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Description: | British officer served as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service on coastal defence patrols in GB, 1915; served aboard HMS Engadine, 1915-1917 including Battle of Jutland, 31/5/1916-1/6/1916; served on duties flying and evaluating Sopwith Camel based at Killingholme, GB, 1917; served with No 2 Wing, Royal Naval Air Service operating in Aegean based at Imbros, Greece, 1917-1919 including efforts to sink Goeben in Dardanelles Straits, 1/1918
REEL 1 Recollections of developing interest in aviation in Scotland, GB 1906-1914: attending Lanark Aviation meeting, 1910; meeting Samuel Cody during 'Circuit of Britain Race' visit to Paisley Racecourse, 1911, including first flight as passenger in 'Flying Cathedral' and his interest in model aeroplane; question of Scottish aviators; purchase and experimental flights in Humber Bleriot, 10/1913; unofficial flying lessons in converted Short Seaplane during from Major Gordon of Naval Wing, Royal Flying Corps during their manoeuvres at Leven, 1914; flight with B C Hucks over Glasgow, 1914; question of ability as pilot; failure of initial attempts to join Royal Naval Air Service, 7/1914. Period as pupil at Beatty's School of Flying, Hendon, London, 10/1914: flying characteristics of Wright biplane.
REEL 2 Continues: view of crash landing of Wright biplane. Aspects of recruitment and training with Royal Naval Air Service at Hendon, 10/1914-1/1915: question of religion; continuation of training with civilian flying schools; crash landing in Caudron biplane; opinion of Royal Naval Air Service; nature of qualification test as pilot on first solo, 30/1/1915; civilian flying instructors; question of role of Royal Naval Air Service.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollection period as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service at Eastchurch Royal Naval Air Station, 2/1915: improving flying skills on patrols with semi-operational section; flying characteristics of Short Biplane, Short Naval No 1 and Maurice Farman Longhorn; opinion of Horace Short; opinion of Colonel Eugene Gerrard ; story of makeshift repairs to aircraft following crash landing by Lieutenant 'Red' Mulock.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service at Eastbourne Royal Naval Air Station, 3/1915: aircraft; convoy escort patrols; story of Lieutenant Arthur Shepherd's fatal crash into Channel; frequency and nature of convoy escort patrols. Recollections of period as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service at Calshot Royal Naval Air Station , 4/1915: desire for Western Front posting and reaction to posting to seaplanes due to superior navigational skills; difficulty in taking off and landing Maurice Farman Seaplane; opinion of Wight, Short and Sopwith seaplanes; training through experience.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as pilot with Royal Naval Air Service at Dundee Royal Naval Air Station, 5/1915: station layout; flying characteristics of Avro and Short seaplanes; submarine patrol duties; method of launching seaplane and docking from sheds; story of Christopher Draper flying through Tay Bridge; temporary detachment as sole pilot flying aircraft from former Royal Flying Corps station at Montrose, 6/1915-8/1915, anti-submarine and Zeppelin role.
REEL 6 Continues: temporary detachment as sole pilot flying aircraft from former Royal Flying Corps station at Montrose, 6/1915-8/1915, including anti-submarine and Zeppelin patrol routine; difficulty in locating Zeppelins at night, importance of coastal patrol duties and armament carried. Recollections of period as officer aboard HMS Engadine, 10/1915-3/1917: nature of ship and aircraft carried; base at Granton; role of HMS Engadine's; accompanying Battle Cruiser Fleet on sweeps into North Sea; impossibility of launching seaplanes in rough weather; method of launching seaplanes using crane.
REEL 7 Continues: procedure for getting seaplanes back aboard; development of use of wireless in seaplanes; introduction of Lewis machine gun on Scarfe Ring mounting for observer; accidental damage to aircraft wing during balloon target practise; question of relationship with Royal Naval personnel; story of attempt to bomb Zeppelin sheds which failed due to inability of Sopwith Schneieder Seaplanes to take off in artificial swell caused by destroyers manoeuvring to counter possible submarine attack, 5/1916.
REEL 8 Continues: story of attempt to bomb Zeppelin sheds which failed due to inability of Sopwith Schneieder Seaplanes to take off in artificial swell caused by destroyers manoeuvring to counter possible submarine attack, 5/1916; temporary posting to HMS Vindex based at Harwich, 11/1915, including use of Bristol Pup taking off from foredeck in anti-Zeppelin role, dangers of landing Bristol Pup in sea, bomb trials using Short Seaplane in preparation of Tondern raid and subsequent crash landing into cliffs whilst attempting to land in fog , 4/12/1915.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of Battle of Jutland, 30/5/1916-1/6/1916 including HMS Engadine's position ahead of Battle Cruiser Sqdn; situation, replacement at last moment by Flight Lieutenant Rutland's for reconnaissance flight to locate German High Seas Fleet, reports from Rutland, deteriorating weather conditions, view of sinking of HMS Defence and HMS Black Prince, damage to HMS Warrior, taking HMS Warrior in tow from HMS Engadine and orderly nature of evacuation immediately prior to sinking.
REEL 10 Recollections of period as pilot flying Sopwith Camels with No 2 Wing based at Imbros, Greece, 7/1917-1/1919: role patrolling Dardanelles area, account of RNAS air attack on Goeben and Breslau on their emergence into the Aegean, 20/1/1918-30/1/1918, including initial confusion on alarm, escort role of Sopwith Camels covering bombers, success in driving ships onto minefield, sinking of Breslau, beaching of Goeben at Nagara Point, Dardanelles Straits, failure of attempts to complete destruction, discovery of Goeben's overnight escape, illustration of ineffectiveness of bombs against armoured ships; anti-aircraft defences at Nagara Point, reasons for Goeben's overnight escape, escort role of Sopwith Camels covering bombers and scale of operation.
REEL 11 Aspects of period at Killingholme, 4 /1917-6/1917: participation in tests to evaluate Sopwith Camel; flying characteristics of Sopwith Camel. Recollections of period as pilot flying Sopwith Camels with No 2 Wing based at Imbros, Greece, 7/1917-1/1919: attacks on retreating Bulgarian Army in Rupel Pass sector from base at Stavros, Bulgaria, 9/1918; cancellation of planned raid on Chanak and subsequent salute from Turkish garrison of Nagara Fort immediately before surrender at 12.00, 31/10/1918; amusing story of subsequent rough landing; 31/10/1918; capture of John Alcock during night raid, 1918. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Lance, David G | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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recording
British officer served flying seaplanes…
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