NOTES
ON OFFICIALS AND OFFICERS.
Wing Commander R.B.B. Colmore OBE Royal Air Force, Director of Airship
Development, is the Air Ministry director under the Air Member
of Council for Supply and Research, responsible for all airship activities.
His directorate is organised in five main divisions; research and design;
flying; organisation; construction and maintenance; and finance and adrninistration.
Each of the first three divisions is in charge of an assistant director;
a works manager is responsible for the fourth and a secretary and accountant
for the last. The director has his headquarters at the Royal Airship Works,
Cardington, Bedford, where the Airship R.101 was designed and constructed
and which is also the base for British airship operations. The trials
of R.100 and R.101 have been carried out at Cardington.
Wing Commander Colmore was born at Portsmouth in 1887, was educated at
Stubbington House, Fareham and in H.M.S.Britannia. He became a Sub-Lieutenant
in the Royal Navy in 1907 and was promoted Lieutenant in 1909. He retired
in 1911 and on being mobilised at the outbreak of War became a Lieutenant-Commander.
He served with the Armoured Car Division at Antwerp in 1914 and Commanded
the armoured car section which was employed in Gallipoli in 1915 and later
in the same year was Commanding OffIcer in the flrst campaign against
the Sensussi tribes on the Egyptian borders. He was transferred to the
Airship section of the Royal Naval Air Service In 1916 and after serving
at the airship station at Barrow became Commanding Officer of the airship
base at Mullion, Cornwall. While holding thls command he evolved a novel
scheme of deallng with the submarine menace by a system of comblned patrols
of airships, seaplanes and aeroplanes in conjunctlon with surface craft.
This method proved so successful that Lt.Col. Colmore (as he had beceme
on the formation of the Royal Air Force) was appointed a 1st class Staff
Offlcer, Aircraft OperatlonsJ Plymouth, wlth a view to the same principles
being applied against submarines along the whole British Coasts, and in
this connectlon he was later posted as Chief Staff Offlcer, Aircraft Operations,
with Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, based at Dundee. The war ended,
however, before the system came into general operation.
After the War he was granted a permanent commisslon as Squadron Leader,
Royal Air Force, and was attached as Staff Officer for Airships to the
department of the Controller General of Civil Aviatlon, Air Ministry.
When it was decided in 1924 to proceed with the development of airships
he was appointed Deputy Director of Airship Development in the Department
of the Air Member of Council for Supply and Research and became Director
at the beginning of the the present year. He is seconded from the Royal
Air Force for airship duty.
Major G. H Scott C.B.E . A.F.C.
Assistant Director of AirshipDevelopment (Flying) was born in
1888 in Catford, Kent, and was educated at Richmond School Yorks, and
the R.N. Engineering College, Keyham. From 1908 he was engaged in general
engineering until the outbreak of War when he joined the Royal Naval Air
Service as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. After Service at Farnborough in H.M.A.
Eta and at Kingsnorth he proceeded in 1915 to the airship Station at Barrow
and became captain of the Parseval P.4. The following year he was appointed
to the command of the airship station at Anglesey and in 1917 became captain
of R.9, the first British rigid airship to fly and was also appointed
Experimental Officer, Airships at Pulham airship base. On the formation
of the Royal Air Force he was given the rank of Major.
Towards the end of 1918 he was chosen to command R.34 and was awarded
the A.F.C. for his work on airships. In 1919 he commanded R.34 on its
flight from East Fortune, Scotland to the United States and back to Pulharm.
For this he was awarded the C.B.E. This was the first flight of any aircraft
to America and also the first outward and homeward flight. He was demobilised
from, the Royal Air Force later in 1919. In 1920 he was appointed to the
technical staff of the Royal Airship Works, Cardington. He is the inventor
of the Air Ministry system of airship mooring to a tower, which is also
employed in the United States . In 1924 he was appointed Officer in Charge
of Flying and Training in the Airship Directorate and in January of this
year became Assistant Director (Flying). He visited Canada in 1927 to
advise the Canadian Government on the selection of an airship base which
resulted in St. Hubert, Montreal being chosen and equipped.
Since the Autumn of last year he has carried out extended trials of the
two new British Airships R.101 and R.100, which are the largest airships
in the world and contain many novel features compared with previous airship
types.
Squadron Leader R. S. Booth A. F. C .Royal Air Force Captain of
R.100, was born in 1895 at Hughenden, Bucks, and was educated
at the R.N. Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth. He became a midshipman,R.N.,
in 1912 and a Sub-Lieutenant in 1914. Transferring to the R.N.A.S, (Airship
section) in 1915 he was Captain of non-rigid airships of the S.S. and
Coastal types until 1918 when he was appointed first officer of the rigid
airship R.24, and later became Commanding Officer of Mullion Airship Station.
On the formation of the Air Force in 1918 he was given the rank of Major
and after the Armistice served for nearly four years as an airship officer
on the Inter-Allied Aeronautical Commission of Control, Berlin. In 1919
he was granted a permanent commission in, the Royal Air Force as Fllght
Lieutenant and was promoted Squadron Leader in 1925 following his successful
navigation of airship R.33 when she broke away in a gale from the mooring
tower at Pulham, Norfolk, with a badly broken bow and drifted over the
North Sea. He was also awarded at this time a bar to his Air Force Cross.
He has been attached to the Royal Airship Works, Cardington, since 1924
and was selected to Cornmand R.100 last year. He is also a qualified aeroplane
pilot. He is seconded from the Royal Air Force for duty on airships.
Squadron Leader E.L. Johnston. A.F.C.Q.B.E Reserve of Air Force
Officers.Navigator of R.100 was born in Sunderland in 1891 and
was educated at Tynemouth High School and the Marine School, South Shields.
He is a qualified Master Mariner and originally served in the Royal Naval
Reserve. He transferred to the R.N.A.S. (Airship Section) in 1916 and
after commanding coastal type airships he later became Commanding Officer
of Luce Bay airship station, in the South West of Scotland. On the formation
of the Royal Air Force he was appointed Captain and later was promoted
to the rank of Major. After the War he served in the navigation branch
in the Air Ministry but later retired from the Royal Air Force. He was
apppinted to the Royal Airship Works, Cardington in 1924 for navigattonal
duties and was loaned for some time to Imperial Airways Ltd., in order
to open up European Aeroplane routes. In 1927 was navigator to the Secretary
of State for Air on the first Irnperial Airways flight to India and back.
He is navigator for R.101 as well as for R.100 and is also an Air Ministry
Examiner for Navigator licences. He recently organised the Guild of Air
Pilots and Air Navigators of the British Empire and holds the position
of Deputy Master in that organisation.
Captain G.F.Meager, A.F.C. First Officer of R.100 was born
in 1893 at Newport, Isle of Wight. He joined the Airship Section of the
R.N.A.S. in 1915 and commanded during the two following years S.S. and
coastal type airships at various stations in England. In 1917 he was second
in command of an airship flight that was sent to Italy Adriatic patrol
duties, and in 1918 became Captain of the S.R.l, an Italian semi-rigid,
and flew this airship from Rome to England. He was demobilised in 1919
and was abroad in India and New Zealand until 1925 when he returned to
England and was appointed second officer of R.33, which carried out various
experimental flights to gather technical data required in connection with
the design of R100 and R101. He was awarded by the Italian Government
the Croce di Guerra and the Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy for
his in Italy.
Flying Officer M. H . Steff Royal Air Force Second Officer R.100
was born in 1896 at Luton, Beds. He joined the Navy in September, 1914
and served in H.M.S. "Inflexible" from 1915 , onwards and was present
at the battle of Jutland in 1916. He became a flight officer in the Kite
Balloon Section of the R.N.A.S. in the beginning of 1918 and served in
the Adriatic Barrage Kite Balloons in Italy. He took part in minesweeping
operations in 1919 in the Aegean Sea, the Dardanelles and the Black Sea
and in 1920 he was posted to the instructional staff of the School of
Balloon training in England where he served for four years. He proceeded
in 1925 to the Royal Airship Works for Kite balloon experiments and was
appointed 2nd Officer of R.101 last year. He is loaned to R.100 for the
present flight. He is seconded from the Royal Air Force for airship duty.
Mr M.A. Giblett, M.S.c Meteorological Officer R.100 was
born in 1894 at Englefield Green, Surrey, and was educated at the Universities
of Reading and London. During the war he served as Meteorological Officer,
Royal Engineer's in the North Russian Expeditionary Force, Archangle and
in 1919 joined the Meteorological Office, Air Ministry, being in the ForeCast,
Division until the beginning of 1925 except during 1921 when he was detached
for duty during the trial flights of Airships R.80, R.36 and R.38.
When an Airship Service Division was created in the Meteorological Office,
Air Ministry, in 1925, he was appointed superintendent. He was a member
of the official Airshpi Airship Mission which visited South Africa. Australia,
New Zealand and India in 1927 to advise the Governments on the steps to
be taken to provide the necessary ground organisation for airship operations.
He has also organised the necessary meteorological services to airship
flights to Canada and on the route to Egypt and India. He is on the Council
of the Royal Meteorological Society and is Meteological Secretary of Section
A of the British Association.
Squadron Leader A .H. Wann, Royal Air Force, Supernumeracy Officer
was born in 1895 at Norwood London, and was educated at the Royal Naval
Colleges at 0sborne and. Dartmouth. He entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman
in 1913, serving during the first year of the war in H.M.S. King George
V. He became a sub-lieutenant in May 1915, and for the remainder of the
war was engaged in the airship section of the Royal Naval Air Service.
In 1916 he was attached to the Russian Black Sea Fleet in charge or 4
coastal airships. Squadron Leader WAnn returned before the revolution
took place and was posted for duty with rigid airships .Subsequently he
commanded R.29, R32, R36 and R38 all of which were mainly from East Fortune
and Howden. Squadron Leader Wann was responsible for the instruction of
the United States Naval Airship detachment who came to this country to
fly R.38 across the Atlantic. Squadron Leader Wann was in command of this
airship when she broke up over the Hull in 1921 and was the only survivor
from the fore part of the airship.
Squadron Leader Wann who holds a permanent commission in the Air Force
qualified as an aeroplane pilot in 1924, and after attending the Royal
Air Force Staff College , he was posted for dutry in the Deputy Directorate
of Manning, Air Minisrty.
Mr. F. M McWade Resident Inspector, Aeronautical Inspection
Department at the Royal Airship Works was born at GIasgow in 1872. He
was trained at the School of Military Engineering and joined the School
of Balloonfng, Royal Engineers, in 1895. He took part in the building
of the airship "Nulli Secundus" in 1903 and also assisted in later
vears in the construction of airships "Beta", "Gamma", "Deltata"
and "Eta". From 1915 to 1918 he was engaged at Kingsnorth Airship Station
on the building of non-rigids and from 1920 to 1924 was an A.I.D. Officer
at the experimental seaplane stations at Isle of Grain and Felixstowe.
Since 1924 he has been resident inspector at the Royal Airship Works and
has been responsible for the close inspection of R.101 during her erection
and of R.100 since she came to Cardington.
Crew
of H.M.A. R100
(on outward flight to Canada)
|
Name
|
Age
|
Designation
|
Decorations
|
Birthplace
|
Remarks
|
Angus,
W. |
41 |
Foreman
Engineer |
A.F.M. |
Perth,
Perthshire, Scotland |
Joined
Airship service Sept 1915 Ships P.6, C.4, C.11, C.25, N.S. 3, N.S.8,
R34 ,R80, R33. Returned as crew in R34 from USA to England. |
Ball,
R. |
31 |
Engineer |
Nil. |
Truro,
Cornwall |
No previous
flying experience. Airship Guarantee Co. on construction of R.100.
Joined Airship 23.11.29 |
Broughton,
C. |
28 |
Rigger |
Nil. |
Hull,
Yorkshire |
do. |
Clarke,
H.W. |
34 |
Engineer |
Nil. |
Middlesborough,
Yorkshire |
Jointed
Airship service 22.8.35 R33. Joined crew R100 31.07.29 |
Cumley,
H |
24 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Manchester,
Lancashire |
No previous
flying experience. Joined R100 crew 14.08.29 |
Cutts,
G.G. |
27 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Laxborough,
Yorkshire |
No previous
flying experience. airship Guarantee co. on Construction of R.100
crew. 27.01.30 |
Deverell,
R.L. |
27 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Barrow-in-furness,
Lancashire |
Apprentice
on construction of R80. Airship Guarantee Co on construction of R100.
Joined crwe 23.11.29 |
Flatters,
C. |
25 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Poole,
Yorkshire |
No Previous
flying experience. airship Guarantee Co on Construction of R100. Crew
23.11.29 |
Gaye,
R. |
24 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Boston
Spa, Yorkshire |
No previous
flying experience. Rolls Royce 6.5 years. Joined crew R100 19.08.29
|
Flt
Sgt Greenstreet, T |
33 |
Chief
Coxswain |
Nil |
Folkstone,
Kent |
Flight
-Sergent R.A.F. ships No.4 Parseval, No.3 Astra SS Willows, SS4 &
5 Coastal 21, R9, R23, R31, R36, Second Coxswain R33, 1924-1926. Appointed
Chief coxswain R100 21.05.29 |
Hobbs,
T. |
32 |
Assistant
Coxswain |
Nil |
Newcastle,
Northumberland. |
Joined
Airships March 1925. P4, No.9, R23, R24, R25, R31, R36, and R33 until
1926. Assisted inflation of R101. Joined R100 crew 29.07.29 |
Hunt.
L.A |
24 |
Engineer. |
Nil |
Alvasten,
Derbyshire |
No previous
flying experience.Rolls Royce 10 years. Crwe R100 17.08.29 |
Jowitt,
J |
34 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Bradford,
Yorkshire |
No previous
flying experience. Joined R100 crew 23.11.29 |
Savidge,
A.H |
32 |
Chief
Steward |
Nil |
Reading,
Berks. |
Steward
White star, Cunard, Union Castle & Orient Lines. Joined Airships
1921. R36, R101 and R100. |
Meegan,
J.F. |
30 |
Cook |
Nil |
Leeds,
Yorkshire |
Joined
Airships 01.10.29 R101 and R100 |
Hodnett,
F |
28 |
Assistant
Steward |
Nil |
Youghal,
Co.Cork, Ireland |
Joined
Airships, 23.04.30 Assistant Steward |
Lelliot,
D. |
29 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Aldershot,
Hants |
No previous
flying experience, Airship Guarantee Company on construction of R100.
Joined Crew 23.11.29 |
Long,
G.E. |
36 |
Assistant
Coxswain |
AFM |
Mutford,
Suffolk |
Joined
airships March 1913, Willows No.2, No3, C.P.1 & 9, R9, R24 &
R.33 Experience with kite balloons. Assisted with deflation of R101
Crew R100 29.07.29. R33 Breakaway crew. |
Mann,
N. |
37 |
Charge-hand
Engineer |
Nil |
Walsall,
Staffs |
Joined
airsips in July 1919, R32, R36, R33 as engineer R100 10.09.29 |
Millward,
H |
24 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Bonsall,
Derbyshire |
No previous
flying experience. Rolls Royce 9 years. Joined R100 as crw 14.08.29
|
Moncrieff,
L.A. |
32 |
Assistant
Coxswain |
Nil |
Brentford
Middlesex |
Joined
Airships 10.08.15. No 9, R26, 1919 R23, R25, R33, R100 on 06.08.29 |
Rumsby,
C.H. |
28 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Fressingfield,
Suffolk |
No previous
flying experience. rigger at Airship Guarantee Co on construction
of R100. Joined crew 23.11.29 |
Scott,
G .R. |
30 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Hull,
Yorkshire |
Served
on airships R24, R34, R32, R36, Joined 1918 Joined R100 crw in October
1929 |
Stupple,
A.F. |
34 |
Charge-hand
Engineer |
Nil |
Berham,
Kent |
Joined
airships 1915, Astra 3, SS4, SS12, P1, SSZero 1&2, R25, R29, R36,
R33. On latter ship as chargehand engineer. Jined R100 10.09.29 |
Sturgeon,
J.M |
38 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Glasgow,
Scotland. |
No previous
flying experience. Airship Guarantee Companyon construction of R100.
Joined crew 23.11.29 |
Watts,
G |
31 |
Chargehand
Engineer |
Nil |
Worstead,
Norfolk |
Joined
airships November 1916. Zero's SS3 & SST 14 & others. Construction
and flying R32,R34, R80 and R33 as Engineer. R100 on 23.11.29. R33
breakaway crew. |
Williams,
F |
43 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Liverpool,
Lancashire |
Naval
Pensioner P.O. No previous flying experierence. Joined R100 crew 23.11.29 |
Wiseman.
A |
27 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Harfield
nr Barnet |
No previous
flying experience. Airship Guarantee Company on construction. Joined
R100 crew on 23.11.29 |
Keeley,
S |
35 |
Chargehand
W/T |
Nil |
Stufton,
Diss, Norfolk |
Joined
airship service 1924. R33 on breakaway. R100 and R101 |
Disley
A |
28 |
W/T
Operator |
Nil |
Lancaster
Lancashire |
Joined
Airships 04.03.20. R101 and R100 |
Atkins
G.K |
30 |
do. |
Nil |
London |
Joined
airships 1917, SSZ16, SSZ 37, SSZ53, SSZ 67, Coastal 3 & 5a. R100
and R101 |
Attached:- |
|
|
|
|
|
Eldridge,
A |
35 |
Clerk
to Captain of R100 |
Nil |
Windsor,
Berkshire |
1921/1925
Pulham Airship Station. Investigations on morring systems. 1926 Planning
Section : Construction of R101. !929 Chief Control Clerk, Airship
Operations for Trials of R101 and R100.1930, Assistant to head of
planning section. |
CREW OF
R.100 (RELIEF WATCH)
|
|
The following
members of the crew of R.100 proceeded to Canada some time ago and
will act as Relief Watch in Canada. some will probably be members
of the crew on the return flight.
|
Name |
Age |
Designation |
Decorations |
Birthplace |
Remarks |
Addinell, H. |
32 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Cargo, Cumberland |
No previous flying
experience. Employed by Airship Guarantee Company on construction
of R100. Joined crew R100 23.11.29 |
Armstrong, S.C. |
31 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Newcastle, Northumberland |
No previus flying
experience. Joined R100 crew 29.07.29 |
Burgess R.J. |
38 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Fishbourne, Sussex |
Joined Airship service
1916. Ships R9 & R34. Flew to USA and Back on R34 in 1919. Also
on ships R31, R32. Instruction with Non Rigids, Balloon Course. |
Burke, A.F. |
27 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Market Weighton,
Yorkshire |
No previous flying
experience. Joined Airships 23.11.29 |
Hall, L. |
29 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Horbury, Wakefield |
No previous flying
experience. Airship Guarantee Commpany as a Draughsman on construction
of R100. Joined crew 23.11.29 |
Kershaw, D. |
26 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Barrow in Furness,
Lancashire |
No previous flying
experience. Employed by Airship Guarantee Company on construction
of R100. Joined crew R100 23.11.29 |
Patterson, E. R |
26 |
Rigger |
Nil |
Bedford, Bedforshire |
No previous flying
experience. Employed by Airship Guarantee Company on construction
of R100. Joined crew R100 27.01.30. Previously at Royal Airship Works |
Simmonds, D. |
23 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Wigtown, Scotland |
No previous flying
experience. Rolls Royce 6 years. Joined R100 crew 11.11.29 |
Watson, C. |
23 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Barrow in Furness,
Lancashire |
No previous flying
experience. Airship Guarantee Company on Construction of R100. Joined
crew 23.11.29 |
Wilson, H. |
27 |
Engineer |
Nil |
Sowerby Bridge |
No previous flying
experience. Airship Guarantee Company on Construction of R100. Joined
crew 23.11.29 |
Larkins, C.W. |
25 |
W/T Operator |
Nil |
Blackheath, Kent |
Joined Airships September
1929 |
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