2019 BATTLEFIELD TOUR ADDITIONAL READING MATERIAL EXPLORING SOME OF THE ROLES PLAYED BY 33 SQUADRON AND ITS PERSONNEL DURING THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY AVIATION IN WARTIME OPERATIONS Content 1903—1914 PRE-WAR PERIOD Louis Bleriot 3-5 Eastchurch Aerodrome 6-10 Lieutenant Birch’s Flying Training 11-17 (As reported in FLIGHT ‘From The British Flying Grounds’) 1914-1919 WORLD WAR ONE The War in the Air: Vol. 1 - The Part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force 18-28 by Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh Extract from ‘The Fated Sky’ by ACM Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté 29-31 20 “Recollections Of An Airman” Chapter 3: War! 32-34 by Lt Col L A Strange DSO, MC, DFC (5 Squadron RFC) Saint Omer Aerodrome 1914-1918 35-45 Types of aircraft flown by 33 Squadron during World War One 46-47 1919-1939 INTER-WAR YEARS No. 33 (Bomber) Squadron at Eastchurch 48-52 1939-1945 WORLD WAR TWO 33 Squadron Commanding Officers in the Battle of Britain 53-58 The German V-Weapon Threat 59-64 33 Squadron and the Bomber Command Diary June-August 1944 65-71 Operation CROSSBOW and the ‘Heavy Crossbow’ Sites: 72-78 Watten, Wizernes, Mimoyecques and Siracourt Operation Dynamo—The Evacuation of the BEF May-June 1940 79-80 Acknowledgements and References 81-82 Louis Blériot flies across the English Channel 25 July 1909 From the Dover Mercury (16 and 23 July 2009) The first aerial crossing of the English Channel, by Dr. John Jeffries (1744–1819) and Jean-Pierre Blanchard, (1753–1809), took place from Dover on 7 January 1785 in a balloon. By the end of the 19th century, balloons were becoming larger and in 1900, the first Zeppelin had flown. In Europe, free ballooning was flourishing in the vanguard of which was the Aéro-Club de France, founded in 1898 and based in Paris. Two years later the Aero Club (now Royal) opened in London. In 1804, a British amateur engineer, Sir George Cayley (1773-1857), flew a model glider, the world’s earliest known successful heavier-than-air craft. In 1853, his full -sized glider made the world’s first manned heavier- than-air flight. Between 1891 and 1896 Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896) using gliders made by himself, flew over 2,000 controlled flights. Sadly, he died of injuries when he fell from a craft that had stalled. In the US, bicycle manufacturers, Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville Wright (1871-1948) were inspired by Lilienthal’s work and made a fabric-covered wooden bi-plane driven by a petrol engine. On 17 December Louis Blériot July 1909. 1903, the Wright Brothers made the worlds first powered controlled sustained flight – it lasted 59 his Blériot No XI 25-horsepower monoplane. The seconds. By 1905, the brothers had built a flying machine was made of ash and poplar and strengthened machine with controls that was completely with piano wires. The controlled parts were the wings, manoeuvrable. In 1904, French Captain Ferdinand the elevator that took the place of a tail and a rudder Ferber (1862-1909), refined the Wright’s earlier aircraft that also acted as a balancing fin. It had a Chauviere by adding a stabilising fixed tail-plane. modele integrale propeller and the engine was a 3 cylinder Anzani – designed for a motorbike. What was happening in the US spectacularly revived heavier than air flights in Europe, especially in France. Dawn was breaking but it was still quite windy when at There, Louis Blériot, (1872-1936), designed a 04.41hrs, Blériot set off. One of his aides sent a signal monoplane that managed to fly a distance of 17 miles to the Lord Warden Hotel, in Dover’s Pier District, from Toury to Ateny, on 31 October 1908, making two where reporters from the Daily Mail were staying. landings en-route and setting a record for distance Blériot wife, Alice, was on board the French destroyer flown. Two weeks before, 16 October, a former Escopette that was to follow Blériot across the Channel American cowboy, Samuel Cody (1867-1913), made the and, if there were an accident, rescue him. first powered flight in the British Isles. Together, these Popular myth says that while over the Channel a two events led the Daily Mail to offer a £1,000 prize to shower of rain cooled the overheated engine, this is the first person to cross the English Channel in a heavier not true. Nonetheless, the historic trip was not without -than-air machine. incident. About half way across the Strait, Blériot ran The summer of 1909 saw two serious contenders, Louis into a bank of cloud. Although he did have a compass Blériot and Hubert Latham (1883-1912), both waiting in on board the wind blew him off-course to the east. France for unseasonable windy weather to abate. When the cloud cleared, he saw what he believed to be Blériot had sustained nasty burns to his foot on a the South Foreland and followed the coast west to the previous flight but at about 02.30hrs on the morning of pre-determined landing site at Northfall Meadow – 300 Sunday 25 July, he was driven to Barraques, near metres northeast of Dover’s Castle. Sangatte, where he prepared to make the short flight in This spot had been chosen by one of Blériot’s aides as the cliffs are relatively low and the engine was too weak business expanded accordingly, producing fighter to bank and climb far. He landed 36 minutes 30 seconds aircraft during World War I (1914-1918). Following the after takeoff, travelled at an average speed of 42mph at War, he briefly produced both aircraft and cars in the an altitude of 250ft (approximately 80 metres). Due to UK. In 1927, Blériot welcomed Charles Lindbergh in gusty wind conditions, Blériot had switched the engine Paris, after the latter had successfully flown across the off before landing and so bumped to earth. This caused Atlantic. Blériot died on 1 August 1936, was given full damage to the undercarriage and shattering a propeller military honours and is buried in Versailles. blade. For the 1965 film comedy, ‘Those Magnificent Men in There were two French journalists, one of whom had their Flying Machines’ partly filmed in Dover; a replica been primed to fly the Tricolour from the chosen of the Blériot No XI was made. For film purposes, it was landing spot to greet him. V Ker-Seymer – a Royal Aero adapted with two seats and a modern engine. In 1984 Club official – was on site to verify the flight, Police Patrick Lindsay flew this plane across the Channel Constable John Stanford and a few soldiers, who were following which the wife of the then Chairman of Dover on duty at the time, were there to meet him. It had District Council, Sheila Buss, went for a flight! been expected that Latham would be the first to land, Finally, on 25 July 2009, the centenary of the original as his plane was stronger and his publicity machine Channel crossing was celebrated by an exact replica of much better. Indeed, so sure that Latham would be the the Blériot monoplane, flown by Frenchman Edmond first to make the crossing, the media circus was at the Salis making the crossing. He landed at the Duke of proposed Latham landing spot at Aycliffe. York’s Royal Military School, not far from Northfall Although the British customs were not actually waiting Meadow. In attendance was David Roberts, Chairman when Blériot landed, they arrived only minutes after of the Royal Aero Club of the UK who brought with him Blériot had touched down. However, they were the original propeller, belonging to the Royal Aero flummoxed as to which category they should register Club, from the 1909 aeroplane. It had been presented the monoplane; eventually they decided it was a yacht! to the Aero Club by V Ker-Seymer, the Royal Aero Club News of the feat quickly spread and as people arrived, official who was on site to verify the flight! Blériot became concerned to protect his craft. Amongst those present was Eddy King, the owner of the Dover Marquee Company. He quickly organised a protective cover and visitors were charged 6d to look at the Blériot No XI. £60 was collected that day and given to charity. The next day Dover’s Mayor, Walter Emden, in honour of Louis and Alice Blériot, gave a grand civic luncheon at the Lord Warden Hotel. A granite memorial on Northfall Meadow was laid, in 1910. As a guide to the shape and size the imprint made by the crowds that came to see the plane was used. Alexander Duckham (1877-1945) of Duckhams Oil, who was involved in the building of the Admiralty Harbour at the time, paid for the Monument. The granite is believed to belong to the same batches as used in the construction of the harbour. During all the hype and celebrations Gordon Selfridge, proprietor of the great department store, was motoring around Kent. On hearing of the historic flight, he made an appointment to see Blériot and persuaded the pioneer to exhibit his craft at his Oxford Street department store. Following the exhibition, the plane was returned to Paris. The achievement brought not only fame for Blériot but also it changed people’s attitude towards flying. Orders came in for planes from the Blériot’s factory and by the end of the year, he had orders for over 100 aircraft. He continued to design and produce aircraft and his Eastchurch Aerodrome The First British Aerodrome: Eastchurch Flying ground opened by the Royal Aero Club in 1909 (FLIGHT Photo 3 Jan 1930) Background fixed-wing aircraft.