerce. machine from excessive damage and probably The local RAF embarkation officer F IL H. W. Matthews' life. Clayton, together with F/L E. J. E. P,rothero By the end of the year the HAC logged and FlO's Elliot and Whyte from Worthy 2362 flying hours and forty-one members ob­ Down represented the RAF. tained their'A' licence against thirty-seven in Two Hampshire airmen were in the 'news', 1929. Two members who received their Mr. F. G. Fry of West Meon who flew from licences on the 1 October were Col. L, G. Bird Croydol~ in his Gypsy Moth on the 14th and his daughter, who were on a two-month February to arrive successfully in on leave from Hong Kong . The c lub now boasted March 1 st, and Mr. Jack Matthews of Netley four DH Moths, one and a member­ n­ who set out on June 20th with Mr. Eric Hook ship of over 400. Once a week a club ,er in an attempt to beat Bert Hinkler's fifteen-day instructor flew to Basingstoke to give joy ss flight to Australia. The flight ended in rides and this was looked upon as a useful le disaster when the 'Dryasel', a ,similar machine way of recruiting more members to the now to Hinkler's Avro, crashed into the Burmese very thriving and ' second to none' liqht aero­ ire jungle, killing Mr. Hook. After staggering plane clubs in the UK. ng lm :h t

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;sh of io r On a local flight from Hamble in March, Empire' and suggested that the Mayor of Win­ piloling a Spartan biplane, 1V1iss Gladys Grace, chester use his influence to obtain access to the granddaughter of the famous cricketer a hill outside Winchester to be used for the W . G. Grace, was seriously injured when the promotion of glider flying. This suggestion aircraft got into a spin and crashed in the was a topical one as the German glider pilot marshes beside the river at . The Herr Kronfeld had just completed a same week a Southampton class flying boat fifty-mile flight from liford, the site of the 1922 forced landed at Bembridge, and two RAF glider contes\' to Hill, where he officers, FlO E. R. White and PIO P. J. Pratt, gave a number of demonstrations. were killed when their aircraft crashed at Over in the IW a gliding club was formed, Worthy Down. The following month a Black­ using the modified 1922-buiIt Merriam­ burn Ripon No. S1395 from Gosport dived Newman glider and a 'modern' Lowe-Wylde into the So lent after flying past the United glider. Sir A. V. Roe became the president States Lines 'Leviathan'. The crew members and Capt. F. L. M . Boothby, RN, the treasurer; of this torpedo bombing aircraft were spec­ and the Saunders- Roe aerodrome at Somerton tacularly rescued when the 'Leviathan's' tugs was used. The IW Chamber of Commerce sounded their sirens to draw attention to the proposed a municipal aviation park but this scene. A seaplane dived from' the sky to pir:k was rejected as a suitable private aerodrome up one member of the crew, the other airman already existed, the one already mentioned and being rescued by a launch from Calshot which another near Shanklin, where a passenger also salvaged the severely damaged aircraft. service was inaugurated and celebrated with an air display. was a frequent visitor to To return to Southampton an interesting Hamble and Bournemouth and in September 'ceremony' was performed in November 1930 attended the HAC garden party with her when Alderman S. G. Kimber and Mr. E. Berry famous silver and green Moth 'Jason'. During Webber launched a captive balloon from the three days in November more aircraft visited Marland:; to indicate to those assembled the Hamble than at any other time of the year on height of the new Civic Centre tower. Before the occasion of the visit to Calshot of the huge leaving 1930 mention must be made of the German flying boat Do X 0-1929. The Prince spectacular Wessex Air Display organised by of Wales inspected the aircraft on his return Air Vice Marshal Sir John Steel, AOC, when from the continent and a passenger who flew the RAF were 'At Home' at Andover. This in the flying boat to Bordeaux was Capt. H. C. was a preview of the Hendon Pageant and four Baird, Supermarine's test pilot who, direct Fairey Flycatchers of 404 Fleet Fighter Flight from testing the prototype 'Vildebeest', only from Gosport maintained the high standard managed to catch the plane by a fast car ride set up by 403 and 443 Flights of previous and a speed launch to the great aeroplane as years. Brilliant aerobatics were performed by she was taxi-ing to take off. Bristol Bulldogs of No.3 Squadron when in­ The King's Cup air race of July 1930 tercepting the 'invading' Horsley Bombers of attracted over 100 aeroplanes, one of them, a No. 100 Squadron and at one time fifty-four low winged monoplane, was designed by B. machines were in the air together. A Bristol Henderson, a member of the HAC. Many well fighter re-lived the 'balloon hunting' days of known pilots, such as Capt. Barnard, Bert WW1 and the fourteen aircraft in the static Hinkler. Tommy Rose, and Philip Wills, who display ranged from a communications DH flew a DH Moth G-EBOL belonging to the Moth aeroplane to a night HAC, took part. The first turning point of the bomber. A memorable aviation occasion. course was at Hamble, and by 10.24 pm over During the Hendon display a flight of 'South~ seventy aeroplanes had flown over, including ampton Class' flying boats took off from the chief instructor of the HAC, Mr. DlJdley, Calshot and flew across the country to take who was piloting a Sparton Arrow. Two other part in the aerial pageant. interesting aeroplanes taking part was that owned by Sir Henry Seagrave and built by Saunders Roe and Sir Philip Sassoon's 3­ engined monoplane.

The interesting visitors to Southampton in 1930 included Sir Alan Cobham who proposed the idea of a landing ground near Lyndhurst, Squad.-Ldr. Underhill who lectured to the Master Mariners' club on air navigation and stated that the future big transport aircraft would be complimentary to the passenger liner, and Colonel the Master of Sempil who gave a lecture on the subject'Aviation and the 64

CHAPTER 8 Airports in c t~rminal bui SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT Sidney Kimb and said t ridiculous. and council! Johnson, Mr fleW from visited Ams November. yea r speaki stated that calamity. Sou/hem Oa the followin Amelia Ear Car'. ' If a motor cars where:life c ingly excitin problems in the earth. to look at pr we usually I to go ahead tf) take car s~fficiently as best we In July 1 Southampto ,vulnerable parity with of our sh Parts of h' made earlie recruits fo In January 1936 members of the Southampton also proposed to the Airport Committee that Army. It Chamber of Commerce and their friends visited the Southern Railway be asked to put under­ that not si the Airport and were watching an air display ground that length of railway alongside the there been when weather conditions quickly deteriorated perimeter of the airfield to enable the existing Army, and and the airfield was swept by a snow storm. 800 yd East-West runway to be lengthened, of the Ham They then sheltered in a hanger and this gave and formulated the idea of flooding the low­ led by thei l them the opportun ity to inspect a four-engined lying meadows adjacent to the airport by torian and ( twenty-two seater Armstrong-Whitworth damming the river Itchen to obta in an expan: ;) 1936, the' l 'Argosy' and a Supermarine 'Seagull', being of water suitable for the operation of flyil': g by regular I assembled for Australia . After having tea in boats and to become the base for the Empire in such war the airport cafe, the weather cleared and the Air Services. and Northla party was flown over Southampton in the De This fresh water lake would give the flying appeared al Havilland , 'Diana'. Three months' boats two one-mile runways in the correct and SoutH later the Chamber of Commerce entertained direction and the retaining dam on ,the many peop ·/ Mr. G. l. Walters of the Imperial Airways, who southern perimeter would be an embankmellt the Comm zerial actiI delivered an illustrated lecture which included 20ft high, utilised as a by,pass connecti; 9 l the showing of a film shot by a passenger the main Bournemouth road to the Farehar' ­ operation S whilst on a scheduled flight from the UK to Portsmouth road at . to the So, S. Africa. Generally the development of 'the airport exercises, I Today we hear much about V .T .O.l. and went as planned, and the Airport Committee of Old Sarum S.T.O .l. aircraft, and it is interesting to recall the Southampton Council fully supported and flew his that in the early thirties Mr. l. F. Payne, the implimented wherever possible the proposals electricity Airport Manager, when addressing the aero­ outlined by Mr. Payne. Recommendations down and drome owners' association in London, stressed brought to the full Council Meetings were d ''J ' unhurt. the need for aircraft manufacturers to be com­ cussed amiably, but on one occasion a v' Y One of pelled to tackle the need of combining a low heated debate ensued over the Coune s v;as the fli landing speed with a high cruising speed. He deputation to visit a number of Continer..d Ro se, who f=

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85 CHAPTER 10

H.M.S. 'RAVEN' 1939

After the snowstorms in late December 1938 the airport resumed operations with increased activity in January of the new year. The Speed Spitfire underwent continual testing, piloted by J. Quill and the maiden flight of C.O.A. Ltd'~ 'Flyi ng Wing' coincided with the opening of their new factory and the commencement of work on the newly acquired Government Hawker Osprey contracts. The Secretary of State for Air, Sir Kingsley airlines would be using the airport. A number Wood and his party paid a flying visit in the of foreign aircraft were arriving on charter Air Council's DH 86 B aeroplane, to inspect flights and when fog or bad weather prevented the factories at the airport. He was shown the the schedule flights into Croydon and Heston, blue Speed Spitfire besides the production then the airfield was open, conditions permit­ models, which were being fitted with a three­ ting, to the continental airlines. Two unex­ blade variable pitch airscrew replacing the pected British visitors in January, were the wooden two-bladed one, and then witnessed 13·ton, four-engined DH 91 Albatros and the Spitfires being tested by FI ight lieut. G. AW 27 Ensign 'proto­ pickering , A thrilling display of aerobatics, type built at Hamble. The DH 91 named demonstrating the crafts manoeuvreability in a 'Falcon', one of the Imperial Airways Frobisher series of loops, upward rolls and rolls off the class, was flying to Paris from London, but over top of a loop and a low speed fly past over the. the Channel the radio broke down and the air­ hangers was carried out by Flying Officer J. K, craft (G-AFDJ) turned back and made for Quill. He also visited Supermarines' Woolston Southampton, the only suitable airport where factory where Flight lieut. Louis, one of weather conditions were good. It made a Vickers flying boat test pilots put a 'Walrus' perfect landing at 12.10 pm and the passen­ amphibian through its paces at not a great gers disembarked, waiting in the cafe until the height above the heads of the visiting party relief plane arrived to pick them up. Mean­ _ which included Sir Charles Bruce-Gardner, while, the 20-ton, 200 mph prototype airliner cha irman of the Society of British Aircraft Ensign class which had left Croydon at Con3 tructors. On returning to the airport he 12.30 pm was contacted by radio to turn back met the managing director of C.O.A. Ltd., Mr. and go to Southampton to pick up the 'Falcon's' R. J. Hayes, who escorted him around the passengers. The Ensign landed at 1.25 pm. factory, including an inspection of the 'Flying The arrival of these two 'giants' and their pas­ Wing'. Further demonstrations were given by sengers meant a fresh custom clearance and representatives of the smaller firms, Mr. G. members of the Southampton Marine base Wickner and Mr. David Kay flying their Wicko were hurriedly transferred to the airport for the high wing monoplane and Kay Gyroplane purpose. The Ensign left for Paris at 2.20 pm respectively. and the Falcon stayed the night in a hanger, At this point, it is well worth whiIe mention­ returning to Croydon the following day. ing the vitally important w~rk of test pi'lots and Many passing cyclist and motorist along Wide of One in particular. Flying Officer Quill came Lane stopped to look at what was then a unique to Southampton from Weybridge in May 1938 occasion-two of Britain's biggest at and was one of the finest demonstration pilots Southampton's Airport; was this the shape of In the country. His RAF experience of flying things to come? At the opposite end of the Bristol Bulldogs and Armstrong Siskens scale, two interesting ultra-lightweight aircraft stood him in good stead when flying Spitfires. flew in; an Aeronca, a high wing monoplane, Eac h production Spitfire was tested for about seating the pilot and passenger side by side 40 minutes and made at least three landings and take offs. During the first ten minutes any rigging adjustments were noted and dea It with I~mediately, then the test flight included clunbing to 18,OOOft and a shallow dive at a,bout 400 mph to 13,000 ft. After this, if :Ime permitted, a series of aerobatics were per­ O:m ed and enjoyed by the pilot and onlookers ali ke. - - ' The civil airliners were regularly using the alrpcrt on their norm:l l services and it was 86 and a Dart Kitten (G-AEXT) a single seat low high altitude photography. The aircraft WeS wing monoplane. Both aircraft were powered asS€mbled in the new corporation hanger .0'1 by a 2-cylinder flat twin engine. B.A. mechanics, test flown by a Lockheed pilct Other aircraft diverted to the airport during and then flown to Heston. It was this civil air­ the first qua rter of the year included a Lock­ craft. fitted out with hidden cameras, and heed Electra , a DC 3 of Swissair and a Junkers piloted by and Canadian Bob JU 52 of British Airways, carrying mail from Niven that a number of secret flights over after calling at Hanover and Cologne en Germany and Italy were made photographing route . The JU 52 arrived about 6 o'clock one many industrial and military establishments, morning .with 2000 Ib of air mail and left six­ such as Mannheim and the Siegfreid Une. teen hours later with 3000 Ib of mail flying These flights were carried out in full agreement direct to Berlin. An unexpected flight of three with the French authorities who, at that time Bristol Blenheims landed one day in late appeared to be more actively interested in February, but only stayed for one hour. The photographic reconna issance than the RAF. It leading pilot was C. W. A. Scott, famous for is interesting to recall that in 1914, No 3 his win in the England-Australia air race of Squadron RFC, under the command of Major 1934, and the Portsmouth to Johannesburg air Henry R. M. Brooke-Popham obtained are· race of 1936 (with Guthrie) in a Percival Vega markable set of pictures of the defences of the Gull in just under fifty-three hours. He be­ IW which led to the aerial photography of the came an Atlantic ferry pilot during the war, Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. was a lieutenant in the RNVR and died in 1946 Further, photo reconnaissance pictures of the aged 42 . enemy trenches were used to plan the Battle of Early in the month, mysterious 'phone calls Neuve-Chapelle and it was from these early had been made, threatening to 'bomb the air­ beginnings that it was realised that aerial port and to set fire to the hangers'. The Civic photography was vitally necessary for any Centre and Government Training Centre also military campaign. In May another Lockheed being threatened. The Police searched the 12A arrived at the a irport to be assembled for aerodrome but no bombs were found and it Major Cotton, his original one now being was considered to be a hoax. Nevertheless a owned by the French. The new Lockheed was strong guard was mounted at the RAF station assembled and test flown, and C.O.A. ltd. for some time. This now was a time of tension were asked to fit long range iuel tanks, this and the mounting European Crisis was made work being completed at Heston by Airwork very real when anti-aircraft batteries in and ltd. Cameras were also fitted and the aircraft around Southampton were being formed and painted a pale duck-egg green which was an Army Co-operation aircraft (DH Dragon and admirable camouflage and made spotting the Monospar) used to assist in the training, of aircraft most difficult when flying at height. operating, not only the guns but radio detection This colour later became standard camouflage and range finding equipment. After dark, the for the underside of RAF fighters. In June this neon beacon of the airport flashed out the Lockheed, registration number G-AFTL, toured Southampton call sign which, besides being the photographing sites including used for civil ian purposes, was requested by Italian ammunition dumps on the Mediter­ RAF pilots on exercise from the various mili­ ranean Coastline of and military tary aerodromes in the South of England to targets in . This work was continued assist them with their navigation on cross over Germany and in July 1939; flying from country night flights and other operations. Frankfurt, photographs of the industrial Rhine­ The completion of C.O.A. ltd's new factory land were taken including airfields and fortifi­ saw Hanger 2a being vacated, this was oc­ cations, and Cotton's Lockheed was the last cupied by Vickers Supermarine Aviation ltd. civilian aircraft to leave Berlin on August 24 and the bungalow once the C.O .A's drawing before the start of WW2. Yet another 12A office was taken over by Mrs. Caldicott, the was being assembled (G-AGAR) and Bob restaurant manageress, who quickly made it Niven piloting a Beechcraft bi-plane visited suitable for passengers and crew members for the airport to see how the )Nork was progres­ staying overnight. sing. It was from this Beechcraft that Niven As mentioned earlier, Lockheed aircraft photographed the German ships at Wilhelms­ were being assembled at the airport for British haven a day or so before war broke out. The Airways and another one was shipped over in Beechcraft was a four-seater cabin, backward the 'Aquitania' but this time it was for a private stagger bi-plane, and back in 1935, Amy buyer, Australian born Major A . S. Cotten, a Johnson became the sole agent for selling this pioneer of aerial photography for military pur­ aircraft in the UK. At the outbreak of war, all poses, who intended using the aeroplane for these aircraft were to play important roles in Continental tours. Actually the Lockheed 12A photographic reconnaissance and Major A . S. aircraft were paid for by the British Secret Cotton became a Squadron Leader acting Wing Service and the French Deuxieme Bureau for Commander and head of a special unit before 87 e aircraft IiV)S it wa . .;rbed into the RAF. G-AGAR, fitted that aircraft suitably equipped to receive radio ion hanger. by with' .8l'as naturally, flying from Habbaniya, signals could be guided down a beam to safety. Lockheed pilot photo9 1Jphed the Russian oilfields, Baku and In addition, a direction-finding station was s this civil air_ Ba tum in March and April, 1940 and the installed for the all-weather testing of Spitfires. cameras, and Dodecanese in June. The pilot, Hugh McPhail, On , a Barrage B~I­ Canadian Bob remaining in the Middle East for two-and-a-half loon display was used to recruit members into t fl ig hts OVer years instead of the anticipated two weeks for the local Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons Nos. photographing I this later job. 930 and 931, whose headquarters were at tablishments iegfreid Un,.,' Th < ' , ~erpretation of aerial phGtographs was Houghton House, Bassett Avenue. The bar­ rage balloon was inflated with 19,000 ft of I ull agreeme~~ heIPf:: c' considerably by using a Wild stereo ~ hydrogen and flown at 1000 ft and made an , at that time plotter. At the beginning of the war only one impressive picture at night when the No 394 interested in existed in England at the Ordnance Survey AA company RETA from Millbrook spotlighted the RAF. It Office, Southampton. This was soon acquired it with their . 1914, No 3 by Major Cotton. One of the girls who oper­ Back at the airport, C.L. Air Surveys Ltd. ~and of Major _ ated the stereo plotter, Lettice Curtis, was to were using their Puss Moths and an American Ibtained a re­ follow a distinguished career as a ferry pilot Bellanca (later sold to C.O .A. Ltd.) for aerial efences of the in the war-time . For photography work on behalf of the Ordnance Igraphy of the some lime she was stationed at Hamble and Survey Department. These aircraft were flown ember 1914. flew a multitude of aeroplanes ranging from Spitfires to four-engined Halifaxes. Hamble in straight lines at 10,000 ft and to do this, ictures of the ferry pool's first CO was the designer and an automatic pilot was used, controlled by 1 the Battle of builder of the Wicko monoplane, G. N radio direction finding equipment beaming onto n these early Wickner. Radio Luxembourg. The 20 in wide-angle lens :l that aerial of the cameras were automatically operated at 5ary for any On the night of September 19 1940, a para­ r exposures of 1/50 to 1/200 sec by means of chut , :nine descended on to Heston aerodrome her LockheecJ a fan mounted in the slip stream of the and .'estroyed many aircraft. including five Issembled for propellor. C.L. Air Survey's mathematician phO:0 reconnaissance Spitfires and the Lock­ l now being was Miss Lettice Curtis. heed G-AFTL of the Heston Flight assembled -ockheed was Of the many visiting aeroplanes in the at the airport. One of the early P.R. Spitfires e.O.A. Ltd. first quarter of the year, perhaps the most in­ was delivered to the Sid Cotton Unit as early ~I tanks, this teresting was the American Seversky fighter as Febrl!ary 1940 from the assembly hanger 1 by Airwork plane. Major Alexander de Seversky the at Eastleigh airfield and began the long asso­ d the aircraft designer and pilot of this pursuit aeroplane ciation of Vickers Supermarine with this type rhich was an swapped his aircraft for a Spitfire, with Jeffrey of '-. A k. However, let us return to the uneasy spotting the Quill, and spent thirty minutes putting it pre- Jar days of 1939. The a irport was now a g at height. through its paces by performing many high very busy place in more ways than one. In­ j camouflage speed aerobatic manoeuvres. When he landed tensive training by squadrons returning from In June this • he was full of praise for the Spitfire. Later in their Spring cruise from the 'Ark Royal' con­ \FTL, toured June, he a Iso flew a Me. 109 over Germany tinued, and the sight of Fairy Swordfish taking es including and was the first pilot to fly both aircraft. he Mediter­ off and landing alongside the hangers of the FAA base became commonplace. By contrast, He thought the British aircraft the more and military manoeuvreable but more difficult to maintain on the opposite side of the airfield Oddie IS continued and forecast Britain's victory over the German Br2-::bury and Cull completed their sixth 'jum~ flying from Air Force. The Seversky fighter was demon­ start' autogiro for Ciervqs. Contradicting the stria I Rhine­ strated to various interested Air Ministry and peace of those pre-war days, air raid shelters ; and fortifi­ RAF personnel at a number of airfields and was were constructed in the field opposite the vas the last developed in the USA and became the famous main entrance to the aerodrome for Vickers­ I August 24 Republic Thunderbolt fighter of WW2. nother 12A Armstrong personnel and on !)oth sides of Wide Lane for the Workers of C.O.A. Ltj. ~ and Bob arte visited The latter being fitted with telephones and 'as progres­ IO -~ dspeaker systems. that Niven (;n a more peaceful note, a pair of robins : Wilhelms­ Were nesting inside the Supermarine Schneider ;) out. The Trophy plane S6 N248, which was stored in a , backward hanger roof at the airport. 935, Amy The Lorenz blind flying equipment installa­ selling this tion was completed and comprised three of war, all beacons, one on the side of the nt roles in aCield, one on the Eastleigh side, 200 yards ~ajor A. S. f\ ' th of the aerodrome boundary by the rail­ cting Wing v.y line, the final one being two miles North The American pursuit aeroplane demonstrated bV unit before oi Allbrook, near Breach Farm. This meant Major Alexander de Severskv at Eastleigh 1939. A number of RAF pilots arrived at Eastleigh formation flying of No. 48 Squadron's Avr) to collect their Spitfires, one of them being Ansons. This RAF squadron had been adopted Robert Stanford Tuck of 65 Squadron who was by Southampton under the Air Ministry's affili­ to become a Ace. A colleague ation scheme. Another impressive flyover, ten of was , the pilot feet above the ground was made by the 24-ton awarded the Brittania Trophy for his record­ Imperial Airways Empire flying boat 'Australia' breaking 1939 return flight to in a piloted by Capt. D. Bennett, a member of the Percival New Gull and who went on to flight HAC and later to be known as Pathfinder test over 6000 Spitfires. He visited Eastleigh Bennett. and Chattis Hill on a number of occasions But In June, interest was shown in the un­ was responsible for the war-time testing of expected arrival of a single seater 'gull' type Spitfires at . glider which actually landed on the airfield, it Two other interesting visitors were a Czech was piloted by Mr. D. Hiscock from Aston built Benes-Mraz Bibi and a French twin­ Rowant. Another glider landed near Eastleigh, ­ engined Marcel Bloch 220 airliner. It was in the pilot being well-known gliding expert Mr. a similar aircraft that the French Foreign Philip Wills, who set up a new gliding height Minister M. Bonnett visited the airport in May. record of 14,170 ft in july. More Lockheed 14's were being assembled Amy Johnson who was now working as a and the name Atlantic Park seemed very apt, pilot on Army co-operation and ferry work with considering the amount of Anglo-American the Portsmouth, Southsea and 1.0.W Airways, work going on. The local airport news in occasionally called at the airport prior to her March, was overshadowed due to the arrival being transferred from Portsmouth to . of the majestic Boeing Yankee Clipper, flying Army co-operation meant flying aircraft, day in from New York via the and the news and night on set courses to provide targets for concerning the Imperial Airways flying boats local anti-aircraft batteries using their range­ which were hitting the newspaper headlines al­ finders and . most daily. The Yankee Clipper before alight­ ing on Southampton Water was met by twenty Private firms like the P.S. and l.o.W. Airways aeroplanes, most of whom came from the air­ were taken over by the Air Ministry and a new port and included some from the Hampshire organisation was founded called National Air Aero Club. The HAC were very active and Communications. now boasted eight aircraft, their lastest ac­ In May 1939, over 800 commercial aircraft quisition being a B.A. Swallow two-seater used the airport, transporting almost 40,000 Ib monoplane. One of their entertaining and of meat, over 250,000 Ib of freight and carry­ adventurous exercises was the 'dawn patrol' ing 2000 passengers. These figures exclude to Redhill. If the Eastleigh club members private, club and military flying. could land at Redhill without the Redhill club Two more Lockheed 14's arrived in June members reading their registration letters, then and within two weeks had been assembled, they could claim a free breakfast. One of the tested and flown to Heston to be fitted with 'pupils' of the HAC, taking a refresher course radio equipment. These a ircraft, for the Irish in a Gypsy Moth, with the instructor K. C. Sea Airways were to be used on the Croydon, Winton, was F. Warren Merriam, who was Bristol and Dublin route. negotiating with directors of Vickers Super­ June also saw the linking of Southampton marine and C.O .A. Ltd., to start a light aircraft and New York by air when the P .A.A. 'Yankee factory near the airport. Another pupil, Miss Clipper' inaugurated the weekly air mail Joy Verdon Roe, flew solo, being the third service across the Atlantic. It was with this member of the Roe family to achieve their type of flying-boat that B.O.A.C. managed to wings with the HAC. maintain its operations during WW2. Another Bill Dunning, the chief engineer at the HAC, historical event also occuired though not of the was associated with the Roe brothers in same l1lagnitude, when a considerable number in 1910. of flowers were flown from Guernsey to the air­ Negotiations were now under way for the port, thus establishing the flower lift which starting of a RAFVR observer and wireless tele­ gathered momentum after WW2. graphy training unit at the airport using twelve It was announced in the House of Commons aircraft and due to the priority testing of Spit­ that from May 26, the administrative control fires, no Empire Air Day was held at the airport. of the FAA would be the responsibility of the The airport manager, Mr. L. F. Payne, was Admiralty and Rear-Admiral R. Bell Davies was relieved of the additional work of organising appointed to the command of the Naval Air the event and thus was able to accept the in­ Stations. On July 1 1939, the FAA Eastleigh vitation to the opening of Guernsey's Airport came under the control of the Admiralty and in May. Councillor R. J. Stranger also at­ was known as HMS 'Raven' and, as all naval tended, and in the afternoon an interesting personnel must be recorded on a ship's book, display was highlighted by the immaculate the land air station was referred to as a ship. 89

quadron's ld been adop Ministry's aftili. sive flyover, te Ie by the 24-tol) boat 'Australia' member of the as Pathfinder

vn in the un­ ater 'gull' type

I the airfield, it :k from Aston near Eastleigh, ing expert Mr. gl iding height

working as a 3rry work with Dr: ]5 Flamingo. A sister aircraft to the one used by for their Southampton service 1939. o.W Airways, t prior to her hear·Admiral Bell Davies' headquarters were Telephone and Cables Ltd. It successfully Ith to Cardiff. at Lee-on-Solent and the 'sh ips' under his survived the war only to crash in France in aircraft, day authority were HMS 'Daedulus' (Lee-on­ 1952. The Lorenz beam approach to an air­ ide targets for Solent), HMS 'Raven' (Eastleigh), HMS port was developed by the German airline J their range- 'Peregrine' (Donibristlej, HMS 'Kestrel' Lufthansa and was used during WW2 to guide (Wo rth,! Down), HMS 'Merlin' (Ford) and German bombers to UK cities. HM S ;·'i alabar' (Bermuda). Commander C. L. The airfield has always been a good pro­ o.W. Airways Howe, RN, became the captain of HMS ducer of mushrooms and members of the :ry and a new 'Rav en', the RAF CO, Group Captain F. H, publ ic were apt to forget the dangers they National Air Lawrence, MC, being appointed to another placed themselves in, when trespassing on the RAF Station. The second in command was field collecting mushrooms, One small boy 3rcia I aircraft Lieut. J. Sanders. All RAF officers left within was nearly hit by an incoming aeroplane and ::lst 40,000 Ib a week, although some airmen remained and the Airport Manager, Mr. Payne, made it known ht and carry­ HMS 'Raven', under the Admiralty commenced that in the interest of safety for aII he wou Id ures exclude its c ' ' r~ er as an important training base, and apply all the rigours of the law for future the ~ · ; ;nber of aircraft stationed there was in­ offenders. Much later during WW2, when Mr. ved in June cre ase d to fifty. The White Ensign now flew Payne rejoined the RAF as a staff pilot, semi­ I assembled, at Eastleigh airfield and the dark navy blue official mushroom pickers from the cookhouse e fitted with uniform became part of the airport scene, of HMS 'Raven', in an endeavour to vary the for 'the Irish Seemingly, not to be outdone by the increase war-time diet naturally could not see all the the Croydon, in the new naval flying activities, Jersey tender mushrooms going to waste and so Airways introduced into their Channel Island helped themselves. On a number of occasions iouthampton air service the spanking new a visiting Admiral was kept waiting in the air by \.A. 'Yankee DH S3 Flamingo (G-AFUE), (impressed No. 24 a frustrated naval pilot whose mutterings about yair mail Squ adron), This aircraft raised the standard the mushroom pickers cannot be expressed on as with this of passenger comfort and re-emphasized the these pages, and complaints for safety's sake managed to pioneering spirit which existed between de were justifiably expressed. However, the 2. Another Havilland and Jersey Airways for up-to-date tenacity of naval ratings is well known and Jh not of the airliners. The first aircraft used by Jersey mushrooms became part of the regular diet in Ible number Airways on their regular flights to the Channel some messes. In April 1941 two workers at !y to the air­ Island was a (G-ACMJ). the Airport were nearly involved in a serious lift which Th ~ landing strip on the island was on the accident by a landing aircraft, when picking be c;c h at St. Bre!ade::; Bay, and this was used mushrooms during their lunch-hour. As a f Commons until the was opened in March deterrent they were each fined 10/- at the :ive control 1937. Eastleigh Magistrates' Court for trespassing on )ility of the The Lorenz blind landing installation at the the airfield, The test pilot spotted them at the Davies was Airport was tested during the Summer of 1939 last moment and skilfully avoided them, thus Naval Air by three a ircraft, a Heston Phoenix, a Lockheed preventing serious inju ry or even death. ~ Eastleigh 12 and an Airspeed . The Phoenix was niralty and th e first high wing monoplane to have a re­ No airf(eld is compl'etely free of accidents IS all naval tr. r: table undercarriage and the particular one and the airport if not accident free has only hip's book, u :J d at Eastleigh (G-AESV) was fitted as a witnessed, fortunately, a very small number of as a ship. fl ', :ng laboratory in 1937 for the Standard major disasters in all its history. On one Trophy Race and two giant Imperial Airw;::yS aircraft. the obsolete 'Scylla' and 'Syrir x' Normally they were used as stand-bys for ~he 42's which now in turn were reo placed by the Hamble built Ensigns. To house the 'Scylla' in a hanger, the radio aerials had to be lowered and the tyres deflated. Other military aircraft arriving in. cluded a , . and the first Lockhee occasion a minor incident occurred when an Hudson, (the military version of the Lockheed­ overshot the runway and ran 14), flying in from Martlesham. This was in. through the fence near the crematorium! The deed the picture of things to come and No. 224 airport fire engines and the naval air station's Squadron at Gosport were equipped with ambulance race to the scene, and found the Hudsons during the Summer of 1939. pilot, P. O. Jennings a little shocked but The chief control officer for the Air Ministry otherwise completely unhurt. at the Airport was Mr. A. L. Russell, Who, Strange as it may seem the most repaired during the early days of WW1 flew to France vehicle stationed at HMS 'Raven' was the with No.4 Squadron. ambulance. The main entrance and exit to the An obsolete but magnificent ex-bombing base was over or under the level crossing by military aeroplane, a Vickers Virginia, visited the railway signal box opposite the entrance to HMS 'Raven' in August with the object of test· Doncaster Drove. If the gates were closed ing the stored at the base. Three against the road traffic then the passage under were picked at random, weights attached and the railway, through the tunnel, was somehow when the Virginia was flown to a height of very inviting. Unfortunately only the smallest 500 ft dropped overboard. All the parachutes of vehicles could safely negotiate the tunnel, opened successfully and floated down onto the and the ambulance, generally being driven in haste and by a new driver was often decapi­ airfield. One of the Blackburn Sharks, of No. 758 Squadron, on a training flight, forced tated in its attempt to pass through. How­ landed in a field between Chestnut Avenue, ever, it was such that no serious damage was inflicted upon the occupants of the ambulance Eastleigh and Hut Hill . The pilot and Telegraphist-Air Gunner were unhurt. which suffered all too frequently. On 3 August two squadrons of Avro Ansons, The RAF aircraft mentioned in the penulti· eighteen aircraft in all, made an impressive mate paragraph were taking part in a large sight when they flew in a party of OTC Air scale national exercises to test our defences Cadets who visited Calshot before flying back and between August 8-11 over 1300 aircraft to Tangmere for their camp at Selsey Bill. had been involved. On the 16-17 August Also during August one of Sir Alan Cobham's more exercises were held and 200 French air· Flight Refuelling aircraft, a modified Harrow craft made a mock attack on targets in the bomber used the airport as a base for flight South of Eng land. The uneasy peace of 1939 refuelling tests over Southampton Water. ended and in August. No. 811 and 822 Earlier in April two of these 1000 gallon Swordfish Squadrons left Eastleigh and em­ 'tanker' aircraft, G-AFRH and another, were barked in HMS 'Courageous' and No. 821 embarked at Southampton on the freighter Squadron embarked in HMS 'Ark Royal'. 'Beaverford', for Botwood, Newfoundland. Southampton Council contacted the War Office They were used for the mid-air refuelling of the and stated they had volunteers to man the anti­ I.A. mailplanes and each carried 1000 gallons aircraft guns for the defence of the airport. of fuel for this purpose. Mr. Payne arranged with the CO of the FAA August was a hectic month and civilian base to assume control of all flying from mid­ visitors to the airport included a three-engined night 1/2 and was recalled Fokker of British Airways, two Taylorcraft Plus to the RAF as a staff pilot on September 2, aeroplanes, a ; a Chilton The same day ten Fairey Battle Squadrons lightweight, the winner of the Folkestone were flown to France.

Lockheed 14 being erected at Eastleigh for British Airways, Compare with the shown above.