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diff --git a/old/64793-0.txt b/old/64793-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 546a0f7..0000000 --- a/old/64793-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9998 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work, by -Muriel Hawker - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work - -Author: Muriel Hawker - -Release Date: May 17, 2021 [eBook #64793] -[Most recently updated: November 24, 2022] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Fay Dunn, Fiona Holmes, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK H. G. HAWKER, AIRMAN: HIS LIFE AND -WORK *** - - -Transcriber’s Notes. - -Hyphenation has been standardised. -Other changes made are noted at the end of the book. - - - - - H. G. HAWKER - - AIRMAN: - - HIS LIFE AND WORK - - [Illustration: - - HARRY GEORGE HAWKER, A.F.C. - - _Photo by_] [_Swaine._ -] - - - - - H. G. HAWKER, AIRMAN: - HIS LIFE AND WORK - - By - - MURIEL HAWKER - - - WITH A FOREWORD BY - Lt.-Col. J. T. C. MOORE-BRABAZON, M.C., M.P. - - _WITH FRONTISPIECE AND 24 ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - _LONDON:_ - _HUTCHINSON & CO._ - _PATERNOSTER ROW_ - - - - -FOREWORD - -By LT.-COL. J. T. C. MOORE-BRABAZON, M.C., M.P. - - -I have been shown the great honour by Mrs. Hawker of being asked to -write a Foreword to this book about her late husband. I can do nothing -better than give the advice to all to read it, because, if they have -followed aviation for some time back, they will live over again that -heroic epoch when flight was really being made possible and will -appreciate some of the difficulties and many of the successes that make -the early days of aviation such a fascinating story; and if, on the -other hand, they have only taken an interest in aviation lately, they -will get conveyed to them from this book the atmosphere that pervaded -the little community of enthusiasts who existed in the early days. - -The figure of Hawker looms up large in the early days of aviation, -and such was the man, that even after the war, with the hundreds of -thousands of people that came into the movement, he still stood out a -noteworthy figure. - -His name will go down for all time coupled with others who gave their -lives for the cause, such as Rolls, Grace, Cody. - -It does indeed show a singular change in the mentality of the nation -that the most popular sporting figures of recent times have been -men whose prowess has been associated with their domination over -machinery rather than animals. The bicycle was the instrument that -first compelled the attention of all to a knowledge of mechanics, the -motor-car demanded further knowledge on the subject, but it was not -until the advent of the aeroplane that the imagination of the youth of -this country was fired to appreciate the necessity for knowledge of -mechanics. - -Hawker, thirty years ago, was an impossibility, but when he died -he was the idealised sportsman of the youth of the country, and -it was rightly so. Modest in triumph, hard-working, a tremendous -“sticker,” yet possessed of that vision without which -no man can succeed, he stands out a figure whose loss we mourn even -to-day, but whose life and career will serve as an example for others -to attempt to follow. - - J. T. C. MOORE-BRABAZON - - _July 4, 1922._ - - - - -PREFACE - - -With his words still fresh in my memory, that, should anything ever -happen to him, the one thing to do was to get work which would occupy -my mind, I took upon myself the task of writing my husband’s -life. I have been encouraged by many letters from people suggesting my -undertaking this work, and, thus encouraged, I present this book. - -I make no apologies for the errors of style, the technicalities of -which I know nothing, but I have tried in simple language to convey -some idea of the great work and spirit of one who attempted much, and, -although crowned by few successes, was never for one moment discouraged -as a loser. - -I leave others to judge the merits of his works, but I leave to no one -but myself the disclosure of the real goodness of his nature. This -book being, more or less, a record of his achievements, it has been -difficult to convey any idea of his true worth, which did not stand -in anything he did, but in the firmness with which he held to what he -considered was right. This sense of honour, not cultivated but innate, -kept the fame, which he earned, from detracting in any way from the -integrity of his character, and he always remained to the end his -cheery, unaffected self. - -His buoyant nature did not admit of defeat. I have never seen him -disheartened and never has he given in. He always did his very best, -and was ever ready to try again when that best was not good enough. - -At the height of his popularity he declined good financial offers for -lecturing tours in England and the States, which would have kept him -for the rest of his life. Money could not divert him from his calling. - -His goodness of heart would never let him turn away anyone in distress, -and, in this, lack of discrimination played a big part. - -Many people came to the house after his attempt to fly the Atlantic, -with pitiful tales of woe. One, a musician, who said he had fallen on -bad times, wanted a loan of £10, stating that he was a member of the -Queen’s Hall Orchestra, in which he played a mandoline. He got -his £10, but I do not believe the mandoline has ever figured amongst -the instruments in the Queen’s Hall Orchestra. - -A few days later another musician, very probably a friend of the first, -arrived, but Harry said he would not see him. However, he was so -persistent that Harry saw him at last, and heard his tale, which was -to the effect that unless he could get a certain sum of money he would -be sold up the next day, and, rather than that, he intended taking -his life that night, although he had a wife and child. With tears, he -asked if his life was not worth the few pounds, which he would surely -return within a month. He received his cheque, left some of his own -compositions for me to try, which he said he would call for when he -repaid his debt, and was never seen again. - -It would seem that Harry’s perfections have been exploited -and his imperfections ignored, but I find the first so easy, my pen -willingly covering many pages, and the second, not irksome, since his -very imperfections were interesting, but hard to define. - -Before our marriage he warned me of his terrible temper, which, -he said, appeared at intervals, making him for a short time an -unapproachable individual, and advised me that on such occasions I -should leave him completely alone. I never witnessed one of these -outbreaks and doubt if they ever occurred. Fits of irritability would -seize him, sometimes for little or no apparent cause, and at others -under great provocation, and while they lasted he was a very trying -companion. But he would not be irritated for long; and these, I think, -must have been his fits of terrible temper. - -If neglect of his financial responsibilities, through -disinterestedness, was a fault, then he had a big one. He was as -unmercenary as it is possible for a normal man to be. He liked to have -money in order to procure the necessaries of his hobby, but the matter -of procuring proper payment for the work he did he left entirely in the -hands of those for whom he was working, to pay him what they thought -fit. And having received the money, the proper investment of it he -ignored, until he was reminded, leaving his money idle in the bank. In -his last year of life he began to look at these things more seriously, -as his outgoings had increased and his income diminished, and, with the -responsibilities of a company under his own name, probably another year -would have made him a different man—a business man perhaps, but never -so great a man. - -I should like to mention here a trouble we often encountered and which -was a great worry to us both, however we tried to ignore it. - -I refer to the people who persist in suggesting that a man with -dependants should not continually risk his life unless they were -securely provided for. How many a man has been asked upon marriage to -give up his work, if it happens to be of a precarious nature, and the -firm, instead of having made progress with the new partner, has decayed -because that partner did not face the risks the old one was willing to -sustain? Never will I understand why a man of a hazardous career should -have to choose between that career and the comforts of his own home, -and possible parenthood, because of a fearful dread of a premature -parting which is allowed to exist. - -Harry was a true optimist, and the way he came out of his many -troubles warranted his optimism. It was so natural if he had a smash -to know he was not hurt, or if he had any trouble it would be righted -very quickly. This feeling is so real that, even now, apart from all -religion, I know he has come up smiling somewhere and all is well with -him. - - MURIEL HAWKER. - - - - -PREFATORY NOTE - -(POST SCRIPTUM) - - -The production of this book has necessitated the collecting and sifting -of a considerable amount of detail, particularly as regards the earlier -chapters and those dealing with the Atlantic flight. In this and in the -general plan of the book I have received considerable assistance from -Mr. W. R. Douglas Shaw, F.R.S.A., who has rendered invaluable help in -many ways through his wide knowledge of aeronautical matters. - -This introduction would not be complete without my also acknowledging -the help received from Lt.-Commander Mackenzie-Grieve, R.N., who has -kindly read through the chapters dealing with the Atlantic flight; from -Mr. Alan R. Fenn, formerly of the Sopwith Aviation Company, for details -of Harry’s experiences at Villacoublay; from the authorities at -Australia House in allowing me to consult their records, and from many -others who have contributed in various ways to this work. - -My acknowledgments are also due to the Press, on whose reports I -have relied in many cases, and I would mention _The Times_, _Morning -Post_, _The Daily Mail_, Temple Press, Iliffe & Sons, _Flight_, _The -Aeroplane_, and particularly the kindness of the proprietors of the -_Melbourne Argus_ and _Sydney Bulletin_ in giving me free access to -their files of 1913-14. - - MURIEL HAWKER. - -_May, 1922._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - FOREWORD vii - - PREFACE ix - - PREFATORY NOTE xiii - - - CHAPTER I - - EARLY STRUGGLES - - Harry’s Parents—His Sisters and Brothers—Schooldays—Four - Schools in Six Years—The Attraction of a Cadet Corps—Motor - Work at Twelve Years of Age—The Expert of Fifteen—Managing - a Fleet of Cars—First Desire to Fly—The Kindness - of Mr. and Mrs. McPhee—Harry Meets Busteed—And Comes - to England with Him—Kauper—Seeing London—Quest for - Employment—A Job at Sevenpence per Hour—Another at - Ninepence-Halfpenny—Thoughts of Returning to Australia—Forty - Pounds in the Bank—Kauper Strikes Oil—And Helps - Harry—Sigrist—How Harry was Happy on Two Pounds per - Week—His First Flight—Reminiscences of Brooklands Days 25 - - CHAPTER II - - THE BRITISH DURATION RECORD - - Harry’s Aversion to Publicity—Circumstances of His First Brooklands - Associations—The Sopwith-Burgess-Wright Biplane—Harry’s Effort in - a Quick-Starting Competition—Beating His Employer—Early Attempts - for Michelin Laurels—A Real Success—Tuning-up for the Duration - Record—Raynham Makes a Race—And Secures an Advantage—Raynham Lands - after 7 hours 31½ minutes—And Holds the Record for an Hour or - Two—Opportunity Knocks at Harry’s Door—And is Well Received—Harry - Lands after 8 hours 23 minutes—To Him the Spoils—His Own Account of - the Experience—A Reminiscence of Cody—The Significance of Harry’s - Achievement—Other Flights at Brooklands—The Growth of a Pioneer - Firm 35 - - CHAPTER III - - ABOUT ALTITUDE AND OTHER RECORDS - - A Colleague’s Impression of Harry in 1913—Harry in the Passenger’s -Seat—“Aerial Leap-Frog”—Competition Flights at Brooklands—Testing -the First “Bat Boat”—End of the First “Bat Boat”—Harry as a -Salesman-Demonstrator—Testing the Second “Bat Boat”—70 Miles per Hour -in 1913—Asçent to 7,450 feet in 15 minutes—A Prize Flight—How Harry -Deserted from a Race which He Won—How a Biplane Beat a Monoplane—More -Seaplane Testing—The British Altitude Record—11,450 Feet—“Bravo, -Hawker!”—A Journalist’s Tribute—Flying in a High Wind—To the Isle of -Wight and Back 53 - - CHAPTER IV - - AMPHIBIANS—AND MORE HEIGHT RECORDS - - An Amphibian of 1913—Harry Gets Up to 13,000 feet with a - Passenger—Several Other Height Records—Three Climbs in One Day—The - Progress of the Sopwith Enterprise—Several Types of Aeroplanes—And - Seaplanes—Harry Wins the Mortimer Singer Prize—And Has Time to - Spare—A Friendly Race with Hamel—A World’s Height Record—A - Cross-Country Race—Preliminaries of the Round-Britain Seaplane - Flight—Conditions Governing the _Daily Mail_ £5,000 Prize 63 - - - CHAPTER V - - FIRST ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN - - The Task of the Flight Round Britain—And the Machine for the - Job—Public Interest in the Pilot—“Good Luck!”—The - Night Before the Start—A Mayor’s Early Call—And the - Sequel—The Scene at the Start—To Ramsgate at Sixty Miles per - Hour—An Aerial Escort—The Ramsgate Cup—Fog in the - Thames Mouth—To Yarmouth in Next to No Time—Harry - Collapses—Pickles Relieves Him—And Meets with Misfortune—Starting - All Over Again 77 - - CHAPTER VI - - SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN - - Harry Recovers—And Takes Charge Again—An Early Start—Almost - Unseen by the Starter—Thick Fog—Behind Time at - Ramsgate—An Explosion—A Favourable Breeze—But Bumpy - Air off Cromer—Scarborough—A Forced Landing—Five - Hundred Miles in a Day—Resting at Beadnell Overnight—The - Second Day—A Spiral Glide at Aberdeen—A Terrible - Journey to Oban—The Third Day—A Water-logged Float—Another - Forced Landing—Ireland—“A Piece of Ghastly Bad - Luck”—Kauper Goes to Hospital 93 - - CHAPTER VII - - A BIG CHEQUE, AN AERIAL DERBY, AND OTHER EVENTS - - Echoes of the Seaplane Flight—Mr. Winston Churchill’s Views—Back - to Work—The £1,000 Cheque—And a Gold Medal from - Margate—The Carping Critic—And the Reply he Received—An - Expedition to Eastchurch—Lost in the Air—Racing a - Powerful Monoplane—An Exciting Aerial Derby—Hamel’s - Bad Luck—Harry Finishes Third—And in the Sealed Handicap - is Fourth—A Bad Crash at Hendon—Other Races—Michelin - Efforts Again—Harry’s Bad Luck—He Puts Up Some Wonderful - Flights—A Headache in the Air 103 - - CHAPTER VIII - - THE PROTOTYPE OF THE FIGHTING SCOUTS - - Harry’s Stroke of Genius—Ninety Miles per Hour with an 80 h.p. - Gnome—When German Interests were at Brooklands—The - Real Value of “Stunting”—A Biplane that Exceeded Expectations—When - Hendon was Surprised—Construction of - the Tabloid—Contemporary Sopwith Products—In Harry’s - Absence—Pixton Pilots a Tabloid to Victory—A £26,000 Ante-Bellum - Aviation Company—Mr. Rutherford—Another Type - of Genius—One of Harry’s Records Broken—An Australian - Poem—Death of Hamel 119 - - CHAPTER IX - - AERIAL PROPAGANDA IN AUSTRALIA - - Back to Australia—Harry Expresses Some Views—Australian Air - Policy—He Speaks of Stabilising Devices—A Reminiscence of the - Round-Britain Seaplane Flight—A Civic Welcome—Harry’s Father - Speaks—Assembling the Tabloid—First Flight in Australia—Preparations - for Flight—Flying from a Street—An Object Lesson at Government - House—Harry Dispels a Fallacy—And Speaks about Whirling Propellers—A - Flying Call on the Governor-General—Interrupts a Game of Tennis—What - the Governor-General Thought of Harry—Old Melbourne Friends Fly—The - Australian Press—Enterprising Lady Passengers—Passengers pay £3 per - Minute—Curious Attitude of an Association Official—Organisation of - a Big Public Flying Exhibition—Harry’s Views on Flying—A Crowd of - 25,000—Is Difficult to Handle—And Affects Harry’s Programme—An - Accident—Without Serious Consequences—The Minister of - Defence Ascends 3,500 Feet 133 - - CHAPTER X - - AERONAUTICAL ADVANCEMENT IN AUSTRALIA - - Harry’s Proposals for Aerial Defence—Seeing Under Water from - the Air—A Crowd of 20,000—A Governor-General Ascends - 4,000 Feet—And a Governor’s Daughter Goes Up Too—Stunts—Rumours - of Looping—Another Accident 155 - - CHAPTER XI - - A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS - - Harry’s First Loops—Flying to Manchester—Harry is Taken Ill - in the Air—He Returns and Lands Safely—And Collapses—An - Extraordinary Accident—A Very Narrow Escape 163 - - CHAPTER XII - - SOME WAR-TIME EXPERIENCES - - Testing Production Machines—The Distinguished General and the - Camel—The Boredom of Old-Fashioned Transport—And How - it was Remedied on One Occasion—Testing a Doubtful Machine—Harry - Gives Expert Criticism—And Predicts the Performance - of a Four-Engined Aeroplane 171 - - CHAPTER XIII - - A MOTORING HONEYMOON - - Harry to the Rescue—A Game of Cards—Keeping an Appointment—Twenty-four - Hours too Early!—A Provisional Engagement—Marriage—Gas-bag - Motoring—A Strained Back—Faith in - Christian Science 181 - - CHAPTER XIV - - BUILDING a 225 H.P. MOTOR-CAR - - Harry Buys Two Aero Engines—And a Mercèdes Chassis—Structural - and Starting Problems—Myself as Rivet-driver—We - Start the Engine—And I Stop It—On the Road—Shows Clean - Heels to Big American Car—And Tows a Rolls—Harry in - His Home Workshop 193 - - CHAPTER XV - - READY FOR THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT - - Conditions Governing the Flight—Arrival in Newfoundland—Mount - Pearl Farm—Snowed Up—The Test Flight—Local Interest - Intense—Wireless Difficulties—Details of the _Atlantic_—An - Aerial Lifeboat—Clothing of the Trans-Atlantic Airmen—Estimates - and Anticipations—Over a Ton of Fuel—A Letter for the King—An - Inspection by the Governor—Storms—Prospects of a Race—Revising - Plans—Grieve—Navigation Problems and Methods—Weather Forecasts—A - New Starting-ground—Nervous Tension—The Aviators are Amused - by Their Correspondence—A Would-be Aerial Bandsman—False - Weather Reports—Services of the Air Ministry—Weather-bound at - St. Johns—Harry’s Confidence—Four Magnetos and a New - Propeller—Address from the Mayor of St. Johns 203 - - CHAPTER XVI - - 1,000 MILES OVER THE ATLANTIC - - Signalling Arrangements—Temperament—A Press Tribute—The - American Attempt—Just Before the Start—Parting Messages—The - Start—“Poor Old Tinsydes!”—Dropping the - Undercarriage—Out of Sight of Land in Ten Minutes—Over the - Fog—Four Hours Above a Sea of Clouds—Grieve’s Method of - Navigation—Weather Not as Forecasted—Taking the Drift through a - Hole in the Clouds—400 Miles Out—Cloud Banks and a Gale—After - 5½ Hours—Over-heating Radiator—What was the Cause?—The Only - Possible Remedy—Is Effective at First—At 10,000 Feet—Giants of - Nature 15,000 feet High—A Side-wind that Became a Gale—Flying - “Crabwise”—Losing Height—Clouds, Darkness, and a Doubtful - Time—Nearly Down to the Sea—Dawn—Sea-sick—Looking for a Ship—The - _Mary_—The Rescue—Up to the Knees in the Sea—Captain Duhn—Sighting - St. Kilda and the Butt of Lewis—A Famous Signal—“Is it - Hawker?”—“Yes”—The Navy’s Guests—The Civic - Welcome at Thurso 225 - - CHAPTER XVII - - MY OWN REMINISCENCES OF THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT - - I Wait for News—The Americans Start—I Hear Harry has Started—And -I Put out the Flags—No News Next Morning—Fate is Unkind and -Brings a False Report—Which, Contradicted, Delivers a Paralysing -Blow—No Further News—“All Hope Abandoned”—Good -News—Peace of Mind Once More—Everybody Happy—The King Telegraphs -Congratulations—I Go to Meet Harry at Grantham—Harry’s -Triumphal Progress to Grantham—Together Once More—Harry Rides a Horse -through London—“Escape” from the R.AeC.—Celebrations at -Ham—Fireworks at Hook 253 - - CHAPTER XVIII - - AFTER THE ATLANTIC ATTEMPT - - Harry and Grieve Receive a Royal Command—The King and Queen - and Prince Albert Hear their Story—The Air Force Cross—Comedy - of a Silk Hat—A Cheque for £5,000—Is Nearly Lost—The - _Daily Mail_ Luncheon—General Seely Delivers Official - Congratulations—Harry Replies—And Grieve—Tributes to - Lord Northcliffe—Another Luncheon, also at the Savoy, on - the Following Day—Royal Aero Club as Host—An Appropriate - Menu—The Derelict _Atlantic_ is Recovered—Harry is Pleased 271 - - CHAPTER XIX - - MOTOR RACING - - Harry Turns to Motor-racing—Successful Début at Brooklands—Why - I Stayed at Home—The 250 h.p. Sunbeam Touring Car - Takes Second Place—When the 450 h.p. Racer Comes on the - Scene—Harry Drives the Largest Car in the World—A Terrible - Crash—Without Serious Consequences—Back to the Air—The - R.A.F. Tournament—Reunion of Pioneer Aviators—Eleventh-Hour - Entry for the Aerial Derby—Second Place, but Disqualified—A - Very Busy Month—Aeroplane Trials at Martlesham—British - International Motor-boat Trophy at Cowes—More - Motor-racing at Brooklands—His Aeroplane Enables Harry - to be (nearly) in Three Places at Once—Harry “Brings Home” - a £3,000 Prize for the Sopwith Company at Martlesham—I - Decide that Motor-racing is Too Risky—And Fate Deprives - Harry of a Race—Motor-boat Racing—Racing an A.C. Light - Car—And a D.F.P.—The Gordon-Bennett Air Race of 1920—Bad - Luck—The 450 h. p. Sunbeam Again 291 - - CHAPTER XX - - MOTOR ENGINEERING AND RACING - - Formation of the Hawker Engineering Company—The Racing - A.C.—Amusing Experiences—Remarkable Performances Due - to Efficient Streamlining—Several Records Broken—An Accident—The - Hawker Two-stroke Motor-cycle 309 - - CHAPTER XXI - - THE PASSING OF A BRAVE AVIATOR 317 - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - Harry George Hawker, A.F.C. _Frontispiece_ - - _Facing page_ - - Mrs. George Hawker, Harry’s Mother.—Harry as a Cadet at the age - of 12.—Mr. George Hawker, Harry’s Father 30 - - The Sopwith Tabloid, the Prototype of the Fighting Scouts, designed - by Harry, in its modified form for Looping-the-Loop, after his - return from Australia 56 - - The Sopwith Dolphin, put through its Initial Tests by Harry.—The - Sopwith Camel, a world-famous Fighting Biplane. Hundreds of - Machines of this type were tested by Harry during the War 94 - - The Sopwith Rolls-Royce-engined Biplane, “Atlantic,” in which Harry - and Grieve attempted the Atlantic Crossing. The top of the Fuselage - was made in the form of an Inverted Boat, which they detached in - Mid-Atlantic. The Undercarriage was dropped soon after the Start, - in order to reduce Air Resistance 108 - - Testing the Lifeboat. On the back of the original Photograph - Harry wrote: “Note the broken ice between the boat and - shore.”—This picture shows some of the difficulties in getting - the Aeroplane to the Starting-Ground in Newfoundland. The - Driver apparently took things lying down 122 - - The Detachable Boat carried on the Atlantic Flight.—The Sopwith - Trans-Atlantic Biplane in the Hangar near St. John’s, - Newfoundland 142 - - The Derelict Aeroplane, in which Harry and Grieve had attempted - the Crossing, was recovered from the Atlantic by the U.S. - Steamer _Lake Charlotteville_.—Harry at the Wheel of the Racing - A.C., the Body of which was designed by him and proved a - remarkable advance in efficiency 156 - - Our House at Hook, soon after News of Harry’s Rescue from the - Atlantic.—Home Again! Harry and Grieve at Grantham - Station, after the Atlantic Flight. Mr. Sopwith is standing in the - doorway 174 - - The Scene outside King’s Cross Station, London, when Harry - returned from the Atlantic. The Australian Soldiers decided - that Harry must have something more triumphant than a Civic - Reception 198 - - Harry and Grieve leaving Buckingham Palace after having been - decorated by the King. Although a Civilian, Harry received the - first Air Force Cross—a Service Decoration 244 - - A Souvenir of the first Transatlantic Air Mail 264 - - Trans-Atlantic Aviators’ Reunion Dinner. The late Sir John Alcock is - on the extreme left; Mr. F. P. Raynham on the right (nearest the - camera); Sir Arthur Whitten Brown in uniform (opposite the camera); - and on his left Lieut.-Comdr. K. Mackenzie-Grieve, A.F.C.—Harry is - third from the left of the picture 282 - - Harry on Board a Yacht during one of the Periods which he devoted - to Motor-Boat Racing.—Pamela sets the Pace on the Lawn at - Hook 300 - - The 12-cylinder Racing Sunbeam after Harry’s Smash at Brooklands, - when several yards of corrugated iron fencing were torn - down.—Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, C.B.E., and Harry, with the - Hawker Two-Stroke Motor-Cycle—a Post-War Enterprise of - the Hawker Engineering Company 312 - - Floral Tributes being taken to Harry’s Grave, at Hook, Surrey, on - the 225 h.p. Sunbeam, by my Brother, Captain L. Peaty 318 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -EARLY STRUGGLES - - Harry’s Parents—His Sisters and Brothers—Schooldays—Four - Schools in Six Years—The Attraction of a Cadet Corps—Motor Work - at Twelve Years of Age—The Expert of Fifteen—Managing a Fleet of - Cars—First Desire to Fly—The Kindness of Mr. and Mrs. McPhee—Harry - Meets Busteed—And Comes to England with Him—Kauper—Seeing - London—Quest for Employment—A Job at Sevenpence per Hour—Another at - Ninepence-Halfpenny—Thoughts of Returning to Australia—Forty Pounds - in the Bank—Kauper Strikes Oil—And Helps Harry—Sigrist—How Harry - was Happy on Two Pounds per Week—His First Flight—Reminiscences of - Brooklands Days. - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -There was born at Harcourt, in Victoria, Australia, on January 10th, -1862, one George Hawker, whose father was a Cornishman. Grown to -manhood, this George Hawker followed the blacksmith’s calling, -and on May 24th, 1883, he married Mary Ann Gilliard Anderson, a -spinster, of Scottish stock, who was born on October 9th, 1859, at -Stawell, also in Victoria. There were four children of the marriage: -Maude (the eldest), Herbert, Harry, and Ruby (the youngest). The elder -boy, Herbert, born in 1885, was unlike his brother in many respects. -For instance, as a child he was very delicate, a circumstance which -hampered him in his studies. Nevertheless, he was very fond of school, -and he invariably worked well and progressed in spite of his ailments. -He excelled in music. Although he had only recently married, Herbert -Hawker joined the Australian Forces at the outset of the Great War, -and he suffered great privation and illness at Gallipoli. He was later -badly gassed on the Western Front, and his life was despaired of in -consequence. Having partially recovered, he returned to Australia, -bearing the honorary rank of captain. He has two children, a girl and a -boy. - -Maude and Ruby Hawker are both married, the elder having two boys, Alan -(“Bobbie”), born in 1910, and Howard (“Bill”), born in 1912. Both boys -display the aptitude for engineering which undoubtedly runs in the -family, the elder having driven and attended to his father’s car at the -age of nine years. - -Harry Hawker, or—to give the subject of my biography his full -names—Harry George Hawker, was born on January 22nd, 1889, at the -little village of South Brighton (now known as Moorabbin) in Victoria, -where his father had a small blacksmith’s and wheelwright’s -shop which brought in enough to keep the family in comfort. George -Hawker has at least two claims to fame, which, arranged chronologically -in order of occurrence, are, first, that he was the father of a great -aviator, and, secondly, that he himself was a fine shot, for in 1897 he -came to England with the Bisley Rifle Team and won the Queen’s -Prize. - -At the age of six, Harry was sent to the school of Mr. W. J. Blackwell, -B.A., at Moorabbin. He took no interest whatever in his studies, either -then or ever during his school career. For this inadvertence he was -sorry in later years. He was almost continually running away from -school and always in trouble. In the space of little over six years he -went to four different schools. After leaving Mr. Blackwell, Harry was -sent to a school at East Malvern, presided over by Mr. M. T. Lewis. -He was not long there, for in 1896 he was attending a school at St. -Kilda, whither his parents had moved. Harry was even more unsettled -at St. Kilda, for, without as much as telling anyone at home, he left -his school and presented himself at another school, at Prahran, where -they had a cadet corps which attracted him. He became a cadet, but, -still restless and unmanageable, he ran away from school for good at -the age of twelve and started work with a motor firm, Messrs. Hall and -Warden, for five shillings per week. When fifteen years of age he had -an extraordinary knowledge of motors for such a youngster, and he was -considered one of the best car drivers in Victoria at that time. As a -child, Harry’s sole ambition was to become an engineer, and while -at school he designed and built engines in his spare time. - -After leaving Hall and Warden’s, he joined the Tarrant Motor Company, -with which firm he made considerable headway and soon became one of -their leading motor experts, and that notwithstanding his extreme -youth, which he always tried to hide by adding a year or two to his -age. However, that restlessness, which was probably only due to his -having reached the limit of progress in his present job, again claimed -him, and, tempted by the offer of a workshop of his own, he took up -the work of looking after a fleet of private cars belonging to a Mr. -de Little, for which he received a salary of £200 per annum. About -this time, too, Harry’s father was running a small steam plant which -enabled Harry to test several of his ideas. It was while Harry was with -Mr. de Little that his old ambition to follow an engineering career -resolved itself into a desire to fly. It may have been the fact that -very little was then known of aeronautical science, particularly in -Australia, or perhaps Harry was attracted by the most intricate branch -of engineering—but whatever the origin of the idea, Harry had made a -firm resolution, and he looked around for his opportunity to carry it -out; but for several months the prospects were not bright. - -While Harry was working for Mr. de Little he lived at a small country -hotel at Caramut, kept by Mr. and Mrs. McPhee, of whom he could never -speak too highly. They were extraordinarily good to Harry, and when he -left Australia they insisted on insuring his life; and they continued -to pay the yearly premiums until he died. After Harry’s death, one -of the most human letters I received came from Mrs. McPhee, with the -insurance policy enclosed. The amount was very small, but the wealth of -good nature which prompted such a disinterested tribute to his lovable -personality was worth untold gold. - -When he had been with Mr. de Little for nearly three years, Harry, then -about twenty years old, met by accident one Busteed, who, inspired -by the sight of a Wright and a Blériot, was leaving for England in a -week. Having saved about £100 during his period of service with Mr. de -Little, Harry decided to go with him, with the idea that in England his -ambition to learn to fly would easily be realised. Accordingly, within -a week he had thrown up everything, and with no misgivings was crossing -the world in search of the knowledge of flying for which he had yearned -so long. He was, as always, full of confidence in himself. From the -time he started work at five shillings per week he never looked back. -He gave no thought to the possibility of his not making good in -England. He left Australia for England to learn to fly, and either did -not or would not recognise that in the Old Country he would be likely -to meet with keen competition in his quest. - -There is no doubt that the trouble he experienced in getting any sort -of work, even apart from that on which his heart was set, was a great -blow to his confidence, for after nearly a year in very poor jobs in -large workshops, where there seemed to be little or no scope for his -ability, he contemplated returning home and taking up his old work. -This was the only occasion, in a life full of ups and downs, when he -seriously thought of throwing up the sponge and yielding to the line -of least resistance. In all other adverse circumstances he revealed a -spirit of indomitable courage and endurance. There is no measuring a -man’s actual worth, but had Fate not kept Harry here we should have -been several iotas deficient in our air supremacy in those dark days -which followed on so soon, when iotas were of incalculable worth. - -Harry and Busteed first arrived in London in May, 1911, with Harrison -and Kauper, two other friends who had also travelled from Australia. -All four were destined for aeronautical careers, Harry and Kauper, with -nothing definite in view, left the others and looked for “diggings.” -Although they had very little money, they decided to have a holiday and -enjoy the sights of London before seeking employment. After a couple -of weeks or so, Harry started to look around for a firm who wanted to -teach someone to fly. This preliminary search was unsuccessful, so -Harry, full of life and confidence, thought he would obtain work in an -engineering shop and bide his time in finding the work he most wanted. -Funds were getting low, and the quest for any sort of job was rendered -very difficult by the fact that most of the people whom he approached -would not consider employing him because he had no references in this -country, a circumstance which Harry was at a loss to understand. In -Melbourne there was not a firm but would have taken him, but in England -his own word for his ability was not enough. - -Eventually he offered to work for a week for nothing, as a test of -his ability, but this was of no avail. The outlook became very black. -With Kauper, he moved to cheaper lodgings, where he was barely able to -afford the necessities of life. They knew no one in the country except -their two fellow-travellers, but Harry was too proud to let them know -his plight, and would starve first. He continued to write cheerful -letters home, telling of prospects, but never a word as to the actual -state of his affairs. He would not have his parents think he needed -financial help from them. - -On July 29th, 1911, after two bad months, fortune changed a little for -the better, as he managed to get work with the Commer Company at a -remuneration of 7d. per hour. He continued, of course, to hunt for the -opportunity which would bring him nearer to the realisation of his hope -of flying, and so, when offered a remuneration of 9½d. per hour by -the Mercèdes Company he had no scruples about leaving the other firm -at the end of January, 1912. He was with the Mercèdes Company for less -than two months, as on March 18th he accepted a better post with the -Austro-Daimler Company. In the meantime, although he had approached -very little, if any, nearer his goal, he had gained invaluable -experience. Furthermore, whenever possible, he had saved his money, and -any that he spent on recreation paid for weekly visits to Brooklands to -watch the flying there. - -He was thankful that he had been economical and saved £40, enough to -take him back to Australia, when, after nearly a year, he despaired of -ever realising his ambition to fly. Then it was that Kauper, who had -been experiencing bad times as regards work, saw that Sopwith’s -were advertising for a mechanic, and, being out of employment, -immediately applied for the job, with success. It was arranged that if -the work turned out to be what they wanted, Kauper was to let Harry -know. Having regard to what he had suffered, Harry would not now give -up his job with the Austro-Daimler firm unless for something equally -secure and permanent, and he would wisely have refused even a flying -opportunity that did not fulfil such conditions. He did not want to run -any unnecessary risk of being without work again. - -Within a week of Kauper taking up his new work Harry received a -wire from his friend, telling him to come down at once and that the -prospects were good. Without a second’s delay, Harry packed up -and left London for Brooklands, but little dreaming that he was on the -point of realising his wildest hopes. Meanwhile, Kauper had discovered -the work to be exactly what Harry was seeking. The Fates were kind, and -a few days after Kauper had joined the Sopwith Company a lot of extra -work turned up, necessitating the employment of still another mechanic. -Kauper approached Mr. F. Sigrist, the works manager, by whom he was -engaged, and told him he knew of “an Australian, a good mechanic, -very keen to fly and ready for any sort of job with an aeroplane -firm.” Sigrist told him he could arrange an interview, and so it -was that, in reply to the wire mentioned above, Harry, complete with -bag and tool-kit, presented himself ready to start work at once on June -29th, 1912. - -It did not take Sigrist long to find out that in Harry he had a good -man. He was very hard-working and exceptionally quick and accurate, and -he could tackle any mechanical construction work. That Harry shone as a -mechanic was Sigrist’s opinion. His whole heart was in his work. -He worked fifteen hours a day on seven days a week, with £2 at the end -of it. For the first time in England he was happy, notwithstanding hard -work and little pay. His old confidence returned, and he no longer -thought of getting home. The £40 he had saved he offered to Sigrist to -be allowed to use a machine. Sigrist told Mr. Sopwith his star mechanic -wanted to fly, and so Harry’s hopes materialised and he received -his preliminary lessons. - -[Illustration: - -MRS. GEORGE HAWKER—HARRY’S MOTHER. - -HARRY AS A CADET AT THE AGE OF 12. - -MR. GEORGE HAWKER—HARRY’S FATHER. - - [_Facing p. 30._ -] - -At this time Sopwith was conducting a flying-school and had several -pupils, between whom there was great competition for getting the use -of the school machine. After Harry had done a little taxi-ing on the -aerodrome he seemed never to be able to get hold of the machine. But at -last it was arranged that he could have a fly at 7 o’clock one morning. -In those days a flight of such a nature by a pupil would last for from -three to ten minutes. Not so in Harry’s case, for Sigrist appeared on -the scene at 8 o’clock, to find Harry still in the air after almost an -hour! His progress under Mr. Sopwith and Mr. Hedley was exceedingly -rapid, and he was acting in the capacity of an instructor before he had -passed the tests for the Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate. Among -his pupils were Major H. M. Trenchard and Captain J. M. Salmond, both -now officers of high distinction in the Royal Air Force. - -Harry’s hopes and prospects were now as bright as they could possibly -be. As soon as he had taken his “ticket” (i.e., R.Ae.C. Aviator’s -Certificate), he was placed in charge of the hangars at Brooklands, -where his real career began. Some of the gay times they had in those -early flying days are worthy of record. - -The firm, which later developed into the Sopwith Aviation Company, -employing about 3,000 men, but consisted then of Mr. Sopwith, Mr. -Sigrist, and about a dozen men, launched out with the purchase of a -“racing” car when they had made a few pounds. This was an old Panhard -of 16 h.p., fitted with a Victoria body and always accompanied by -sundry disturbing noises. This genuine piece of antique was later -fitted with a two-seater body, not to satisfy the wishes of its many -drivers for a sporting effect, but because it provided at the back an -enclosed space for carrying various impedimenta. On Saturdays and other -festive nights it was customary for this useful part of the body to be -discarded, and the turn-out would proceed, covered with mechanics, mud, -and a very little glory, to the Kingston “Empire.” - -This weekly trip from Weybridge to Kingston was never accomplished -without incident in the form of some hitch or adventure. For instance, -the tail-light, which no one had time or energy to adjust during -the week, was wont to fail, and the policeman’s whistle was not -infrequently heard. Whistle! “What’s that, Fred?” Harry would say to -Sigrist. “Tail-light out, or did we run over that old girl?” “No, it’s -only the light.” And so they proceeded, leaving the back to take care -of itself. The eight or nine mechanics, carried on these journeys, were -generally needed. Tyres were always going off; lamps always going out; -and various bits and pieces of the car going astray on the road. All -had, therefore, to work their passage. - -Harry never tired of telling of the fun of those days, and although he -was the keenest of workers, he was always ready for some fun, not a -little being provided by the antics of a pet bear kept in the sheds at -Brooklands and brought from America by Sopwith. - -Harry’s delight in playing tricks never left him. Only a short -while before he died we were spending a week-end with my parents. -After we had all retired for the night I overheard a council of war -between my brother and Harry. They crept stealthily downstairs. When, -after about an hour, Harry arrived upstairs, I could extract no lucid -explanation of what he had been doing. However, the next morning -the sight of a white door in the dark dining-room when we sat down -to breakfast explained his activities of the previous night. He had -changed the white door of the drawing-room for the dark one of the -dining-room. The cook gave my mother notice to leave immediately after -breakfast, as she was not used to “being made a fool of.” There was -only one person who saw her being made a fool of, but that person’s -tale of cook’s exit through a door she knew so well which had suddenly -gone “all gleaming white” was so funny that I am sure her manner of -accepting the joke was better appreciated by the perpetrators than by -the fools for whom it was intended. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE BRITISH DURATION RECORD - - Harry’s Aversion to Publicity—Circumstances of His - First Brooklands Associations—The Sopwith-Burgess-Wright - Biplane—Harry’s Effort in a Quick-starting Competition—Beating - His Employer—Early Attempts for Michelin Laurels—A Real - Success—Tuning-up for the Duration Record—Raynham Makes a - Race—And Secures an Advantage—Raynham Lands after 7 hours 31½ - minutes—And Holds the Record for an Hour or Two—Opportunity - Knocks at Harry’s Door—And is Well Received—Harry Lands - after 8 hours 23 minutes—To Him the Spoils—His Own Account of the - Experience—A Reminiscence of Cody—The Significance of Harry’s - Achievement—Other Flights at Brooklands—The Growth of a Pioneer - Firm. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -During the latter half of 1912, with the buoyancy of the enthusiast -and no idea of the meteoric way in which his latent abilities would be -developed, Harry embarked on the flying career on which his heart was -set, at a time when the spirit of quantity production had not descended -to meet the necessities of war and the aeronautical fraternity was -happy in its smallness. - -Even when he had carried out not a few, but many, flights of a nature -unprecedented for a beginner, Harry was known only to a very few -near associates; and he eschewed publicity not only before, but also -after, he was drawn automatically and unavoidably within its fold. -Fortunately, Harry had no cause to sever a well-made alliance with -Mr. Sopwith, who was quick in recognising the genius of his protégé, -as a pilot then, and as an engineer later. Had circumstances been -less promising, and if Harry had elected to seek work as a pilot -elsewhere, the scanty knowledge of his early experiences that had been -disseminated would have stood him in little stead, for in 1912 the -experiences of most pilots were generally reported in considerable -detail; and here would have been a man with a brilliant record who -had deliberately contrived to have as few papers as possible to show -for it. A few genuine Press reports are surely of some value to a -youngster who, looking for employment, has to make an impression, and -particularly if he is not a great talker. But one cannot blame Harry -for this seeming inadvertence, for he never required such testimonials. - -Harry first arrived at Brooklands at a time when things were literally -moving rather slowly and the hub of British enterprise in aviation -was showing a pronounced tendency to deviate to Hendon, whither -many of the bright spirits that were formerly the life of Brooklands -had already departed. Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith (now C.B.E.), who gave -Harry his start in aviation, had recently returned from a successful -American tour, during which he had participated in several motor-boat -races and incidentally had commissioned the well-known American -boat-builder, Burgess, to construct, under licence from the Wright -Brothers, an aeroplane, known as a Burgess-Wright biplane then, and as -a Sopwith-Wright after reconstruction by its owner in England. - -As it was on this machine Harry made his reputation as a pilot of the -first rank, a few references to its design and construction are not -out of place. The original machine built by Burgess to Sopwith’s -instructions, contrary to the customary Wright practice, was fitted -with controls of the Farman type and a Gnome rotary engine. Having -brought the machine to England, Sopwith replaced the Gnome engine by -a British-built A.B.C. of 40 h.p., and proceeded to manufacture in -his sheds at Brooklands duplicates of all the component parts of the -aeroplane. Thus the machine, when ultimately reconstructed, became -all-British in conformity with the requirements of the competition for -the British Empire Michelin Cup No. 1. The machine had twin propellers, -driven through the medium of chains connected with the single engine, -and on the right-hand side of the latter was arranged the pilot’s -seat. The machine was therefore of a distinctly novel type, at any rate -so far as concerned this country, where few Wright machines had been -seen. One innovation added to the design by Mr. Sopwith (to protect the -pilot from the wind) was a nacelle, resembling in appearance a side-car -body, and it is probable that without this feature Harry would not -have been able to put up as many long flights as he did. Passengers in -this machine enjoyed a particularly novel sensation in sitting beside -the engine instead of in front of or behind it, and in landing they -received the impression that the chassis had collapsed, so low was the -build of the machine as compared with other contemporaneous types. - -Four days after he had his first lesson in the art of flying, Harry -flew alone in the Sopwith-Farman machine. His remarkable genius was -thus revealed at the very beginning of his career in aviation; and by -Sopwith, his tutor, he was afforded full scope for the development of -his abilities. Within a month he qualified for his R.Ae.C. Aviator’s -Certificate, the number of which was 297; and so rapid was his progress -that when he successfully essayed his flight for the British duration -record he had only put up a total flying time of about twenty hours. - -After obtaining his certificate, Harry lost no time in pursuing the -purely sporting side of flying, and on Saturday, October 5th, 1912, -he participated in a Quick-Starting Competition, at Brooklands, on -the Sopwith-Farman biplane. There were eight other competitors. Harry -tied for second place with the late Harold Barnwell, who was piloting -a Vickers-Farman biplane, their times being 6 seconds. An interesting -circumstance of this contest was that on running off—or, rather, flying -off—the dead heat, Harry and Barnwell both completed the evolution in -faster time than E. C. Pashley, the accredited winner of the race, -whose time was 5⅖th seconds. Harry’s time for this second performance -was 5 seconds and Barnwell’s 4⅘th seconds. Sopwith, who competed on two -machines, a Sopwith-Farman and a Sopwith-Tractor, for which his times -were 7 seconds and 7⅖th seconds respectively, had the doubtful pleasure -of being beaten by his pupil. - -Harry essayed his first flight on the Burgess-Wright, on which he was -subsequently to achieve the British Duration Record, on October 15th, -1912. Being already accustomed to the Farman type controls, he found no -difficulty in handling the machine, and after completing a few circuits -and practising landings he felt thoroughly at home on it. The following -morning at 6.51 a.m. he set out on a test of 3 hours 31 minutes in -competition for the British Empire Michelin Cup No. 1 and the £500 -prize. The Cup had previously been won by Moore-Brabazon in 1909 and -twice by Cody, in 1910 and 1911. In the 1912 competition a continuous -flight of not less than five hours’ duration had to be made, -the award going to the competitor remaining the longest time in the air -in a single flight without touching the ground. Although unsuccessful -as a qualifying flight in the competition, Harry’s first attempt, -lasting as it did for three-and-a-half hours, on a machine of a novel -type which he had flown only for the first time on the previous day, -was a most creditable achievement, especially, too, for a pilot who had -won his brevet only a month previously. Such a flight, in such a remote -period in the annals of aviation as 1912, would have been considered -no mean performance for the most experienced of pilots. The flight, -which was carried out at Brooklands at an average height of 500 feet, -was terminated owing to the fracture of a valve-spring. Harry made two -other unsuccessful attempts to win the Cup, the first lasting 2 hours -43 minutes, and terminating abruptly owing to a sudden gale, and the -second of 3 hours 28 minutes, ending owing to rain. - -As the Michelin Competition definitely closed on October 31st, there -was no time to lose, and on Thursday, the 24th, Harry put up a flight -of 8 hours 23 minutes, which proved to be the British Duration Record -held by him for several years. On the same day a flight of 7½ hours -was made by his friend Raynham, who held the British Duration Record -for a brief spell of 1 hour 35 minutes, having started and finished -before Harry. Lord Charles Beresford was among those who witnessed -these record flights. I cannot do better than reproduce the following -account communicated to the _Aero_ by its special correspondent in -November, 1913. - - “We were astir early in the Sopwith camp on Thursday, October - 24th. Not that this was the first early-morning attempt on the - Michelin prize. The same thing had been going on for a week past, and - no fewer than three times in this week had the new Sopwith twin-screw - A.B.C.-engined biplane sallied forth. Hawker, the pilot, had been - chosen to fly the Sopwith ‘bus,’ and his determination, - skill, and enthusiasm through this and the previous attempts justified - the faith put in him for such a task. Hawker is a young Australian, - and, like his fellow countrymen Busteed, Pickles, and Harrison, he - shows very great promise as a flier. Joining the Sopwith school as a - mechanic, he was allowed to learn on the orthodox school type Farman, - and he early displayed his aptitude for this work by going up to 1,000 - feet and remaining there for fifty minutes on the fourth day of his - training. - - “Of his three previous attempts on the Michelin Duration - Competition little need be said; the first one was terminated after 3 - hours 31 minutes by a valve-spring breaking. On the second attempt the - wind, after 2 hours 43 minutes proved too much for further flight, and - the third attempt ended after 3 hours 28 minutes in a rainstorm, which - soaked the magneto through, and temporarily ended its career. - - “With serious designs on ‘durating,’ the Sopwith - camp was awake and bustling, and excitement ran high when it was seen - that Raynham was to make a simultaneous attempt on the military Avro - biplane (enclosed body type), fitted with a 60 h.p. Green engine. - Hawker got away just before 7 a.m., but was brought down again after - a flight lasting no more than twenty minutes by the magneto cutting - out occasionally. Apparently it had not recovered from the effects of - its previous soaking. This contingency had been anticipated, however, - and a brand-new British-made Bosch had been ordered previously, - which, however, had only arrived late the night before. The old - ‘mag.’ was hurriedly removed and the new one fitted, but - even minor details of this kind take time, and in this case the time - was all too precious. In timing the magneto it was found to run the - wrong way round, and it had to be dismantled and a new commutator - fitted. - - “Meanwhile Raynham got away on the Avro at 7.40, which meant - eventually a start of 1h. 35m. He seemed to have a little trouble in - carrying his load, as he had to make three attempts to get off, and - he was flying very _cabré_ through the earlier part of his flight. - The Green engine, however, sounded serious, solemn, and steady, and - seemed to inspire confidence. Hawker made a start at 9.15 without even - testing or trying the magneto in any way. - - “Then commenced a magnificent and exciting contest which lasted - till well after dark. - - “The A.B.C. spluttered a little at first for want of a - warming-up, but by the time it had done one circuit of Brooklands - its revolutions were up to 2,000 per minute, and Hawker was able to - throttle down slightly. There was a tense feeling all round, and an - ache in the heart of the Sopwith crew that the magneto had not been - properly fitted during the previous night. Hawker’s handicap - was realised more and more when it was found that if Raynham remained - aloft until within 1 hour and 35 minutes of the limiting hours of the - competition (which were from sunrise till one hour after sunset), - Hawker could not possibly win. - - “There was a stream of people to and from the anemometer - throughout the day, which instrument happily showed the atmospheric - conditions to be little short of ideal. The speed of the wind during - the day did not vary more than five to eight miles per hour. - - “Raynham, with his wide experience, took the greatest possible - advantage of this, and made a really splendid flight, with the Green - throttled down to the very slowest revolutions that the machine would - fly with, and with the tail dropping in what appeared to be a fearful - position to the onlookers. Hawker, with tail well up (and his machine - lifts the loads remarkably easily), was flying steadily round at a - height of about 400 feet, the A.B.C. emitting a steady hum. Raynham, - on the other hand, was flying very low, and on some occasions was - only about 30 feet high. By about eleven o’clock he evidently - had become extremely bored with pottering round and round, because he - commenced a series of antics round the sheds, and at one time about - half-way round a turn he suddenly doubled back on his own track, and - did a turn or two round the wrong way, all the time, however, with - his engine ticking round at something like 950 revolutions per minute - only, the appearance of the machine being terrifying to behold to - those who dread sideslips. - - “Hawker all this time was steadily plodding away, making - the safest flight possible, and the very machine had a look of - determination about it. The two slow-speed propellers turned solemnly - round, and the engine explosions were lost in a continual buzz through - the high engine speed. That he was out to win if possible was obvious - from every movement. Raynham’s champions grew a little nervous - over the flippancy of their pilot, and a shutter of one of the sheds - was quickly requisitioned, on which were painted the words in large - letters: ‘Fly higher.’ It had not much effect, however, - although it served apparently to sober him a little. - - “Towards one o’clock impatient questions as to how much - oil and petrol they were carrying began to circulate amongst the - onlookers, and it appeared that Raynham’s oil supply was likely - to run out before anything else. On more than one occasion the Green - suddenly slowed down in revolutions, only to pick up again just as - quickly. Someone pointed out later on that the short pipes coupled to - the exhaust ports in the cylinders of the Green no longer emitted the - puffs of smoke that had been prominent in the earlier stages of the - flight, and misgivings as to the oil supply began to travel abroad. - - “Excitement reached fever-heat between two and three - o’clock, the strain of watching the two machines circle round - hour after hour becoming intense. It was not even like a motor race, - where one can see fairly early in the run who is likely to be the - winner. In this conflict, speed did not even count, and the contest - might terminate any second by either running out of fuel or by an - engine stoppage. Little work was done in the sheds, and every few - minutes mechanics would appear at the various doors to find and call - out to their mates that both machines were still up. - - “‘Raynham’s down!’ The cry spread across the - ground at about 3.10 p.m., and a frantic rush was made to the front of - the sheds, and sure enough he was just on the point of touching. He - terminated his flight at 3.11½ p.m. exactly, having been in the air - 7 hours 31½ minutes—truly a splendid performance. We all rushed - across the ground, and Fred May, of the Green Engine Co., jumped - into his car and came tearing up to the spot. Raynham climbed out, - looking somewhat tired, but apparently none the worse for the 7½ - hours’ toil. He said that the oil had run out, and though - he had held on as long as he could, the engine had been dropping in - revolutions for the last half-hour, and he did not want to risk it - seizing up altogether. - - “Up to the very minute of Raynham’s landing it is doubtful - if a single person on Brooklands would have given a shilling for - Hawker’s chance of putting up better time than Raynham with the - latter’s hour and a half start; but things now changed, and as - all eyes were turned upwards and ears listening to catch the rhythmic - beating of the engine, the question went round: ‘Will he keep - up for another two hours?’ The engine sounded happy enough, and - if nothing happened there was no reason why he should not, as he had - a big load of fuel. The excitement now began steadily to rise as the - minutes were ticked off, and to the Sopwith enthusiasts every minute - seemed an age. They all went back to find something to do that would - pass the time more quickly, but had to come out again with dread in - their hearts that they might find Hawker ‘taxi-ing’ along - the ground. - - “Gradually the time went along, and Hawker was still steadily - travelling at his 400 feet altitude. Then Sopwith appeared on the - scene at about four o’clock, and brought out his 70 h.p. Gnome - Tractor biplane with the intention of cheering Hawker up a little. - Taking Charteris as a passenger, he did one or two circuits, climbing - up to Hawker’s level, then very skilfully cut across a sharp - turn and came alongside. Hawker, in fear of not lasting out the time, - had throttled down to the smallest amount he could fly with so as to - economise petrol and oil; his machine was therefore very slow, and - Sopwith had to switch off and dive a little so as not to pass him. - The two on the Tractor waved frantically, and shouted encouragements, - which, of course, Hawker could not hear at all, but which he - undoubtedly understood. Down planed the Tractor again, leaving Hawker - with just another half-hour to go through to equal Raynham’s - time (which, by the way, was for 1 hour 35 minutes the British - Duration Record). - - “The next half hour was the worst period experienced by a great - number of the Brooklands clan, and it is doubtful if any other event - ever held on the ground has caused so much interest. Tea was forgotten - altogether, and exact minutes and seconds were in the greatest demand, - everybody walking about watch in hand. After ten more minutes had - passed it was observed that Hawker had throttled really to the very - limit so as not to run the slightest risk of running short of petrol. - The machine was flying at a terrible angle, with the tail pointing - strongly earthwards, and the spectators began to feel nervous. Another - shutter was acquired, on which was whitewashed: ‘Keep your tail - up,’ and this was displayed for the pilot, who, however, took - but little notice of it. - - “Gradually the minutes passed, and a little crowd gathered - round the timekeeper, who slowly (horribly slowly to some) counted - 9 minutes, 8 minutes, and so on. ‘One more circuit will do - it!’ someone cried, and it did, and as the last seconds passed - away, never to be recalled, a huge sigh escaped from the lips of - everybody. To some it was a sigh of relief, to others perhaps not, - but now the crisis was over everybody was sporting enough to express - admiration for a very plucky flight. - - “Hawker had evidently had his eye glued to the clock which he - carried on board, for now his tail was up high again, the machine sped - away full of life, and the time also slipped by much faster now that - the face of the watch was not being scrutinised so carefully. Another - half hour passed and darkness began to close in. It had been arranged - that a huge petrol fire should be lit when it was time for Hawker to - come down, an hour after sunset being 5.48 p.m. It was, however, quite - dark at 5.20, and a difficult problem arose in the minds of those on - the ground. It was naturally wished to make the flight as long as - possible, and therefore to light the bonfire then would have been - to bring him down unnecessarily early; on the other hand, complete - darkness might quite possibly cause him to lose himself. A better - arrangement would have been to light one fire half an hour before the - specified finish, another one a quarter of an hour later, and a third - when the time was up, leaving the whole three for him to land by. - - “Any misgivings that may have remained in the minds of a few - regarding the condition of the engine were quickly put at rest by - Hawker at about 5.30 opening the throttle wide and shooting up to - between 1,200 and 1,500 feet in so short a space of time as would have - made some of our military competitors envious. It was evident he did - this to run no risk of petrol running out when he was over the sewage - farm or behind the sheds at a low altitude. It was now quite dark, - and wanted but ten minutes to the time limit. At this stage one was - impressed by the appearance of the long flame from the exhaust. The - exhaust pipes were apparently quite red hot the whole time. - - “Suddenly Hawker was seen to be intent on making a landing - without further delay, and he came down in a perfectly straight line - from the far end of the ground with the engine about half throttled. - He made a very shallow angle of descent, apparently with the intention - of striking as gradually as possible, as the earth could not be - seen at all. Those in charge of the bonfires instantly realised the - situation, and applied matches to the petrol, which flared up in the - nick of time. Hawker straightened up, closed the throttle, and made a - perfect landing seven minutes before the time limit. - - “There was a rush for the spot where the machine was, and the - next five minutes were occupied in cheering, congratulating, shaking - hands and patting backs. Hawker climbed out of his seat, having been - exactly 8 hours 23 minutes in the air, but he looked easily capable of - undergoing the same trial again. - - “Relating his experience, Hawker said: ‘When I got - away first at about 9.15 I thought the new magneto had been timed - incorrectly, because the engine was only turning at 1,600, and would - hardly carry the load; before I had done a circuit, however, I - discovered it was only a case of getting the engine warm, this taking - a particularly long time, because we had fitted two radiators where - there only used to be one, even in the summer, and I was carrying - nearly six gallons of water all told. This I found afterwards to be - really too much, because towards the end I tried to warm my hand on - the water-pipe which runs from the bottom of the radiators and found - it too cold to touch. - - “‘Within five minutes of the start the engine was turning - round at just over 2,000 revolutions per minute, and I realised that - if I wanted to economise I must throttle down a little. This I did, - and ran along steadily at about 1,800 revolutions. I was extremely - worried to think that we had let Raynham get such a lead, but there - was no hope for it, so I settled down to a long, slow job, determined - to stick to it to the end. - - “‘I was quite snug and warm inside the little body that - had been provided, and the weather throughout was ideal. The engine - ran splendidly, and I can truthfully say that it never made a single - misfire for the whole period of 8 hours 23 minutes. - - “‘I occupied most of my time in keeping one eye on the - clock and one on Raynham, who was flying below me, and on several - occasions he quite appeared to be “taxi-ing” along the - ground. I always noticed that he never came to rest, however, and - concluded that he must be flying low. Once he shot across my path - about some 150 feet under me, giving me quite a start for the second. - On several occasions I lost sight of him for half an hour at a time, - and was sometimes worried by wondering whether I was going to give - him my backwash or whether I was getting into his. - - “‘I had a Thermos flask of cocoa on board, some chocolate, - and some sandwiches, all of which I found useful in either passing the - time away or relieving the monotony by giving me something to do. I - did not look at the exact time that I started, but I knew that I had - about an hour and three quarters to do after Raynham had finished. - Everything was plain sailing with regard to the petrol supply and - oil. The petrol was gravity-fed and the oil pressure-fed. I had a - twenty-gallon petrol tank just behind my back, which was coupled - directly to the carburetter, and above that I had a twelve-gallon - tank, both being full. The twelve-gallon tank was connected by a pipe - to the larger tank, and after I had been flying for four hours I - turned on the tap in the twelve-gallon tank and allowed the contents - of this tank to flow down to the larger one. I discovered afterwards - that the pipe from the twelve-gallon to the twenty-gallon tank was not - large enough, because when I came down in the evening I could hear - the petrol still slowly trickling into the large tank. For the oil, - I had a glass gauge in the sump of the motor and a five-gallon tank - also behind my back, I started off with two gallons in the sump, and - occasionally pumped up a little pressure in the oil tank, opening the - tap between the tank and the sump to keep the oil level in the sump - somewhere within sight. As the petrol was used and the weight lessened - I closed the throttle slightly, the engine running equally well at all - speeds. - - “‘Later on I saw a shutter being carried out with the - words “Fly higher” painted on it. I could read it quite - distinctly from 400 feet, but as I felt quite comfortable where I was - I did not pay any heed to it. It was not until after I came down that - I discovered that this sign was meant for Raynham. It was a great - relief to me to see Raynham come down, and I knew this time that he - was going to land, because I could see all the people running across - the ground towards him. - - “‘From then onwards I kept my eyes glued to the face - of the clock, the last half hour that would make my flight equal - Raynham’s being the most anxious and worrying of the whole day. - Every minute seemed an hour, and as I was afraid that the petrol - in the top tank might not be flowing properly into the main tank, - I closed the throttle for the last twenty minutes down to the very - limit the machine would fly with. I must have been flying then at only - about thirty-five miles per hour. Then I saw the 70 h.p. Gnome Tractor - ’bus come out, and watched Mr. Sopwith with interest. I guessed - what he was coming out for, and when I saw him make straight for me, - broadside on, I kept on a perfectly straight course, knowing well that - he would be careful not to hinder me in any way. He came quite close - alongside, and I distinctly heard them both shout (my A.B.C engine had - a silencer fitted), but I could not tell what they said. - - “‘Painfully slowly the minutes rolled away, but at last I - realised that I was the holder of the British Duration Record. When I - was quite sure of this I opened up the throttle again, as I had not - much to fear now, but I was still determined to keep up in order to - give anyone else a good run in order to beat it. When it was getting - nearly dark I pulled open the last notch of the throttle and climbed - up to 1,400 feet on the meter, and I did this very rapidly. Darkness - came on, and I could see very little but the red-hot exhaust pipe and - the reflection from the burnt gases. The dim lights of the Blue Bird - served as a little guide to the position of the ground, and when I - felt sure it must be quite 5.50 I decided to come down immediately - and make a guess at where the ground was, as I felt sure they had - forgotten all about the fires, and I did not want to get lost and - smash the machine up. Just as I was landing the fires flared up, and I - came to rest and found everyone as pleased as I was.’” - - NOTE. —The foregoing verbatim report of Hawker’s experiences - in making the British Duration Record is reprinted from the _Aero_ of - November, 1912. - -In attempting, with characteristic pluck, to beat Harry’s record -on the last day of the competition, Cody unfortunately collided with -a post on landing after a trial flight, and a wing was buckled in -consequence. - -The performance whereby Harry not only won the British Empire Michelin -Cup No. 1, but also captured the British Duration Record, brought him -into the front rank of British pilots and marked an important point -in the annals of British aviation. Public attention was attracted to -a type of machine of which little was known in this country, although -it bore the pioneer hall-mark of the Wrights. For the Sopwith Aviation -Company the flight was a great business asset and a sure foundation for -the goodwill of the concern. - -Harry took part in an Altitude Competition on Saturday, November -9th, 1912, at Brooklands, in which event Barnwell was the only other -competitor. Unfortunately the race had to be given to Barnwell, as -Harry had omitted to set his barograph at zero before starting, so -that the exact height he reached was not recorded. Nevertheless, -the immediate excitement of the contest did not suffer through this -inadvertence. - -A Bomb-dropping and Alighting Competition, in which competitors had to -drop their bombs on or near a given target and land within a minimum -radius of a given mark was held on the Saturday following. The first -and second places went to Merriam and Knight respectively, Sopwith, -Bendall, and Harry being the “also rans.” Sopwith, having -succeeded in making a direct hit with his bomb, misjudged his landing, -a circumstance which disqualified him. - -Harry shared in a big success in a Relay or Despatch-carrying Race -on Sunday, November 17th. In this contest the competitors worked in -pairs. One pilot would start off with a despatch, and, after flying -one-and-a-half laps, land and hand the commission over to his partner, -who in turn would fly over the same course, alight, and hand the -despatch to the judge, the winning pair being those who made fastest -time. In the particular contest, which was flown in perfect flying -weather, it was originally intended that each pair should comprise a -biplane and a monoplane, and Hamel flew over from Hendon on a Blériot -for the special purpose of competing, but the scarcity of monoplanes -owing to the War Office ban on machines of that type resulted in only -biplanes taking part. The first prize went to Harry and Spencer, the -latter flying a machine of his own construction. Their total time for -the course was 9½ minutes. Barnwell and Merriam, of the Vickers and -Bristol Schools respectively, on Farman and Bristol machines, took -10 minutes 10 seconds, and Bendall and Knight, on a similar pair of -machines, took 10 minutes 12 seconds. - -On Sunday afternoon, November 24th, just before dusk, a Speed Handicap -over two laps of the Brooklands course was decided. The handicapping -was, on the whole, good, Alcock,[1] Sopwith, and Knight, the first -three home, all finishing in that order within a space of four seconds. -Harry finished, but was unplaced. It is interesting to note that this -was the first race in which Alcock participated. He had recently -obtained his brevet at the Ducrocq school. Sopwith made fastest time. - -[1] The late Sir John Alcock, K.B.E. - -Harry had his machine out on the following Sunday to take part in -another Bomb-dropping and Alighting Competition, but as the contest was -on the point of starting rain came on and put an end to flying for the -remainder of the day. The contest was postponed until the next Sunday, -but Harry was unavoidably absent. - -Busteed, Harrison, and Harry, who had all migrated from Australia -together in April, 1911, had all now achieved some distinction in -flying, and Australian prowess in the art was well in the ascendant. -Busteed and Harrison were doing big things for the Empire as -instructors of flying, and Harry, by his record flights, was doing much -to promote British aerial prestige. - -The business of the Sopwith Company having expanded extensively in the -meantime, Mr. Sopwith had decided to lease a skating-rink in Canbury -Park Road, Kingston-on-Thames, so that more room than could be provided -in the sheds at Brooklands should be available for the construction of -machines to meet increasing demands from the Admiralty, War Office, and -foreign governments. The skating-rink was ideal, not only on account -of the space available for erecting big machines, but also owing to -the level floor, which was a great facility. Mr. Sigrist, who had been -largely responsible for the design of the Sopwith Tractor biplane and -had accompanied Mr. Sopwith on his American tour, was the works manager -there. - -And so I leave 1912, conscious of the fact that, in the few months -during which he had been flying, Harry had contributed in some -considerable measure to the fostering of that record-breaking spirit so -necessary for the advancement of the new art and science. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -ABOUT ALTITUDE AND OTHER RECORDS - - A Colleague’s Impression of Harry in 1913—Harry in the - Passenger’s Seat—“Aerial Leap-Frog”—Competition - Flights at Brooklands—Testing the First “Bat - Boat”—End of the First “Bat Boat”!—Harry as a - Salesman-Demonstrator—Testing the Second “Bat Boat”—70 - Miles per Hour in 1913—Asçent to 7,450 feet in 15 minutes—A - Prize Flight—How Harry Deserted from a Race which He Won—How - a Biplane Beat a Monoplane—More Seaplane Testing—The British - Altitude Record—11,450 Feet—“Bravo, Hawker!”—A - Journalist’s Tribute—Flying in a High Wind—To the Isle of - Wight and Back. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Even greater things were in store for Harry in 1913, for although -the British Duration Record was an achievement to be handed down to -posterity, it pertained only to British aviation. His performance -in the Round-Britain Seaplane Race, so generously promoted by Lord -Northcliffe and the _Daily Mail_, as one of the milestones in the early -progress of marine aircraft, will live in the world’s history -unbounded by nationalities. - -A friend who worked in the shops at Canbury Park Road, where he took -part in the construction of the Round-Britain seaplane, well remembers -with the observant eyes of a hero-worshipper seeing Harry make daily -tours through the works in company with Messrs. Sopwith, Sigrist, -and R. O. Cary, the general manager. Other than a sturdy physique -and cheery countenance, Harry bore nothing to indicate that he was -an aviator by profession. He was wholly without affectation and a -favourite with everyone belonging to the Sopwith concern. - -Sir Charles D. Rose, Bart., M.P., Chairman of the Royal Aero Club, -handed to Harry on Tuesday, January 7th, 1913, a cheque for £500 -in respect of the prize awarded in connection with the Michelin -Competition. Of this sum, Harry received 25 per cent. as remuneration -for his special services to the Sopwith concern. On the same day, too, -Cody received his cheque for £600 in connection with the No. 2 Michelin -Competition. - -Mr. Sopwith himself was out testing a new tractor biplane on Friday, -February 7th, 1913, at 7.20 a.m., carrying Harry as a passenger. To -ride in the passenger’s seat of an aeroplane of new design is -a task simple enough truly, but not too pleasant for an experienced -pilot. This flight speaks volumes for the great confidence which Harry -always had in his friend and benefactor. This new tractor-type machine -was dismantled after the flight and sent to Olympia for the Aero Show, -where it was purchased by the Admiralty. After the Show, Harry himself -tested the machine at Brooklands, flying for 1¼ hours on March 1st -preparatory to handing it over to the responsible naval authority, -Lieut. Spencer Gray, who flew it to Hendon with a passenger. - -The Sopwith-Wright machine was still in service, and Harry was flying -it on the Saturday. On the Sunday, February 9th, he was third in a -Quick-starting and Alighting Competition, during which he was lost to -view above the clouds. - -Harry also scored a “third” in the Speed Handicap at -Brooklands on Easter Monday. Inasmuch as the spectators were left -uninformed as to the result of the race, the event was a farce. Harry, -on the Sopwith-Wright, was very severely handicapped, and had it not -been that Barnwell passed the finishing-post on the wrong side, he -would not have been “placed.” - -The weather being particularly favourable, some very fine flying was -seen at Brooklands on Sunday afternoon, March 29th; over a dozen -machines being out. There were no races, but numerous exhibition and -passenger flights were indulged in. Harry interested the spectators -by practising “aerial leap-frog” on the Sopwith-Wright, -a performance which caused much astonishment. With the propellers -completely stopped, he made a well-judged landing from a considerable -height. - -During March, 1913, the first tests of the Sopwith “Bat -Boat,” which had made its début at the Olympia Show, were carried -out at Cowes. Sopwith, whose motor-boat experience stood him in good -stead, first took the machine out, but although a speed of sixty miles -per hour was attained, the machine would not leave the water. Harry -had a shot at it, but with no better success. Sopwith, making another -effort, rose a few feet, but the hull landed heavily and was damaged. -Left out all night on the beach, the machine was almost destroyed by -a gale, one report circulating to the effect that only the engine and -propeller remained intact! - -Harry was not hampered by any scruples with regard to trading on the -Sabbath, for on Sunday, April 13th, 1913, he set out to play the rôle -of aeroplane salesman, and incidentally to make his Hendon début. The -specific purpose of his flight on the Sopwith-Wright from Brooklands -to Hendon was to offer the machine for sale to the Grahame-White -Company, whom he regarded as good potential purchasers, as they had -recently sold two of their machines to the War Office and would require -others to replace them in order to cope with increasing demands for -exhibition and passenger flights at the London aerodrome. On the way -there he had a forced landing at Wormwood Scrubbs, but was able to -proceed and complete the whole journey in 40 minutes, inclusive of -the delay. He terminated the flight by making several circuits of the -aerodrome at Hendon, and subsequently made a number of other exhibition -and passenger flights which demonstrated the wonderful handiness and -airworthiness of the machine. His passengers during the afternoon -included Manton and Gates, both well-known pilots of the Grahame-White -Company. Passengers were greatly impressed by the stability of the -machine and the strangeness of sitting on one side of the engine. -Landing, too, was rather a new sensation, as the seats were so low -in comparison with those of other types that to one on the point of -touching the ground the landing chassis seemed to have fallen off! - -On the following Sunday, at Hendon, Harry carried several more -passengers, and at times there were as many as eight machines in flight -simultaneously. - -Harry tested the second Sopwith air-boat at Brooklands on Monday, -May 25th. The machine, engined with a 100 h.p. Green, which was a -development of the original “Bat Boat” mentioned above, was -fitted with a temporary land chassis. One of the struts of this gave -way on landing, resulting in damage to the left aileron. The original -“Bat Boat” had warping, or flexing, wings. - -Tuesday, May 6th, saw Harry testing a new Sopwith Tractor biplane -engined with an 80 h.p. Gnome. This machine was a three-seater, and on -the Wednesday he had two passengers up for half an hour above 1,000 -feet. He flew the machine over to Farnborough on Friday, May 9th, where -he carried out an official test, when a speed of 73·6 miles per hour -was attained. - -[Illustration: THE SOPWITH TABLOID, THE PROTOTYPE OF THE FIGHTING -SCOUTS, DESIGNED BY HARRY, IN ITS MODIFIED FORM FOR LOOPING-THE-LOOP, -AFTER HIS RETURN FROM AUSTRALIA. - - [_Facing p. 56._ -] - -On May 10th, 1913, the Saturday before Whitsun, with Harry in charge, -the new 80 h.p. Gnome Sopwith Tractor biplane fully justified the big -things that were expected of it, at Hendon, whither its reputation -had travelled in advance. Harry flew over from Brooklands to take -part in an Altitude Contest in competition with Verrier on a Maurice -Farman, Robert Slack on a 50 h.p. Gnome Blériot, Brock on a 35 h.p. -Deperdussin, and Hamel on an 80 h.p. Blériot. The machines left the -ground at short intervals and were all soon out of sight, hidden by -clouds. In making a single circuit of the aerodrome, the Sopwith -machine climbed 2,000 feet. Hamel was first down after about 20 -minutes, quickly followed at short intervals by Slack, Verrier, and -Brock, in the order named. Harry, however, was nowhere in sight, and -did not appear again until about forty minutes after he had started. -As there was a time limit in the contest, the judges, having concluded -that Harry had made a forced landing elsewhere, announced the following -result: - - 1. Verrier 4,450 ft. - - 2. Brock 4,300 ft. - - 3. Slack 4,000 ft. - -Hamel retired, disqualified by a faulty barograph, although he had -ascended to somewhere above 7,000 feet. In the meantime Harry had -reached an altitude of 7,450 feet in 15 minutes—a truly remarkable -performance. At that height, having lost his bearings, he decided to -land, which he did at Ponder’s End, a few miles east of Hendon, -still keeping his engine running while he enquired of a passer-by his -whereabouts. Having returned to the aerodrome and satisfied the judges -that he had landed within the prescribed time limit, he was finally -adjudicated winner of the contest. The particular machine was one of a -series ordered by the Admiralty. - -Immediately after this fine performance Harry competed in the Speed -Handicap for the Shell prize of 100 guineas. The race was flown in -heats, Harry being scratch man in the second heat and giving 55 -seconds to Slack and 1 minute 57 seconds to Lewis Turner, who was -flying a Caudron biplane. Turner won the heat by 17⅖th seconds, -and Harry came in last, three minutes behind Slack. His failure may -be attributed to bad handicapping, which could hardly be avoided in -the case of almost the first public appearance of a new machine with a -genuine reputation preceded most probably by an exaggerated one. After -witnessing the final, won by Turner, Harry left for Brooklands, where, -on Whit-Sunday, he carried several passengers and also tested the -engine of the Sopwith hydro-aeroplane. - -On Whit-Monday, May 12th, 1913, at Brooklands, Harry was one of three -starters in the Whitsun Cross-Country Aeroplane Handicap. Rain fell -during the race. Alcock was first away on Ducrocq’s Henry Farman, -but had to abandon the race almost immediately owing to the strong -wind nearly blowing his relatively slow machine backwards. Harry was -next away on the Tractor, with a start of 76 seconds from Gordon -Bell, who flew the 120 h.p. Martin-Handasyde monoplane. Harry made a -quicker start than Gordon Bell, who sacrificed several seconds when -the starter’s flag fell. At the first turning-point Bell had -picked up 36 seconds over Harry, but lost several through turning on -an unnecessarily big radius. At the second turn he gained another 10 -seconds, but also lost owing to the same cause. Harry won a fine race -by 39 seconds. This triumph of the biplane over the monoplane possessed -some significance, and seemed to indicate that the greater wing surface -of Harry’s machine enabled it to be “banked” more -steeply and consequently brought round on a shorter radius when turning. - -Harry made several circuits of the aerodrome at 500 feet, while -testing the new Sopwith hydro-aeroplane, on the Saturday after Whitsun, -May 17th, 1913, at Brooklands, preparatory to sea tests to be made at -Cowes. On the Sunday, Lieut. Spencer Gray tested the Sopwith Tractor -biplane, and all present were astonished by its remarkable climbing -properties. In a wind of 35 m.p.h., Harry made several solo and -passenger flights. - -Sopwith and Harry were at Cowes during the following week, ending May -24th, testing the new hydro-aeroplane, which exceeded all expectations. -Two more machines were approaching completion at the works, ready to be -despatched to Brooklands for test. - -It was proposed that on Saturday afternoon, May 31st, Hamel, Gordon -Bell, Harry, and other well-known pilots should attempt a British -Altitude Record, and also possibly a World’s Record. Hamel -would fly an 80 h.p. Borel monoplane, Gordon Bell the 120 h.p. -Martin-Handasyde monoplane, and Harry the 80 h.p. Gnome Sopwith Tractor -biplane. The Brooklands Automobile Racing Club offered a prize of £50 -to anyone breaking the existing record of 10,650 feet, which stood to -the credit of G. de Havilland. - -The following extract from the official notices to members of the Royal -Aero Club, issued under date June 7th, 1913, tells its own story: - - “BRITISH HEIGHT RECORD. —The report of the flight made by Mr. - H. G. Hawker at Brooklands on May 31st, 1913, together with barograph - charts, were considered, and it was decided to accept the height - accomplished—viz., 11,450 feet—as a British height record. The - aircraft used on the occasion was a Sopwith Tractor biplane, fitted - with an 80 h.p. Gnome.” - -It is interesting to note that de Havilland’s record flight had -been made with a passenger, and that it still stood as the record -flight for pilot and one passenger. - -Earlier in the day, before essaying to break the height record, Harry -made the initial tests of another Sopwith Tractor biplane, which -proved equal to the prototype. Lieut. Spencer Gray also tested the -machine for the Admiralty. When Harry set out on his record-breaking -flight the wind had dropped and the sky was clear. Weather conditions -were ideal, and the prevailing question was not “Will he break -the record?” but “By how much will he break it?” The -machine used was the one which had made the memorable ascent of 7,500 -feet in 15 minutes, at Hendon, on the Saturday before Whitsun, and was -in view of the onlookers throughout the whole flight. - -The climb to 11,450 feet, which beat the existing record by 950 feet, -occupied 45 minutes, and the gliding descent was accomplished in a -fifth of that time. Harry would have been able to go higher had he not -experienced difficulty in maintaining a good mixture, a circumstance -which culminated in the carburetter freezing and rendered a descent -imperative. On landing he was received with hearty acclamation and -congratulations. With the winning of the previous altitude contest -at Hendon and the Whit-Monday handicap at Brooklands, this flight -constituted the third important success of the particular machine used, -and Mr. Sopwith was congratulated on having such a first-class pilot as -Harry Hawker to demonstrate the wonderful and surprising capabilities -of the new Sopwith products. - -Harry’s height record of May 31st inspired “The -Dreamer” to contribute to _Flight_ the following, published on -June 14th: - - “BRAVO, HAWKER! - - “I wish I could have been at Brooklands to have seen your - smiling face when you came down from your lofty position. Your face - always does me good when I gaze upon it. I suppose you sometimes feel - a bit glum, like the rest of us, but I have never happened to be there - to see it; and this time I am sure it would have acted as a tonic, as - I am just a bit run down at the moment. - - “That you have got a machine that can climb, and that you know - how to handle it, I know. I only wish Brooklands were more get-at-able - so that I could see more of you and the others there....” - -At the week-end aviation meetings at Brooklands free passenger flights -were generally balloted for by the spectators, and Harry frequently -carried the successful participants. - -Fresh from his triumph, Harry was out carrying passengers as usual -on Sunday, June 1st. Once, while he was carrying two passengers, -Gordon Bell was also out flying solo on an identically similar Sopwith -Tractor, thereby enabling comparisons to be made. The general view -was that the machine appeared to climb as well with the passengers as -without them. On descending, Harry announced his intention of making -attempts on the altitude records for one, two, and three passengers. - -In a wind blowing at about 30 miles per hour, Harry was flying the two -Sopwith Tractor biplanes at Brooklands on Sunday, June 8th. Among the -several passengers whom he carried, up to 2,000 feet or more, was his -friend Commander Samson, R.N. - -On the Monday, Harry flew to the Isle of Wight and back, with a Mr. -Boger as passenger. The outward and return journeys occupied 55 minutes -and 50 minutes respectively, and a height of 5,000 feet was maintained. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -AMPHIBIANS—AND MORE HEIGHT RECORDS - - An Amphibian of 1913—Harry Gets up to 13,000 feet with a - Passenger—Several Other Height Records—Three Climbs in One Day—The - Progress of the Sopwith Enterprise—Several Types of Aeroplanes—And - Seaplanes—Harry Wins the Mortimer Singer Prize—And Has Time to - Spare—A Friendly Race with Hamel—A World’s Height Record—A - Cross-Country Race—Preliminaries of the Round-Britain Seaplane - Flight—Conditions Governing the _Daily Mail_ £5,000 Prize. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -The following is extracted from the official notices issued to members -of the Royal Aero Club, under date June 7th, 1913: - - “MORTIMER SINGER £500 PRIZE. - - “Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith is now ready to make the flight for this - prize, and attempts will be made almost immediately. The course is - on the Solent, and the official observers on behalf of the Club are - Lieut. Spencer D. Gray, R.N., and Mr. J. N. Spottiswoode. The aircraft - is a Sopwith Tractor biplane fitted with 100 h.p. Gnome engine. The - pilot is Mr. H. G. Hawker. In this competition, six out and home - flights have to be made on a course from a point on the land to a - point out at sea, not less than five miles distant in a direct line, - but the latter point shall not be less than one mile from any shore. - Alightings have to be made on arrival at each point.” - -In short, Harry had been detailed to carry out pioneer work with -the Amphibian type of aircraft, the initial development of which is -popularly, but erroneously, supposed to have been the outcome of the -prizes offered by the Air Ministry in 1919 for machines of this type. - -Extracts from Royal Aero Club notices to members, under date June 21st, -1913: - - “MORTIMER SINGER £500 PRIZE. - - “Intending competitors are again reminded that this competition - is now open. - - “Mr. H. G. Hawker on a Sopwith biplane has already made one - or two attempts, and will be going again as soon as some minor - alterations to the aircraft have been completed. In giving the - specification of the aircraft used by Mr. Hawker, an error was made - in regard to the motor. The aircraft is fitted with a 100 h.p. - Green.” - - “HEIGHT RECORDS. - - “Mr. H. G. Hawker has been keeping the officials of the Club - fairly busy of late. On Sunday last, with the Sopwith biplane, he - made an attempt on the British Height Record with two passengers. The - record of 8,400 feet stands to the credit of Major E. L. Gerrard, - R.M.L.I. Mr. Hawker, however, managed to top the 8,000 feet but - did not surpass the existing record. The following day, Monday, - with another Sopwith biplane, he set out for the record with one - passenger. The present official record is 10,560 feet, standing to - the credit of Lieut. G. de Havilland. Mr. Hawker, according to the - sealed barograph, attained a height of about 12,000 feet. After about - half an hour’s rest he decided to make another attempt on the - two-passenger record, and on this occasion his barograph recorded - about 10,000 ft. - - The barographs are now being tested, and the figures will be duly - submitted to the Committee of the Club for official recognition. - - It is interesting to note that these three flights by Mr. Hawker were - all made within 24 hours.” - -These altitude flights certainly bore great testimony to Harry’s -characteristic untiring energy. On the 16th, although it was a -sweltering day, Harry, at 7,000 feet, was shivering, and at 12,000 feet -he could scarcely move his limbs, so intense was the cold. With one -passenger he reached 13,400 feet, rather more than the figure stated in -the above notice, and with two passengers 10,800 feet, also exceeding -the figure stated in the official notice. It is a point of interest -that his record flight with one passenger beat his own solo record of -11,450 feet, which he had made on May 31st. - -When Harry made his attempt on June 15th, it was thought he had -broken Major Gerrard’s record for two passengers; and reports -to that effect purported to show that a height of 8,580 feet had been -attained, approximately 180 feet in excess of Major Gerrard’s -performance. Harry’s passengers were Messrs. Dukinfield Jones -and Simms, a young pilot who served in the Sopwith Works. The sky was -absolutely cloudless and throughout the flight the machine was fully in -view of the spectators, who marvelled at its beauty as it turned and -returned with the sun glistening on its light wings. Engine trouble -was responsible for the termination of the attempt, and, on landing, -Harry was received with warm applause. He announced his intention of -making an early attempt on the one-passenger height record (which he -successfully accomplished on the following day, as recorded above). - -A detailed examination of the various official notices and Press -reports relating to the Mortimer Singer Competition points to -considerable doubt having existed among those not actually on the spot -as to the exact type of Sopwith machine employed. While it is true that -in one case the inadvertence in announcing that the engine was a Gnome -instead of a Green was officially acknowledged, in other cases such -expressions as “Sopwith Tractor biplane” were misleading, -in that they gave no indication as to the machine being a flying-boat, -and not fitted with a tractor air-screw at that. While these points -were of no material consequence, they do show the probability of a -wide confusion having existed owing to the great variety of successful -Sopwith machines; and, although it was before the war, the industry -was reaching a state when the various machines could no longer be -counted on the finger-tips. Seeing that Mr. Sopwith himself attributed -the success of his enterprise in no small measure to Harry’s -genius, references to the progress of the Sopwith concern, such as the -foregoing, are not out of place here. - -Of the divers machines under construction at the Sopwith Works during -June may be mentioned a “gun bus” for naval use. This -machine, propelled by two 120 h.p. Austro-Daimler engines, had a span -of 80 feet. Then there were the 100 h.p. Green-engined twin-float -hydro-aeroplane, designed for the _Daily Mail_ Circuit of Great -Britain; and the air-boat which won the Mortimer Singer Competition, -as described above, also engined with the 100 h.p. Green. When this -machine passed its first tests on the sea a wind of 40 miles per -hour was blowing, and the sea was correspondingly rough. The machine -differed from the original “Bat Boat” exhibited at the -Aero Show in the previous February, in that a pair of inclined struts -were introduced between the engine and the fore part of the hull. -So effective was the hull in hydroplaning over the water, that the -front elevator, a feature of the original “Bat Boat,” was -abandoned. - -Then, during the month, a new Sopwith 100 h.p. Anzani-engined tractor -hydro-aeroplane was tested by Harry and handed over to the Admiralty. -The tests were passed very satisfactorily, the machine leaving rough -water almost as quickly as the corresponding land machine left the -ground. A speed of 68 miles per hour was attained, and the machine had -particularly good climbing and alighting qualities. The machine was -badly damaged immediately after being taken over by the Admiralty, a -broken propeller and punctured float being the result of a collision -with a mooring-buoy. The use of ailerons was now standard practice -throughout the whole range of Sopwith machines, warping wings having -been abandoned. - -With such a variety of types, one can easily understand confusion -arising from the circulation of brief reports stating that -“Hawker, on a Sopwith biplane, etc....” As for Harry, he -was obtaining an unique experience in the handling and maintenance of -several types of aeroplanes and engines. - -In June, the Sopwith Aviation Company contemplated acquiring yet -another skating-rink—at Surbiton this time—in order to cope with -increasing orders. Over one hundred hands were now employed over a -floor space of 60,000 square feet. Foreign governments were sending -over deputations, to whom Harry had the responsibility of demonstrating -the airworthiness and efficiency of the Sopwith machines. The Sopwith -Tractor biplanes were particularly in demand. Among the orders executed -by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the summer of 1913 may be -mentioned one of nine 80 h.p. Gnome-engined tractor biplanes for the -Army and two similar machines for the Navy, all of which were tested by -Harry at Brooklands. - -In a Cross-Country Handicap over a 12-mile course in which Harry -competed at Brooklands in June, he was too heavily handicapped to -be any but an “also ran.” The weather was ideal, except -for a slight haze. Flying pupils, who took part in the race as well -as instructors, probably scored advantageously in the handicapping. -Harry’s machine, the Sopwith Tractor, with so many records as -were to its credit, could hardly be expected to escape with a slight -handicap. - -Harry captured the Mortimer Singer prize of £500 on Tuesday, July -8th, 1913, making, without any outside assistance, six out and home -five-mile passenger flights (including a climb of 1,500 feet), -alighting at each turning-point, on land or sea alternately. The -flights were carried out at Southampton Water, on the 100 h.p. Green -Sopwith flying-boat. - -Extract from official notices to members of the Royal Aero Club, issued -under date July 12th, 1913. - - MORTIMER SINGER £500 PRIZE. - - “News has just reached the Club of the success of the Sopwith - Aviation Company in this competition. The pilot was Mr. H. G. Hawker, - on a Sopwith Tractor biplane, fitted with 100 h.p. Green motor. The - flights were made at Cowes on Tuesday afternoon, and the official - observers of the Royal Aero Club were Mr. J. N. Spottiswoode and Mr. - Howard T. Wright. - - “The reports of the observers and barograph charts will be - considered by the Committee of the Club on Tuesday next, and if - everything is in order the prize of £500, kindly presented by Mr. A. - Mortimer Singer, will be awarded.” - -Extract from official notices issued to members of the Royal Aero Club -under date July 19th, 1913. - - “MORTIMER SINGER £500 PRIZE. - - “The £500 prize, kindly put up for competition by Mr. A. - Mortimer Singer, has been awarded to Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, the entrant - of the Sopwith biplane, which successfully accomplished the tests laid - down in the rules. Mr. H. G. Hawker was the pilot of the aircraft, - and the course was from a point on the land off Southampton Water to - a point on the Solent, five miles away. Six out and home flights had - to be made, alighting on arrival at each point. In each flight an - altitude of at least 750 feet had to be attained, and on one occasion - during the tests an altitude of 1,500 feet. The time allowed for the - carrying out of the tests was 5 hours, but Mr. Hawker completed in 3 - hours, 25 minutes. - - “The following is the specification relating to the all-British - aircraft used by Mr. Hawker: - - “Sopwith Biplane. Motor, 100 h.p. Green; Carburetter, Zenith; - Magneto, British Bosch; Sparking-plugs, British Bosch; Propeller, Lang. - - “In addition to the prize of £500 to Mr. Sopwith, Mr. A. - Mortimer Singer is kindly presenting Mr. H. G. Hawker with a - souvenir.” - -The R.Ae.C. notices of July 12th, 1913, also contained the following: - - “DAILY MAIL £5,000 PRIZE: CIRCUIT OF GREAT BRITAIN. - - “The following entry for the _Daily Mail_ £5,000 Prize, Circuit - of Great Britain, has been received: - - The Sopwith Aviation Co. - - “Intending competitors are reminded that the entries close on - July 16th, 1913, at 12 noon.” - -On Saturday, July 13th, 1913, Harry fresh from winning the Mortimer -Singer prize on Tuesday, was out testing a novel but useless idea in -propellers on the Sopwith Tractor at Brooklands. Two penalties of fame -which Harry had to pay on not a few occasions during his career were -posing for photographers and testing inventions for all and sundry. - -After testing a new tractor biplane fitted with ailerons, on Sunday, -the 13th, Harry engaged in a friendly race with Hamel, who was flying a -two-seater Blériot monoplane. Both machines had 80 h.p. Gnome engines. -Although there was some doubt as to who really won the race, that Harry -displayed the superior efficiency of the Sopwith biplane over the -exactly similarly engined monoplane was beyond dispute. - -Harry made a world’s record for height with three passengers -on Sunday, July 27th, 1913, on the 80 h.p. Gnome-engined Sopwith -Tractor biplane. On this occasion the weather was inclined to be hazy, -and in a preliminary test flight Harry lost sight of the aerodrome -at 1,500 feet, but from the ground he was plainly discernible, and -spectators were amused by watching him circling around trying to -find his bearings. Although it was rather windy, he carried one or -two passengers early in the afternoon, and it was shortly after 5 -o’clock, when the wind had dropped somewhat, that he decided -to attempt to break the world’s record for altitude with three -passengers. His passengers, Messrs. Bellew, Jones, and King, were all -of at least average weight. - -A few minutes past six the record-making flight began, and after making -two or three circuits of Brooklands, Harry was out of sight, forcing -his way upwards through clouds at 3,000 feet, At 8,400 feet, having -made a world’s record, and being ignorant of his whereabouts, he -decided to come down, although the machine could have climbed another -2,000 feet with comparative ease. - -On August Bank Holiday, Harry, on an 80 h.p. Gnome-engined Sopwith -Tractor biplane, was one of three competitors who lined up for the -start of an Aeroplane Handicap at Brooklands. The other competitors -were Alcock on the Parsons biplane (70 h.p. Gnome), who had 3 minutes -30 seconds’ start from Harry, and Merriam on a 50 h.p. Bristol -biplane, who has 6 minutes 14 seconds’ start. The start of the -race was delayed through Alcock and Champel, the latter on a biplane -of his own design, coming into collision while “taxi-ing,” -owing to the strong gusty wind which prevailed. The Frenchman’s -biplane was damaged beyond repair in time for the race, but -Alcock’s machine only required a new propeller, which was fitted -in the space of ten minutes or so. - -Fate, however, was sadly opposed to Alcock, for during the first -circuit he was obliged, through defective aileron controls, to land -in a neighbouring field, where, owing to the roughness of the ground, -his machine turned a complete somersault. He was unhurt, and having -regard to the nature of the crash, the damage, consisting of a broken -propeller and a broken chassis strut, was very slight. As I write, I -recall a discussion that once took place on the subject of the life of -a propeller, and this case of two propellers being annihilated within -an interval of a few minutes after one had replaced another on the same -machine seems significantly applicable. - -After an exciting race, Merriam and Harry completed the course, the -latter winning by 45 seconds. - -In the intervening days prior to August 16th, Harry was more or less -fully occupied in making preparations for the classic _Daily Mail_ -Seaplane Circuit of Britain. On August 7th, 1913, with the whole -aeronautical fraternity, he shared profound grief at the death of S. -F. Cody—the hardest blow that British aviation had ever received. -Although Brooklands was fairly busy while Harry was away in the -seaplane race, the activities at the Sopwith sheds were to all intents -and purposes nil. The attention of everyone connected with the concern -was turned to his flight and doing everything possible to make its -outcome successful. - -Entries for the _Daily Mail_ Seaplane Race were timed to close on -Wednesday, July 16th, 1913, and after that date until August 1st late -entries were accepted at an increased fee of £150. When the list -finally closed the entrants were: T. O. M. Sopwith, S. F. Cody, James -Radley, and F. K. McClean. Cruel fate eliminated poor Cody on August -7th. Radley, who, with Gordon England, was experimenting with a large -and ingeniously-contrived seaplane propelled by three Gnome engines -arranged in tandem, withdrew from the race, presumably because his -machine was purely in experimental stages. McClean, who had entered a -machine bearing the famous British hall-mark of Short Brothers, was -dogged by ill-luck through engine trouble and never made a start, -although no effort was spared in trying to get the machine in tune for -the long flight. In the end, only Harry and his faithful mechanic and -compatriot, Kauper, were left to try and win that £5,000 so generously -offered by the _Daily Mail_, and, what was probably more important, to -put up an interesting show and draw widespread public opinion to the -importance of Britain acquiring and maintaining an aerial prestige akin -to her maritime traditions. - -The competition opened on August 16th, 1913, and within 72 -consecutive hours competitors had to fly over a circuit of 1,540 -miles, starting and finishing on Southampton Water, _via_ Ramsgate, -Yarmouth, Scarborough, Aberdeen, Oban, Dublin, and Falmouth, -landing in prescribed areas on the sea at each of these points, or -“controls,” for the purposes of identification. The -competition was conducted for the proprietors of the _Daily Mail_ -under the auspices of the Royal Aero Club, whose organisation of the -contest was most thorough and effective. The competition was open for -a fortnight. In other words, competitors could attempt the flight in -any 72 consecutive hours between August 16th (6 a.m.) and August 30th -(6 p.m.) inclusive, no flying taking place on Sundays, which would not -be included in the time limit. Thus competitors could fly on Saturday, -rest on Sunday, and finish on Monday and Tuesday. The entrant and -pilot, or pilots, were required to be of British nationality and duly -entered on the Competitors’ Register of the Royal Aero Club, -pilots having to be holders of an aviator’s certificate issued -by the Royal Aero Club or other club affiliated to the Federation -Aeronautique Internationale. A passenger had to be carried throughout -the flights, and the combined weight of the pilot and passenger must -not be less than 264 lbs., any deficiency in this respect being made up -by means of ballast, such as bags of sand. Entrants were permitted to -change the pilots or passengers during the contest. - -The complete aircraft and all its component parts, including the -motor, had to be constructed within the confines of the British -Empire, although this provision need not apply to raw material or the -magneto. Entries nominally closed on July 16th, one month before the -date appointed for the start of the competition. The entrance fee was -£100. Late entries could be made up to August 1st at an increased fee, -as mentioned above. No part of the entrance fees was required by the -_Daily Mail_, all amounts received being applied towards payment of -the expenses of the Royal Aero Club in conducting the competition, any -balance not so expended being returnable to the entrants after the -competition. - -Competing machines had to remain for one hour in each of the controls, -and during the first half-hour of each such “rest” had -to be entirely at the disposal of the Royal Aero Club officials for -examination. During the second half-hour replenishments of fuel and -repairs could be made. These periods of one hour at each of the control -points _en route_ were not counted within the prescribed 72 hours. -Any number of starts could be made from the official starting-line at -Southampton Water, under the supervision of the responsible officials. - -Stoppages between the controls were not against the rules, but all -alightings had to be effected on the sea, an inlet of the sea, an -estuary, or a harbour. There was, therefore, no special scope for -amphibians in this competition, as an alighting on land or inland water -was deemed a disqualification. Alightings on the Caledonian Canal and -towing anywhere were not prohibited, but the finishing-line had to be -crossed in flight. The short time limit of 72 hours did not permit one -deliberately to take advantage of this concession by covering the whole -course in tow! Individual replacements and repairs to the aeroplane -and engine could be made _en route_, but neither could be changed as -a whole. To make such repairs and replacements, the machine could be -taken ashore, but all the time so expended, outside the half-hour -allowed at the controls, counted as flying time. Five parts of the -aeroplane and five parts of the motor were officially sealed, and -at least two such seals of each five had to be intact on arrival at -each control. The machine had to be delivered completely erected at a -place appointed by the Royal Aero Club at Southampton, and handed over -for the purpose of being marked and sealed, at least 24 hours before -a start was to be made. No marks or seals were to be made after the -original marking made preparatory to an attempt. Each competitor was -supplied with a time-card, or “pay-bill,” which had to -be signed by the responsible official of the Royal Aero Club at each -control, and competitors were held solely responsible for the safe -custody of this card. - -Competitors were required to be equipped with lifebelts or other -appliances for keeping afloat. One useful provision made by the Royal -Aero Club was free shed accommodation at the starting-point from one -week prior to the opening of the competition until the closing date. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -FIRST ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN - - The Task of the Flight Round Britain—And the Machine for the - Job—Public Interest in the Pilot—“Good Luck!”—The Night - Before the Start—A Mayor’s Early Call—And the Sequel—The - Scene at the Start—To Ramsgate at Sixty Miles per Hour—An Aerial - Escort—The Ramsgate Cup—Fog in the Thames Mouth—To Yarmouth in Next - to No Time—Harry Collapses—Pickles Relieves Him—And Meets with - Misfortune—Starting All Over Again. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Before the start of the Seaplane Circuit of Britain considerable doubt -was expressed as to whether or not the competitors would be able to -complete the course in the 72 hours allowed. That the task would not be -easy was gauged from the fact that an air route following a coast-line -is by no means a desirable one, seeing that fog is apt to congregate -there, and the proximity of cliffs promotes a tiresome, and perhaps -treacherous, “bumpiness” in the air. In these respects the -essaying of a flight of 1,500 miles round the coast probably involved -a more severe trial of pilot and machine than a flight across the -Atlantic Ocean. - -That recreative contributor, “The Dreamer,” in _Flight_, -July 26th, 1913, wrote: - - “As the time for the start of the Round Britain race draws - near, I am given to wondering what the result will be: whether any - one of the four pilots who have entered will get through within the - time. It is possible, of course, that one or even more may do so, but - it is to be a great fight and the adventures are likely to be many - and varied. Flying has progressed considerably since the last circuit - of Britain, and taking into consideration the long-distance flights - now made almost weekly, it would hardly be safe to prophesy entire - failure. However, to take an aeroplane round the coast of England - and Scotland, with a call at Ireland, is no child’s play, and - should luck be against our brave pilots and they fail to complete the - course in the time allowed, or even do not get round at all, they - will yet have done an infinite amount of good to aviation. The mere - fact that they have entered at all, and that they have faith in the - machines they fly to accomplish such a journey, is most praiseworthy, - especially when it is borne in mind that at least three out of the - four are flying machines of their own design and construction, and the - fourth, although he cannot quite be bracketed in these conditions, - has a very high place in the realms of aviation. The more so, that he - is an amateur enthusiast first and last. Given suitable weather, I - should not be greatly surprised, and should be immensely pleased, to - hear that all four had completed the course. Should any one of them - manage it in the stipulated time, aviation, including the building of - English engines, should receive a fillip the value of which is almost - incalculable. Messrs. McClean—Cody—Sopwith—Radley, here’s - good luck to you; your pluck is appreciated in the whole world of - aviation.” - -The machine which Harry piloted in the Round-Britain Seaplane Circuit -was of the tractor type. Indeed, its design and construction followed -the lines of the standard 80 h.p. Gnome-engined tractor biplane which -had been doing so well previously, necessary modifications being -introduced to suit the 100 h.p. Green engine and floats provided in -place of the land chassis. These modifications gave the fuselage, -or body of the machine, a more tapered nose than the land machine -and perhaps a prettier appearance. It was the success of his tractor -biplanes that prompted Sopwith to enter a machine of this type in -preference to one of his Bat Boats. Kauper’s seat was in front -of Harry’s, and the control was by a wheel mounted on the -“joy-stick,” rotation of the wheel operating the ailerons, -or lateral balancers, and a fore-and-aft movement of the lever working -the elevator. The rudder was operated by the orthodox foot-bar. The -petrol-and oil-tanks, each holding 45 and 10 gallons respectively, were -installed under the passenger’s seat about the centre of gravity, -so that as the fuel and oil was consumed Harry felt no extra strain -on the controls, which would have been the case had the machine not -been so balanced. By kind permission of the proprietors of _Flight_ I -am able to reproduce the following from a description of the machine, -which appeared in their journal on August 16th, 1913. - -“Having already achieved such remarkable success with his -tractor-type land machine, Mr. Sopwith decided to enter a biplane of -this type, fitted, of course, with floats instead of wheels, for the -_Daily Mail_ Race Round Britain, in preference to one of the Bat Boat -type, and, in consideration of the large open stretches of sea which -have to be negotiated, we are inclined to think that he has chosen -wisely. - -“In its general outlines, this machine possesses the same smart, -business-looking appearance which characterises the land machines, -further enhanced, perhaps, by the tapering nose of the fuselage, -allowed of by the installation of a 100 h.p. six-cylinder vertical -type British Green engine, instead of the 80 h.p. Gnome motor with -which the land machines are usually fitted. The fuselage, which is of -rectangular section, is built up in the usual way of four longerons of -ash, connected by struts and cross-members. In the rear part of the -body these are made of spruce, while in front, where the weight of the -pilot, passenger, and engine is concentrated, and where, therefore, -greater strength is required, these members are made of ash. The -main planes, which are very strongly built over main spars of solid -spruce of I section, are slightly staggered, and are also set at a -dihedral angle in order to give the machine a certain amount of lateral -stability. From a point just behind the pilot’s seat back to the -rudder-post the fuselage is covered in with fabric, whilst the front -portion is covered with aluminium, forming on top of the nose of the -fuselage a very neat and cleanly designed cover over the motor.... - -“The main floats, which have been built by the Sopwith Aviation -Company, are of the single-step type and are built up of a framework -of ash and spruce covered with a double skin of cedar. Two bulkheads -divide the floats into three watertight compartments, so that should a -float become damaged, causing one compartment to leak, the other two -would still have sufficient buoyancy to prevent the float from sinking -very deeply into the water. Two pairs of inverted V struts connect each -float with a lower main plane, while another pair of struts running to -the front part of the fuselage help to take the weight of the engine. -Spruce is the material used for chassis as well as plane-struts, the -latter being hollowed out for lightness. - -“Inside the comparatively deep fuselage, where ample protection -against the wind is afforded to pilot and passenger, are the two seats, -arranged tandem fashion, the pilot occupying the rear seat. In front of -him are the controls, which consist of a rotatable hand-wheel, mounted -on a single central tubular column. Rotation of the wheel operates the -ailerons, which are fitted to both top and bottom planes, and which are -interconnected. A fore-and-aft movement operates the elevator, while -a foot-bar actuates the rudder. It should be noticed that the control -cables are only exposed to the effects of the air and salt water for a -very short length, the elevator cables entering the body just in front -of the fixed tail-plane and the rudder cables a couple of feet from -the rudder-post. The engine is supplied with petrol and oil from tanks -situated under the passenger’s seat, the capacity of the tanks -being 45 gallons and 10 gallons respectively. - -“For the purpose of easy egress in case of a smash, the centre -portion of the top plane has been left uncovered. In order to minimise -end losses due to the air leaking out of the opening thus produced, -what might be called baffle-plates have been fitted to the inner ends -of the wing. These baffle-plates have been made streamline in section, -as it was found that an ordinary thin board would bend owing to the -pressure of the air trying to escape past it. With full load of fuel -and passengers on board the weight of the machine is 2,400 lbs., and -her flying speed is 60 to 65 m.p.h.” - - * * * * * - -Before the start of the Round-Britain Seaplane Circuit Harry was -inundated with messages from unknown correspondents, and, in order to -be spared the attentions of the public, he stayed aboard a yacht while -not tending his machine. - -As a starting and finishing base for the Seaplane Circuit, the Royal -Motor Yacht Club very kindly lent to the Royal Aero Club their floating -club-house, the _Enchantress_. Among those on board on the occasion -of the start were Sir Thomas Lipton, Colonel Holden, C.B., Commander -Cummings, Major Lindsay Lloyd, Major Stephens (secretary of the Royal -Motor Yacht Club), Captain Robinson, the Mayor of Southampton, the -Sheriff of Southampton, Mr. and Mrs. James Valentine, Mr. W. B. R. -Moorhouse, Mr. J. H. Ledeboer, Mr. Thomas Marlowe (Editor of the -_Daily Mail_), Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, and Mr. Harold E. Perrin (secretary -of the Royal Aero Club). Prior to the race, Harry’s machine -was stationed on the Medina River at Ryde, where on Friday the 15th, -the day before the race, the officials proceeded to mark the various -components of the aeroplane in due accordance with the rules of the -competition. - -The intensity of the interest aroused by the Round-Britain Seaplane -Race may be gauged by the fact that on the morning before the start of -the competition the passengers on one of the Cowes-Portsmouth steamers -loudly cheered, and cried “Good luck!” to Mr. Sopwith -as they passed him on his yacht _Ceto_, which was anchored near the -_Enchantress_. In an aside to a friend while acknowledging the cheers, -Mr. Sopwith said he only hoped no one would wish Harry good luck. Every -time he had done that during the Mortimer-Singer Competition he had -failed. The last time he had not done it, and Harry won. In none of the -big things which Harry had done had he received a good wish from him. - -Harry and Mr. Sopwith had a big talk at the hangar before parting on -Friday night, and one read in the newspaper on Saturday morning of -“the owner giving his jockey the last instructions.” - -Hopes were particularly high in the Sopwith bunks on Friday night when -a fresh southerly breeze sprang up, for it was realised that such a -wind on the morrow would greatly help Harry after he had passed Dover. -But the glass remained high. Fog would be the greatest danger, and if -only sufficient wind would rise to blow it away, all would be well. - -The race was originally scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. on Saturday -morning, August 16th, but late on Friday night the start had to be -postponed until after 10 a.m., as it was found that the shed in which -the machine was housed made it practically impossible for the machine -to be launched until high tide. It was hoped, too, that the delay would -enable McClean to bring his Short machine along in time to start with -Harry and provide the added excitement of a neck-to-neck race. Those -who were privileged to enjoy the hospitality of the _Enchantress_ -overnight were delighted with the prospect of a good night’s rest -without the necessity of breakfasting at an unearthly hour in time to -witness a 6 a.m. start. - -Nevertheless, at 5 a.m. one heard voices diligently enquiring for Mr. -Perrin, the secretary of the Royal Aero Club, and a general commotion -and clamour seemed to be in progress on the gangways and in the -corridors outside the cabins. A little bird told that the Mayor of -Southampton, who through having retired early had not received notice -of the postponement of the start, announced late on Friday night, -came on board the _Enchantress_ before 6 a.m. in full regalia, to -be greeted by the secretary of the Royal Aero Club clad in plebeian -pyjamas. The outcome of all this was that most people got up and had -a 6.30 “brekker,” while a Sopwith Bat Boat and a Borel -hydro-monoplane, carrying out evolutions in naval hands, relieved to -some extent the monotony of the few hours pending the time when Harry -would be ready to start. The water was remarkably calm and the day -bright and sunny. Any wind that was rising came from the south, and -would obviously be an aid to Harry in traversing the East Coast. - -At about 11.30 Harry arrived on the scene with his machine, and landed -a considerable distance from the _Enchantress_, about midway between it -and the shore. A medley of racing yachts, motor-boats, steamers, and -boats put out to meet him, and after about ten minutes these were seen -to draw away—a sign that Harry was about to start. - -The scene as Harry and Kauper were starting up their engine was -inspiriting. The sunlight dancing on the water, the throngs lining -the Netley shore, the countless mastheads with their pennants, all -combined to make a charming spectacle. From 5 a.m. thousands of people -had been lining the shore and sojourning in boats to see the flight -begin. Just before the start, Mr. Sopwith, Mr. Perrin, and other -officials gave Harry his final instructions from a motor-boat. With -a “Right—thanks!” Harry put in his breast-pocket the -official landing-cards handed up to him by Mr. Perrin. Somebody in a -yacht cried out, “Good-bye, Hawker! Good luck!” which must -have moved Mr. Sopwith to tears if he heard it. - -At 11.47 a.m. on Saturday, August 16th, 1913, Harry rose from -Southampton Water, and after disappearing from sight past Calshot and -passing over the Solent, he sped off for the open sea. Before most -people had realised that a great attempt to defeat the elements had -begun, he was out of sight. - -A very true description of the start was given by Mr. H. Hamilton Fyfe -of the _Daily Mail_, in which he said: - - “The morning was perfect. The sunshine made the landscape - glitter in a warm glory of light. The southerly breeze tickled the - surface of the water into sparkling ripples—the ‘smiles - without number’ of summer. A wind had come up out of the sea - and said, ‘Oh, mist, make room for me!’ The coast-line - was clear. The Isle of Wight shimmered well within view. This had - been the weather from the early hours, and it was a great pity the - intention to leave at six was not carried out—a pity I mean from Mr. - Hawker’s point of view. The delay was by everyone else hailed - with joy. ‘Oh, it’s nice to be up in the morning, but - it’s nicer to stay in your bed,’ sang Sir Thomas Lipton, - quoting Mr. Harry Lauder’s song, and everyone sat up later than - usual because there was no need to cut short the hours of bed. - - “The reason for the delay was twofold. At the last moment the - compass in the machine was found to need adjusting, and also it would - have been necessary to put the waterplane into the Medina River from - its shed between 1 and 2 a.m. ‘I need a good night’s rest - before I start,’ Mr. Hawker pleaded, and so it was settled - that he should wait for another tide. The telephone was kept busy - announcing the postponement, but unfortunately there were many people - who could not possibly hear of it. - - “As soon as Mr. Hawker dropped into the water between the - _Enchantress_ and the shore, Mr. Perrin went out to give him a copy - of the final rules and regulations and to take the exact time of his - start. The pilot and his passenger, young Kauper, had no elaborate - flying-suits on. Their coats and caps were of rough waterproof - canvas, but they wore their ordinary trousers and boots. They might - have been doing an everyday practice flight. ‘Have you got any - grub with you?’ I asked them. ‘No,’ they said. - ‘Can’t be bothered. We’ll get it at the stopping - places.’ - - “Nothing in their manner, save a little suppressed excitement, - betrayed by a slight huskiness of voice, suggested that they were - starting on an attempt to fly 1,600 miles over sea almost straight on - end. I suppose the thought, ‘How foolish and unnecessary,’ - was in the Oriental minds of a party of lascars in a launch who were - being taken up to Southampton from the troopship _Rohilla_ lying close - by. They hung over the side to see as much as they could of this - latest invention of the ‘white mad folk,’ but I know every - English man and woman there heartily admired the two Australian boys - for their nerve and skill. - - - “A GREAT DAY. - - “As they made their last preparations I saw as in a moving - picture kaleidoscope the scenes of the starts in earlier _Daily Mail_ - flying contests. I saw Louis Blériot in the field behind the beach at - Baraques, near Calais, setting off at sunrise across the Channel and - asking just before he started, ‘Where is Dover?’ I saw - Grahame-White pelting off from Wormwood Scrubbs at six o’clock - in the evening and vainly chasing Paulhan, who had got away from - Hendon an hour before. I saw Brooklands in that hot afternoon when one - after another the machines entered for the Circuit of Britain rose and - sailed away to the delight and amazement of the huge crowd. - - “The actual letting go was unemotional. Ours was the only boat - close by. There was a clear path for the start. The crowds were too - far away to cheer. Exactly at 11.47 the motor began its rattling din - and the machine moved off without difficulty, foamed along over the - water, and leapt suddenly into the air. Gradually, as he went down - towards the Solent, Mr. Hawker climbed up to a good height. He was - watched with intense sympathy until he disappeared into the sky. Then - everyone heaved a deep sigh of satisfaction and said, ‘Well, it - has been a great day.’” - - “The two naval airmen, Lieutenant Travers and Lieutenant Spencer - Gray, were to have convoyed him as far as Ramsgate, but to the grim - amusement of Mr. Green, inventor of the air motor used by Mr. Hawker, - and of Mr. Fred May, managing director of the company, both their - foreign engines had broken down. The Gnome in the Borel machine was - repaired by the afternoon, but the Austro-Daimler in the ‘Bat - Boat’ had something seriously wrong with it, and Lieutenant - Spencer Gray had to tow his waterplane to Calshot as evening - fell.” - -Seen from the _Enchantress_, Harry’s machine appeared to the -special correspondent of the _Daily Mirror_ as a big dragon-fly chased -by a crowd of angry little water-beetles. At times it seemed that the -“beetles,” sending up clouds of spray, would overtake their -quarry, but the “dragon-fly” shot ahead desperately; and -suddenly, as though it had just found the use of its wings, leapt out -of the water and soared up gloriously into the air. The motor-boats -snorted and grunted at this sudden manœuvre, slowed down their engines -and abandoned the chase! - -The first stretch to Ramsgate was 144 miles; the next to Yarmouth 96 -miles; and the third to Scarborough 150 miles. To have any reasonable -chance of completing the whole course in the appointed 72 hours, Harry -realised that he would have to get at least as far as Scarborough -on the first day. His delay in starting after 10 a.m. was due to -difficulty in adjusting the compass, which had to be done, as he would -require it in negotiating the mist and fog hanging about the Solent -and the Thames Estuary. Assuming that he would reach Scarborough on -Saturday, he expected to cover the 446 miles from there to Oban on -Monday; on Tuesday he would make Dublin, 222 miles distant from Oban, -and proceed on to Falmouth, a further 280 miles, leaving the final -stretch from there to Southampton to be completed on Wednesday, on -which day his time would be up at 4 p.m. - -Having reached the open sea, Harry, keeping well out from the land and -maintaining a steady height of about 1,000 feet, followed the South -Coast, and was seen by numerous holiday folk at Brighton, Eastbourne, -Folkestone, and Dover, which he passed in good time. - -After rounding the corner of England he was assisted by the light -southerly wind. The first control, Ramsgate, 144 miles from the start, -was reached at 2.11 p.m., an average speed of 60 miles per hour having -been kept up. While passing Margate, Harry saw a Blériot monoplane -rising to greet him. This was M. Salmet, who was giving exhibition -flights at Margate. Harry and Kauper enjoyed his company for a few -minutes while he flew along beside them. On arriving at Ramsgate, -they were welcomed by the Mayor (Alderman Glyn) and members of the -Corporation, the Mayor, speaking through a megaphone, announcing that -they had won the Cup offered by the townspeople to the first competitor -arriving at Ramsgate. Ramsgate was _en fête_ with much bunting, and -crowds were there from Deal, Dover, Broadstairs, Margate, Canterbury, -Whitstable, and all the villages for miles around, thronging the -shore, piers, harbour, and every point of vantage. Local coastguards -acted as patrols in two motor-boats, to keep the official control area -clear. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Ramsden Tagore, members of the Royal Temple -Yacht Club, lent their craft to the Royal Aero Club. At 3.20, the Aero -Club officials having inspected the machine and handed to him a clean -waybill with which to proceed, Harry started his engine and began the -second stage to Yarmouth. Crossing the mouth of the Thames, he was -unable to see either bank owing to the fog, and, steering by compass, -he proceeded northward, afterwards passing Walton-on-the-Naze and -Clacton, at which places holiday crowds enjoyed a passing glimpse of -the machine in the distance, flying strongly. - -Those who have made the tedious journey by steamboat from Yarmouth -to London, taking the greater part of the day, will particularly -appreciate the marvel of travelling all along the coast-line from -Southampton to Yarmouth in less than five hours, including a rest of -one hour at Ramsgate. At Yarmouth Harry and Kauper were received with -an enthusiastic welcome at 4.38 p.m. At the time of landing, Harry -was feeling quite fit, but soon after he had been rowed ashore he -collapsed. He had been troubled by the gases escaping from the rather -short exhaust-pipe, and this, coupled with the fact that, as Kauper -reported, the sun had been very trying, and Harry had not worn any -goggles, led to the case being diagnosed as sunstroke aggravated by the -conditions under which he had been flying. I am inclined to think that -his actual breakdown was completed by the change of conditions from -piloting the seaplane to being rowed ashore in a small boat, and it was -a lucky circumstance that this temporary breakdown was not deferred -until he had taken the air again. - -The following communication from a special correspondent of the -_Evening News_, published on Monday, August 18th, 1913, sheds some -light on the circumstances: - - “YARMOUTH, _Monday_. - - “The hope expressed by Mr. Sopwith that Mr. Hawker may have - recovered sufficiently to make a fresh start from Southampton this - week is based on the opinion of the doctor attending the airman. His - view is that Mr. Hawker should be quite fit again in a couple of days. - - “The doctor tells me that no specific cause can be assigned as - the reason of the airman’s breakdown. - - “It is, he says, a general accumulation of nerve strain, lack of - rest, and, on top of it all, Saturday’s hot sun. - - “Mr. Hawker’s breakdown was most dramatic. When the - machine came to rest on the water he hopped out of the seat, and, - standing on the floats, was active in directing the disposition of the - machine. - - “‘Be ready to fill her up,’ were his words on - leaving her. - - “I walked up the beach with him to the officers’ quarters. - ‘Fit as a fiddle,’ was his own phrase, and though grimy - and travel-stained, he looked fit. - - “Suddenly a change occurred. He passed his hand wearily over his - eyes, and his whole complexion changed. - - “The room was speedily cleared, a draught was administered by - the doctor, and a cold compress applied to the forehead, but it was - apparent to onlookers that he could not possibly go on. - - “Indeed, Lieutenant Gregory tells me that had Mr. Hawker essayed - to do so he should have put his official veto on the attempt.” - -The fact that Yarmouth was one of the controls proved to be one of -the big local attractions of the season, and people flocked in from -all parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. Lieutenant Gregory, R.N., who was -in charge of the East Coast Naval Air Stations, spared no pains in -perfecting the local organisation. The control area was a triangle, of -which the apex was the familiar lightship which faced the Naval Air -Station. The Mayor of Yarmouth, Mr. Westmacott, personally assumed -responsibility for keeping the control area free from intruding boats. - -When they landed, Harry and Kauper were very deaf from the incessant -roar of the engine during the flight, and their friends had to shout -their loudest to make themselves heard. - -As soon as it was found to be out of the question for Harry to proceed -with the flight, Mr. Sopwith at once took steps to find a pilot to -assume control of the machine and carry on the work which Harry had so -well begun. Through the kindness and sportsmanship of Messrs. Short -Brothers, he was able to engage the services of their pilot, Mr. Sydney -Pickles—like Harry, an Australian. The _Daily Mail_ not expecting -pilots to fly on Sunday was a fortunate circumstance which gave Mr. -Sopwith all the time needed to get Mr. Pickles on the scene by Monday -morning without sacrificing flying time or having his new pilot tired -out before the start. - -At 5.30 a.m. Pickles with Kauper made a determined effort to get away, -but the sea was too rough, and there was nothing to do but switch off -the engine and be taken in tow. This was just as well, as subsequent -reports showed that much rougher seas were running at Scarborough, the -next control, where the buoys marking the official control area were -washed away. - -But troubles were by no means at an end when Pickles switched off -and waited for help. Propelled by a strong north-easterly wind, the -machine drifted southward from a point north-east of the St. Nicholas -Lightship, past the harbour entrance, down to Gorleston Bay, where, -after being taken in tow by a rowing-boat, the machine was beached. An -examination of the machine as it lay on the shore at Gorleston showed -that, in spite of the buffeting it had received, very little damage had -occurred. The elevator and one of the floats were damaged. As Mr. F. -Sigrist, the works manager of the Sopwith Aviation Company, said at the -time, the incessant bump of the water, which was on that morning about -as soft as concrete, was sufficient completely to break up a good many -machines. - -After breakfast Mr. Sopwith, Mr. Sigrist, Mr. Pickles, and Lieutenant -Gregory held a conference, principally to decide whether or not -the machine should be sent back to Southampton by air. After much -discussion, which resulted in such a division of opinion that the -toss of a coin was resorted to as the deciding factor, the machine -was dismantled and sent back to Cowes by rail to be ready for a -second attempt. The railway companies were very obliging in providing -facilities for rapidly transporting the machine in time for it to be -re-erected and to make a fresh start to accomplish the whole circuit -before the close of the competition. One cannot help expressing -sympathy for Mr. Pickles in being robbed by a heavy sea of his eleventh -hour opportunity of participating in the flight. - -In the meantime, Messrs. Short Brothers and Frank McClean, with the -assistance of Mr. Fred May, of the Green Engine Company, got their -machine into serviceable trim, and hoped to fly to Southampton on the -following Thursday evening, to be in readiness to make a start on the -Friday, but owing to radiator troubles they were forced eventually to -abandon the contest. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN - - Harry Recovers—And Takes Charge Again—An Early Start—Almost Unseen - by the Starter—Thick Fog—Behind Time at Ramsgate—An Explosion—A - Favourable Breeze—But Bumpy Air off Cromer—Scarborough—A - Forced Landing—Five Hundred Miles in a Day—Resting at Beadnell - Overnight—The Second Day—A Spiral Glide at Aberdeen—A Terrible - Journey to Oban—The Third Day—A Water-Logged Float—Another Forced - Landing—Ireland—“A Piece of Ghastly Bad Luck”—Kauper - Goes to Hospital. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -By Thursday, August 21st, 1913, Harry had made good progress towards -recovery, and expected to be ready to make a second attempt on -Saturday, August 23rd, exactly a week after his first effort. Pickles -held himself in readiness in case Harry should still be unable to -proceed. However, by Monday morning, the 25th, Harry had completely -recovered from the effects of sunstroke and the exhaust gases, and a -start was made at 5.30 a.m. - -Public interest was not lacking through his being the only competitor. -As a matter of fact, the previous failure served to enhance the -appreciation of the difficulties with which the aviator had to contend -on such a journey. The physical trial was dramatically revealed -through the pilot’s collapse at Yarmouth on August 16th, and -in the second attempt a special sporting touch was introduced by the -doubtful possibility of his getting further or not so far, which more -than compensated for the absence of other competitors to provide a -neck-to-neck race. - -Harry tested the machine on Saturday the 23rd, and was well satisfied -with everything. The engine had been muffled by the fitting of a longer -exhaust-pipe. Although at dawn on Monday the atmosphere was bright -and clear, a thick mist rolled up, and as Harry, this time making a -flying start, passed above the starting-line punctually at 5.30 a.m., -only a fleeting glimpse of the machine was enjoyed by those aboard the -_Enchantress_, as she sped overhead. - -Nevertheless, in the Solent Harry found the weather clearer than on -the other occasion, but in the Channel he met with a good deal of -fog and had to rely on his compass several times while skirting the -South Coast. He was wearing helmet and goggles and running no risk of -sunstroke this time. Seeing that he and Kauper had been over this -stage of the course only a week before, he hoped they would reach -Ramsgate in slightly better time, but the fog was against them, and it -was not until 8.08 a.m. that they alighted at Ramsgate, having taken -159 minutes from Southampton, or 15 minutes longer than when they made -their first attempt. They expected to sacrifice a little speed through -the provision of the longer exhaust-pipe, which would offer a slight -additional resistance to the free passage of the burnt gases from the -engine. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_J. Cecil Gould, Weybridge._ - -THE SOPWITH DOLPHIN, PUT THROUGH ITS INITIAL TESTS BY HARRY. - _Facing p. 94._ -] - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_J. Cecil Gould, Weybridge._ - -THE SOPWITH CAMEL—A WORLD-FAMOUS FIGHTING BIPLANE. HUNDREDS OF -MACHINES OF THIS TYPE WERE TESTED BY HARRY DURING THE WAR. - _Facing p. 94._ -] - -Exactly one hour afterwards Harry started for Yarmouth. Between -Ramsgate and Southwold they were practically out of sight of land all -the time, so dense was the fog. A curious incident, which happily -had no serious consequences, befell them while they were crossing -the Thames mouth. Kauper accidentally switched off the engine. -His switching on again was accompanied by a loud explosion in the -streamlined exhaust-pipe, due to the unburnt charge taking fire. -The pipe was deformed from a streamlined to a circular section, but -otherwise no damage was done, and there was no necessity to alight. -Kauper felt the effects of the exhaust gases a little, but Harry was as -fit as a fiddle. - -Yarmouth was reached at 10.36 a.m., the 96 miles from Ramsgate having -been traversed in 1 hour 28 minutes through the aid of a southerly -breeze. Mooring their machine, Harry and Kauper went on board the boat -of an Australian friend, Mr. A. Williamson, where a short rest and a -meal were enjoyed. Before leaving, they were presented with a sprig -of Australian eucalyptus as a memento. Kauper was feeling the strain -of the flight, but not severely enough to prevent his proceeding. The -official inspection had been completed quickly, but one or two minor -adjustments necessitated their spending a whole hour at Yarmouth. - -At 11.44 they were well under way for Scarborough, 150 miles distant. -There was still much fog about, and off Cromer the air was particularly -bumpy. After relying on the compass during the greater part of the -journey, and flying at a steady height of 1,000 feet, they reached -Scarborough at 2.42. The town was crowded with people, who had -flocked from neighbouring districts to see the wonderful sea-bird, -and, if possible, its personnel. But of course Harry did not venture -ashore. He rested awhile aboard Mr. W. Jackson’s yacht _Naida_. -Arrangements had been made here for illuminated boats to be moored -at the control area in the form of a triangle in case Harry should -have arrived in the dark. The next stage to Aberdeen being 218 miles, -Harry decided he would stop at Berwick to take in some petrol. At four -o’clock the several boats, that had been attracted to the machine -with almost magnetic precision, were cleared away, and at 4.22 Harry -took leave of Scarborough. - -After about an hour and a quarter it was found necessary to descend -at Seaham Harbour, owing to a water-pipe springing a leak owing to -the heat of an exhaust-pipe causing fusion of a rubber connection. -Having repaired the trouble and refilled the radiator, Harry started -again at 6.40 after a delay of 65 minutes. Exactly one hour later the -same trouble showed again, and he was obliged to descend at Beadnell, -20 miles south of Berwick. He had piloted the machine over 495 miles -during the day at an average flying speed of over 53 miles per hour, -and had been on the go for more than 14 hours. It was almost too dark -to see the compass, the air was very bumpy, and the engine inclined -to misfire. Harry and Kauper therefore agreed to stay overnight at -Beadnell and get going at 5 a.m. on the morrow. Nothing was wrong with -the engine, and the water connection was effectively repaired. - -On Tuesday morning Beadnell was left at 8.5 and 20 minutes later -Harry passed Berwick. At 9.55 a stop was made at Montrose for the -purpose of taking in water and making a few adjustments. After half an -hour’s spell they set out for Aberdeen, the next control after -Scarborough, which was reached at 10.58. They came down from 1,500 feet -in a spiral glide. Both Harry and Kauper felt very fit after their -night’s rest at Beadnell, and the fine weather prevailing gave -them an additional stimulus to renewed efforts. At 11.52 they set out -for Cromarty, the next control, 134 miles away. Near there the air -was exceptionally rough, but an otherwise good passage was made in 2 -hours 13 minutes. At this point let us leave the itinerary for a while -to enjoy further comments of “The Dreamer,” which were -published in _Flight_ on August 30th, 1913: - - “THE SOPWITH-HAWKER-GREEN COMBINATION. - - “I really cannot let this issue go to press without having a - word to say about the topic which is on everybody’s lips: the - race round Britain. At the time of writing, H. G. Hawker has only - reached Cromarty. I say ‘only,’ with regard to the full - distance to be covered, and not as meaning I had expected him to - have got further; and what a magnificent flight! Southampton to near - Berwick in a single day! I wonder what some of those who lived during - the old coaching days would think could they know of the advance in - modern travel. I wonder what the versatile Sam Weller would have said - about a machine which could have delivered the venerable Pickwick safe - and sound at Ipswich, whilst he, following in the coach, was changing - horses at the Castle at Woodford. - - “Mr. Sopwith has every reason to be proud of his machine. That - he himself is a pilot of skill and great experience, experience - gained not only in this country, but abroad, is liable, if we are not - careful, to slip one’s mind for the moment, now that, as head - of the Sopwith Aviation Co., he is placed in a position where his - services are of far more value on the ground than in the air. A year - ago and Tom Sopwith would undoubtedly have piloted his machine round - personally. That his experience is now standing him in good stead as - a constructor is proved by the splendid performances of the machines - emanating from his works. When one considers the comparatively short - time in which this company has been building, and then remembers - that their machines hold all the altitude records—and good ones at - that—for this country, together with the Michelin Cup No. 1, the - Mortimer Singer prize for six flights, with alternating landings on - land and water, and the splendid performance now being put up, the - Sopwith machine must be rated as one of the very best. - - “And what of the engine? Surely no one will say after this - that England cannot build a good aerial engine. Think for one moment - of this engine, so light that it only weighs some three pounds per - horse-power, pounding away hour after hour, and asking nothing but - to be kept well fed with petrol and oil. Have you ever seen the - crank-case of an engine, with the crank-shaft in position, having - the bearings tested by a bench run, by power applied from without? I - have; and at top speed the cranks move so fast as to appear as one - straight line of shining metal, and do not seem to be moving at all. - Imagine this Green engine moving at this speed with the pistons in - position, and induction, compression, explosion, and exhaust taking - place so rapidly, together with all that it means in the way of moving - valves, and keeping this up for hours on end! It says something for - construction. - - “Of the pilot, what can I say? The strain, mental and physical, - must be enormous. Think of some one or other of the long journeys - you have done in a motor-car; remember how stiff and tired and - worn-out you have felt at the end of the day, with nothing but the - ordinary care needed on the road to worry you; and think of this - man sitting there twelve hours a day, day after day, thousands of - feet up in the air, ears keenly on the alert all the time to notice - any different note in the tune of the engine, eyes, whenever they - can be removed from the petrol and oil gauges—not forgetting the - compass, altimeter, and other instruments—for a moment, striving to - pick up and follow the coast-line, always alert, always watching, - always ready, and always the excitement of the race—the knowledge - that one is attempting something never before accomplished; it needs - nerves of steel to stand it, and Hawker has evidently got them. May - he come in safe and sound with time to spare, and get all that he - deserves.” - -At Cromarty, Harry and Kauper were well aware of the fact that they had -to set out from there on what was probably the most difficult stage -of the journey—from Cromarty to Oban, 94 miles along the Caledonian -Canal. At 3.5 they started: nor did they reach their destination until -6 o’clock. This represented an average speed of slightly more -than 32 miles per hour. Not only had they to drive against a high -south-westerly wind, which had previously been aiding them, but also -they suffered the consequence of the wind being terribly gusty owing -to the mountainous nature of the region they were traversing. At times -Harry changed his altitude by as much as 2,000 feet in his endeavours -to dodge the particularly bumpy air currents. Many changes in their -height were made involuntarily, the machine rising and falling in -vertical air currents over which no human control was possible. All who -have flown in an aeroplane in bad weather can appreciate what Harry -and Kauper went through on the way to Oban. Having reached there at 6 -o’clock, and it being out of the question to proceed to Dublin at -such a late hour, Harry decided to spend the night at Oban and set out -for Ireland at dawn. - -At Oban they had a wonderful reception. There was a large dinner -arranged for them, without regard to the fact that they had only the -clothes in which they stood, with the exception of a clean collar and a -pair of socks. Harry had arrived at his last pair of socks, and oil was -continually dripping on his feet while he was flying. Having an hour to -spare before dinner, for comfort’s sake he proceeded to wash and -dry his socks. He tried to get out of the dinner on the ground, that -he had no raiment fit for social functions; but he was jokingly told -he need not trouble to dress. Nevertheless, Harry and Kauper spent a -most enjoyable evening, and their only regret was that the proceedings -had to be cut short in order that they might have adequate rest before -their start at dawn. - -Rising at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, the partners enjoyed a hurried -breakfast, and then had a good look over their machine. At 5.30 -they were all prepared, and at 5.42 they started for Dublin, having -previously arranged to call on the way at Larne for petrol. But the -machine was reluctant to leave the water, and Harry beached her about -a mile from Oban. After spending an hour in extracting water from the -floats, he made a good restart. Before leaving Scotland he landed at -Kiells, in Argyllshire, in order to effect a minor engine adjustment. -At 8.25 he was in the air again; and 65 minutes later he glided down -into Larne Harbour. He made south for Dublin at 11 o’clock, -only to be foiled a few miles short of the Irish capital by what he -described as “just a piece of ghastly bad luck.” - -Suspecting that some of the valve-springs had failed, Harry decided -to come down to inspect them. Meanwhile the engine had been running -and developing its power, but an ominous rattle had worried Harry and -Kauper. It was unfortunate that they did not know that Mr. Green, the -designer of the engine, was awaiting them at Dublin with a set of new -valve-springs. Had they been so acquainted, Harry would, of course, -have continued on to Dublin without coming down to have a look at -the springs. As it was, while descending in a spiral he lost control -owing to his greasy boot slipping on the rudder-bar, and the aeroplane -side-slipped into the water. Harry was unhurt, but poor Kauper suffered -a broken arm and some cuts about the head. He was soon taken to the -Mater Misericordia Hospital, at Dublin, where he made a good recovery, -ultimately leaving the hospital on September 18th, 1913, with all his -wounds healing well. The machine, of course, was done for. - -Thus ended the most important event held under the auspices of the -Royal Aero Club during 1913, in which 1,043 miles were covered in -55¾ hours, the actual flying time being 21 hours 44 minutes—a -world’s record for a seaplane in those days. In recognition of -his skill and courage, the _Daily Mail_ made Harry a personal present -of £1,000. - -On the morning after the crash near Dublin Harry was busy -superintending the work of dismantling the wrecked aeroplane. While so -employed he was considerably interrupted by photographers and autograph -hunters. Apparently souvenir hunters were also on the scene during his -absence, for one of the radiators had been carefully detached. Having -seen to the packing-up of the remains of the machine, Harry returned to -Brooklands, where on Friday, with his usual nonchalance, he was testing -machines for the Admiralty. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -A BIG CHEQUE, AN AERIAL DERBY, AND OTHER EVENTS - - Echoes of the Seaplane Flight—Mr. Winston Churchill’s - Views—Back to Work—The £1,000 Cheque—And a Gold Medal from - Margate—The Carping Critic—And the Reply he Received—An - Expedition to Eastchurch—Lost in the Air—Racing a Powerful - Monoplane—An Exciting Aerial Derby—Hamel’s Bad Luck—Harry - Finishes Third—And in the Sealed Handicap is Fourth—A Bad Crash - at Hendon—Other Races—Michelin Efforts Again—Harry’s Bad - Luck—He Puts up Some Wonderful Flights—A Headache in the Air. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -Harry and Kauper received many messages of appreciation immediately -after their failure. Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for -Australia, wired: “Win or lose, Australia is proud of you -both.” Mr. Robinson, the Agent-General for Queensland, also -wired: “Queensland warmly congratulates you both on splendid -achievement, the merit of which is not detracted from by the -regrettable accident that prevented you from reaching the goal.” -Mr. Winston Churchill, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty, and -was on board the Admiralty yacht at Deal when Harry passed overhead, to -the _Daily Mail_ wrote: - - “Mr. Hawker has achieved a wonderful result, and the accident - which prevented complete success in no way detracts from the merit of - a feat at once memorable and serviceable. The whole competition has - been of real value to British flying. Though we started last, we must - persevere till the first place is gained and held.” - -As various false reports as to the cause of the smash off the coast -of Ireland were circulated, the Royal Aero Club found it expedient to -issue an announcement as follows: “With reference to certain -reports that the accident to the Sopwith biplane, used by Hawker in -the recent race round Great Britain, was caused by the wings breaking -in the air, the Royal Aero Club has carefully investigated the matter, -and finds that the wings were entirely intact at the time the aeroplane -struck the water.” - -On the Saturday, Harry was busy at Brooklands testing two machines and -carrying many passengers, including the late Mr. Pizey, instructor -at the Bristol School, Salisbury, who was afterwards invited by Mr. -Sopwith to pilot the tractor biplane, which he praised highly. Rain -prevented any flying on Sunday. On the Monday, Mr. Sopwith, Mr. Green, -Mr. Fred May, Mr, Perrin, and Harry were the guests of Mr. Thomas -Marlowe, Editor of the _Daily Mail_, at a luncheon in the precincts of -the Royal Automobile Club in commemoration of the flight. Mr. Harold -Harmsworth, Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, Mr. Ashworth Briggs, and Mr. Sutton were -also present. After luncheon, the company adjourned to the _Daily Mail_ -offices, where Harry received the handsome consolation prize of £1,000. -Addressing him, Mr. Marlowe said: - - “In handing you this cheque for £1,000 I may mention that this - is the eleventh prize—making £24,750—that the _Daily Mail_ has given - for the encouragement of airmanship, and, like all the others, it is - due to the direct initiative of Lord Northcliffe, the chairman of - our company. I am sorry that, owing to his absence in America, he is - unable himself to present it to you as a tribute to your courage and - in recognition of the fact that you are the first man—and a British - subject, too—to fly 1,000 miles over the sea. That, as I think we - all agree, was a very great performance, one that shows that the - waterplane is a weapon which will become of great value for military - and naval purposes, and consequently a prime necessity of this island - country. - - “I have also to hand you a gold medal presented by the Mayor - of Margate for the first airman to pass that town in this race, and - another medal, which he asks me to hand to you for Mr. Kauper, your - passenger. There is a third medal from the Mayor of Margate which - he asks me to hand to Mr. Sopwith, the owner and designer of your - waterplane. - - “Here is a great bundle of letters which I have received for - you. I have no doubt they all contain wishes in which we join—that - you will be the first home when the race takes place next year. - - “Finally, let me say that our greatest thanks are due to the - Royal Aero Club, and especially to Mr. Perrin, the secretary of the - club, for the admirable arrangements they made for the control and - observation of the flight.” - -Harry briefly expressed his thanks. - -On behalf of the Sopwith Aviation Company, its founder proposed a vote -of thanks to the _Daily Mail_ for the “very sporting way” -in which they had promoted the competition. The vote was seconded by -Mr. Green, the builder of the engine. - -In reply, Mr. Marlowe referred to the important parts played by Mr. -Sopwith and Mr. Green. He said: “They made the flight possible. -They brought it so near success that it must be achieved next year, and -I can only hope that when the prize is won they may be very near the -winning-post.” - -The following editorial comment is from _Flight_, September 13th, 1913, -and should be carefully studied by anyone who doubts the utility of -aviation and in particular the usefulness of Harry’s flight round -Britain: - - “Under the heading of ‘Mr. Hawker’s Flight. What - is the Moral of it?’ there was published in the _Manchester - Guardian_ of the 1st inst. a letter, signed by a Mr. S. V. Bracher, - whose address is simply ‘London,’ and which is so full - of false premises and erroneous conclusions that we can hardly allow - it to pass without comment. The main proposition which he sets out - to disprove is, as he says, that the enterprising newspaper which - promoted the competition is now declaring that the lesson to be - learnt from it is that the Navy must have a great many waterplanes, - and that the designers of British engines and the builders of British - waterplanes must make their plans immediately. He apparently does - not think either that the Navy requires waterplanes, or that it is - essential that British designers of engines and aircraft should make - any plans for the future. He begins his argument by saying: - - “‘To anybody able to keep cool amid the vast output of - scare headlines and process blocks, it must be perfectly clear that - one of the lessons of Mr. Hawker’s plucky adventure is that - the time is not yet ripe for great public expenditure on aviation. - His achievement has enabled everybody to realise the extreme - precariousness and uncertainty of aerial navigation as hitherto - developed.’ - -Continuing, _Flight_ says: - - “To take the first point, which apparently is that the Navy - does not want waterplanes. We have no knowledge whatever of Mr. - Bracher’s status as an authority in this matter. For all we know - he may be the power behind the throne at the Admiralty—presuming - that such a personality is needed by My Lords—or, on the other hand, - he may know even less of the technical side of the subject than we - ourselves. It seems to us that the best reply we can make to the - proposition as stated is: Ask the Navy. But there is no need to ask - the Navy, since we know perfectly well in advance what the Navy thinks - of aerial navigation and its probable influence on war at sea. Is it - for fun that the Navy is establishing aerial stations round the coasts - and is training dozens of officers in the science of flight? Or must - we regard things seriously and believe that the Naval authorities know - their business? There is manifestly but one reply to this, and we can - safely leave even Mr. Bracher to figure it out for himself. Unless - we are content to ignore all the lessons of the past development of - flight, and particularly those learned during the nearest approach to - the ‘real thing’ it is possible to devise, we must come to - the cold-blooded decision that the Navy not only wants waterplanes, - but wants them rather badly. - - “Having got thus far with our argument, we come to the next - Bracher point, viz., that the main lesson of Mr. Hawker’s flight - is that aviation is yet in so precarious a stage of development - that it would be foolish to spend large sums of public money in the - equipment of an aerial defence service. Does Mr. Bracher really - seriously ask his public to believe that this is the one and only - conclusion to be reached from the result of Mr. Hawker’s attempt - to circle the coasts of Great Britain? Unless he is writing with his - tongue in his cheek—and we do him the justice of saying that we do - not think this for a moment—then he must be woefully deficient in - imagination and wanting in the power of logical reasoning. Let us - hark back and see what actually did happen during this flight. We - need not go over all the details of it. Quite sufficient that we - point out to Mr. Bracher and others who may be of his way of thinking - that Mr. Hawker actually flew for a distance of more than a thousand - miles—that is to say, a full two-thirds of the whole distance he - set out to cover—and that he failed through absolutely no fault of - the engine or of the machine. It was the lapse of the human factor - that brought the enterprise to an untimely end. Therefore, it is fair - to deduce the argument that already the machine and its engine have - overtaken and passed the capacity of the man, and that if improvement - is needed anywhere it is in the human and not the material machine. - Let us say that we are not advancing this as a definite argument, but - we do press the point that it is a fairer deduction than that reached - by the correspondent of the _Manchester Guardian_. - - “No one claims, as far as we are aware, that the aeroplane has - reached its ultimate stage of development, but is that any argument - for holding back provided we can be satisfied that it has arrived at - a useful stage? Not for a moment could such a contention be allowed. - As well might it be argued that because the Dreadnought is practically - obsolescent before it is completed for its first commission, we - should cease building battleships until such time as the final - development has been reached. The man who would seriously argue thus - would, deservedly, be accounted a dangerous lunatic. Upon the same - ridiculous principle no one would go into the water until he could - swim; no business undertaking would be engaged upon until a profit - actually accrues at the moment of starting, and so on. - -“The next point is this. Mr. Bracher says: - - “‘Experts are saying that seaplanes require much stronger - frames, vastly more powerful engines, and far more effective float - devices than have yet been provided. In short, design must be - revolutionised. Clearly this is the time for experiment, and not for - any wide scheme involving heavy expenditure.’ - -[Illustration: THE SOPWITH ROLLS-ROYCE-ENGINED BIPLANE, -“ATLANTIC,” IN WHICH HARRY AND GRIEVE ATTEMPTED THE -ATLANTIC CROSSING. THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE WAS MADE IN THE FORM OF AN -INVERTED BOAT, WHICH THEY DETACHED IN MID-ATLANTIC. THE UNDERCARRIAGE -WAS DROPPED SOON AFTER THE START, IN ORDER TO REDUCE AIR RESISTANCE. - - [_Facing p. 108._ -] - -“Now, this impresses us as being specious argument, since it -is the sort of thing with which it is impossible not to agree in -principle, but before we arrive at complete agreement we must examine -the proposition and see what we mean by it all. Nothing was ever -yet first produced in its final and perfect state, but this last -has inevitably been reached by stages involving long and careful -experiment. From the line-of-battle ship of the Nelson era to the -last _Centurion_ is a far cry. Again, in the case of under-water -craft, there is an enormous gap between the original Holland boat -and the latest submarine of the day. Now, what would have happened -in either case if it had been agreed that these vessels were still -‘experimental’ and everyone had sat and waited for someone -else to perfect them? Once more, the answer is obvious. We should be -where we were a hundred or more years ago. Instead, however, of having -adopted any such foolish policy, we have gone on building and equipping -ships which were the best we knew how to construct at the time, and -have developed accordingly until we have reached the super-Dreadnought -and the submarine as we know them now—and still the end of development -is not in sight. - -“Next, Mr. Bracher makes it a cause of complaint that the Naval -and Military Defence Committee propose to: - - “‘Equip all the coast defences and defended ports of - the Kingdom with aviation stations, and in the case of the former, - permanent establishments are to be maintained as soon as the necessary - buildings can be erected and fleets of aeroplanes provided. Of the - cost of this scheme one-third will be borne by the Navy and two-thirds - by the Army.’ - - “He adds the surprising information that: - - “‘The trouble is that, as a cold fact, the whole cost will - be borne by the taxpayer’!!! - -“Now, unless we are content to assume that aviation has no -bearing on military and naval operations, the answer is that these -stations are necessary, even supposing the practical aeroplane has not -yet materialised. That, of course, we do not allow, since we know the -contrary to be the case. But even supposing it were so, we do know that -its day is not far off, and as we construct dry docks large enough to -take in battleships far exceeding in size those at present afloat, we -must provide accommodation for our air fleet to be, for the sane and -simple reason that it takes far longer to put up buildings than to -construct the aircraft to occupy them. - -“So far as we are able to read between the lines of the letter -we have traversed, the meaning of it all is, that all the necessary -experimental work is to be carried out by private firms at their own -risk and cost, and that the State, which must ultimately benefit, -should placidly stand aside and wait until private enterprise has -accomplished the perfection of the machine. Never mind what is being -done in other countries or what lead they may have or hold, let no -penny of public money be spent on the development of aviation, but -rather let that be left to the fools and the patriots. Such logic -sickens us. Fortunately, we are able to think that it appeals to but a -small minority of our countrymen.” - - * * * * * - -On Saturday, September 6th, 1913, ending a week of rainy and windy -weather, Harry started from Brooklands for Eastchurch at mid-day, -carrying Mr. Simms as passenger, in one of the 80 h.p. Gnome tractor -biplanes, for the purpose of delivering the machine to the Admiralty. -He, however, lost his bearings at 1,500 feet, owing to the dense -fog, and landed at Cheam. After leaving there with the intention of -returning to Brooklands, he got lost again, and this time came down to -learn that he was at Guildford, whence he easily found his way back to -Brooklands. He ultimately made the flight to Eastchurch in 56 minutes, -two days later, against a strong wind. With a full load and passenger -he made a record climb for one of these 80 h.p. Gnome Sopwith Tractors, -rising to 3,200 feet in 7 minutes 15 seconds. Leaving Brooklands at -2.40 p.m., he made Eastchurch shortly before 4 o’clock. - -In spite of an overcast sky and a gusty wind, on Sunday, September -7th, many people flocked to Brooklands to see their hero of the -Round-Britain Flight, and Harry was kept busy by numerous admirers, -writing his autograph in their books. He took up the winner of the -ballot for a free passenger flight—Mr. J. S. Marsh of Birley Edge, -Wadsley Bridge, near Sheffield—in addition to many other passengers. -He also indulged in several exhibition flights, making steeply-banked -turns and graceful spiral descents, thoroughly enjoying being back on -a lightweight machine. On the following Sunday, the 14th, he took up -several passengers and made exhibition flights in the evening, after a -30 m.p.h. wind had died down. In an impromptu race with Barnwell, whose -mount was the 120 h.p. Martinsyde monoplane, he was obliged to yield to -the superior horse-power of his rival’s machine. - -In the Second Aerial Derby, for a Gold Cup and £200 presented by the -_Daily Mail_, held on Saturday, September 20th, 1913, Harry was one of -fourteen entrants, of whom eleven actually started and nine completed -the course, all landing within an interval of 20 minutes. With a couple -of passengers, Harry brought his 80 h.p. Gnome Sopwith Tractor over -from Brooklands in the early afternoon, before the race, Barnwell -on the 120 h.p. Martinsyde monoplane, and Raynham on his Avro, also -bringing their machines over about the same time. - -The course of the race was a single circuit of London, starting and -finishing at Hendon, _via_ Kempton Park, Epsom, West Thurrock, Epping, -and Hertford, a total distance of about 95 miles. - -Commencing at 4 o’clock, the pilots started at intervals of one -minute in the following order: - - Baumann (60 h.p. Caudron biplane). - Verrier (80 h.p. Henri Farman biplane). - W. L. Brock (80 h.p. Blériot monoplane). - B. C. Hucks (80 h.p. Blériot monoplane). - Raynham (80 h.p. Avro biplane). - Hawker (80 h.p. Sopwith biplane). - Marty (50 h.p. Morane-Saulnier monoplane). - R. Slack (80 h p. Morane-Saulnier monoplane). - Barnwell (120 h.p. Martinsyde monoplane). - Hamel (80 h.p. Morane-Saulnier monoplane). - -The weather was exceptionally fine, what clouds there were being very -high, and the sun constantly breaking through. The organisation of the -event left nothing to be desired, and the start at 4 o’clock was -punctual to schedule. Early in the afternoon there was a gusty wind, -but as time went on this became steadier, and during the actual race it -blew from west-north-west at no more than 18 miles per hour. Throughout -the greater part of the course the wind was a beam or side wind, which -materially reduced the flying speed. The crowds were enormous, every -enclosure being packed, and the motor-car paddock could not cope with -demands. Fields and vantage-points all around were crowded. Both Harry -and Hamel were loudly cheered as they passed out of the aerodrome above -the thronged enclosures; Harry presumably on account of his recent -glorious failure, and Hamel on account of his being favourite in the -race through having chopped about ten feet off the span of his wings! - -In the course of the race, Harry, who was sixth to start, passed -Baumann before reaching the first turning-point, Kempton Park. As a -matter of fact, Baumann landed and dropped out of the contest about -half a mile before Kempton Park. Between there and Epsom, the second -turning-point, Harry passed Verrier and caught up Hucks, with whom -he was now one minute behind Raynham and half a minute behind Brock; -and so when Epsom was reached he was flying neck-to-neck with Hucks -to decide which of them should assume the third position. By the time -West Thurrock, the third control, was reached, Harry had got it, both -Hucks and Brock being left behind on their monoplanes. But although he -had passed Brock, Harry was still only third, for Hamel had bounded up -and was one minute and a half ahead. Raynham still led Hamel by half a -minute. Behind Harry was Barnwell, only one minute’s flight away. -Before Epping was reached Hamel had trouble with his petrol tap, and -pluckily continued his flight, using one finger as a plug. At Epping, -Harry had caught Raynham, and Barnwell led them both by about one -minute. Hamel had dropped behind through the inconvenience of having to -be a human plug for his petrol pipe. Nevertheless, when Hertford, the -final turning-point, was reached, Hamel, with another burst of speed, -was forcing his way past Barnwell, with Harry close behind, steadily -gaining on Raynham. In the end Hamel won an exceptionally good race at -an average speed of 76 miles per hour; Barnwell was second with 72.5 -miles per hour to his credit; and Harry finished third at 67 miles per -hour, beating Raynham by a few seconds. - -In the Shell Sealed Handicap flown in conjunction with the Aerial -Derby, Harry was fourth, Hucks, Barnwell and Brock taking precedence in -the order named. Hamel, the scratch man, of course deserved to win the -handicap, seeing that not only was he first home in the Derby, but also -that he accomplished this under very great difficulties. - -The day was marred by an unfortunate occurrence in which Mr. Pickles -sustained a broken limb and internal injuries, and Mrs. de Beauvoir -Stocks severe concussion, through side-slipping in a Champel biplane -shortly after the race. - -In the October Aeroplane Cross Country Handicap, held at Brooklands on -Saturday, October 4th, 1913, Harry on an 80 h.p. Gnome Sopwith Tractor -biplane was one of sixteen entrants, of whom only six started owing to -rain and minor mishaps. He was second to Merriam, Barnwell and Knight -being third and fourth respectively. On the Sunday, Harry made many -exhibition flights in dull weather, and expressed his versatility by -flying both 80 h.p. Gnome and 100 h.p. Green biplanes. - -Wednesday, October 8th, was an unlucky day, for in attempting to start -for the British Michelin prize, Harry crashed. At first it was thought -to be serious, but at the Weybridge Cottage Hospital he was found to -have escaped with only a severe shaking. By Monday he was fit and well. -The Royal Aero Club issued a notice to members on October 18th which -read: - - “Mr. H. G. HAWKER. - - “Mr. H. G. Hawker, who met with an accident at Brooklands last - week, has now recovered. He visited the club on Tuesday last, and is - quite fit again.” - -The accident occurred through his trying to cross over trees, houses, -and other obstructions at too low an altitude, he having left the -aerodrome without doing a preliminary circuit to gain altitude. There -was a fairly strong breeze blowing at the time, and the configuration -of the ground and the trees caused gusts. The machine dived to the -ground and struck one of the banks of the River Wey where it approaches -Brooklands track towards Cobham. The impact was slightly out of the -straight, and the force was relieved by the breaking up of one wing. -Harry received strains to his back, but was prevented from flying for -only ten days. He was busy installing the 100 h.p. Green into the -Sopwith in preparation for further Michelin attempts on October 25th. - -In the 1913 competition for the British Empire Michelin Cup No. 1 and -the £500 Prize, he had extraordinarily bad luck. The competition was -originally to have ended on October 31st, but the donors of the prize, -in consideration of the fact that by that date Harry’s attempt, -when he crashed at the start on October 8th, was the only one that -had been made, postponed the closing date until November 14th. In the -meantime Harry made another effort on October 31st. After flying for -three hours and travelling a distance of about 220 miles in twelve -stages between Brooklands and Hendon on a 100 h.p. Green-engined -Sopwith, he was obliged to alight owing to a very violent headache. -This attempt could not therefore be recognised, as the minimum -qualifying distance to be covered was 300 miles. Two days before the -closing date, the competition was won by Harry’s rival, R. H. -Carr, on a Grahame-White five-seater biplane fitted with the late S. F. -Cody’s 100 h.p. Green engine. On the last day of the competition -Harry attempted to beat Carr’s effort, but the weather was too -rough, and the flight had to be abandoned in consequence. - -Even sadder were Harry’s fortunes in the competition for the -British Empire Michelin Cup No. 2 and the £800 Prize. On November -19th, after ascending at 9.30 a.m. and flying from Brooklands -_via_ Eastchurch, Shoreham, Salisbury, and Hendon on the 100 h.p. -Green-engined Sopwith, a distance of 265 miles in five hours, without -a stop, he was obliged to return to Hendon through trouble with his -petrol supply. After passing over Hendon at 4,000 feet, and with only -a few more miles to cover, he discovered that it was necessary to fly -with one wing lower than the other in order to collect the petrol in -his tank at the side where the outlet ran to the carburetter. The -reason for the shortage was that the pressure pipe to the tank had -developed a bad leak and was hot because the consumption of the engine -had been underestimated. In fact the reverse was probably the case, -for it was subsequently found that everything adjacent to the tank was -literally drenched with petrol, and 4½ gallons still remained in -the tank. It was an unfortunate circumstance that a strong wind blew -from the direction of Brooklands, but for which Harry would probably -have been able to glide there from the height at which he was at the -time. There was no hope for it, however, and he was reluctantly obliged -to return to Hendon in a long glide. - -At 10.20 a.m. on Thursday, November 27th, Harry set out on yet another -determined eleventh-hour effort for the Michelin No. 2 Cup, but between -Croydon and Eastchurch the fog he encountered was so thick that, being -unable to see his way, he landed at Brooklands after three-quarters of -an hour in the air. - -The British Empire Michelin Cup No. 2 and the £800 Prize were not -awarded in 1913. - -On a new 80 h.p. Sopwith, Harry flew to Farnborough from Brooklands -on Saturday, November 22nd, returning at dusk. On the Sunday he had -an impromptu race with Raynham in the course of exhibition flying. He -again flew to Farnborough on Monday, November 24th, on the 80 h.p. -tractor biplane, with Mr. Blatherwick and Mr. Simms as passengers. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE PROTOTYPE OF THE FIGHTING SCOUTS - - Harry’s Stroke of Genius—Ninety Miles per Hour with an 80 h.p. - Gnome—When German Interests were at Brooklands—The Real Value of - “Stunting”—A Biplane that Exceeded Expectations—When - Hendon was Surprised—Construction of the Tabloid—Contemporary - Sopwith Products—In Harry’s Absence—Pixton Pilots a - Tabloid to Victory—A £26,000 Ante-Bellum Aviation Company—Mr. - Rutherford—Another Type of Genius—One of Harry’s Records - Broken—An Australian Poem—Death of Hamel. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -Were I asked to state in brief my justification for writing this public -record of the life and work of Harry George Hawker, I would say that -Thursday, November 27th, 1913, should be remembered as a day marking -one of the great innovations in aeroplane design, a feature which -contributed largely to Britain’s supremacy during the Great -War, and for which Harry was principally responsible, although he was -always too modest to acknowledge that he had contributed more than a -little towards it. The occasion was the arrival at Brooklands from the -Sopwith Works of the 80 h.p. Gnome-engined Baby biplane, afterwards -known as the Sopwith Tabloid. Although engined with a unit of orthodox -dimensions, this machine could be described as a miniature biplane, the -wing surface having been cut down to a minimum. - -Prior to the inception of the Tabloid, the only reason for building -biplanes, as opposed to monoplanes, was to get a large wing surface -in as compact a form as possible. Therefore, when comparatively -great weights had to be carried which demanded the use of big wing -surface, biplanes were constructed. Furthermore, a certain structural -weakness that had been revealed in the monoplane types of the day also -contributed to the popularity of the biplane. But it was wholly a new -idea to construct a biplane of smaller dimensions than the average -monoplane. The initiation and general arrangement of this new type was -entirely Harry’s work, and was a most wonderful stroke of genius. - -Almost every day somebody achieves a measure of fame by constructing -some machine or other (not necessarily an aeroplane) of colossal -dimensions surpassing anything previously engineered, but to achieve -notable success by adverting to a Lilliputian scale, seemingly -primitive, is surely indicative of genius, and this is precisely what -Harry did. The Sopwith Tabloid was a prototype which was copied far and -wide by most of the leading aeroplane constructors in every country -where aeroplanes were manufactured. - -Naturally, when the machine arrived at Brooklands in its packing-case, -Harry was very anxious to get it assembled and into the air, -particularly as he was shortly returning “down under” to -Australia, on a visit to his people and for a spell of flying there, -and, all being well, he would take the Tabloid with him. After spending -only an hour and a half in assembling it, he took the air and flew -round the track at 90 miles per hour, an unprecedented speed for such -a low-powered machine. His landing, too, was remarkably slow; and the -speed contrast meant that his first design was an unparalleled success. - -I am not sure whether he was inspired by the necessity of having a -small machine to carry on board ship, or by Hamel’s performance -in the Aerial Derby with clipped wings, but whatever it was induced -him to design the machine, Harry was responsible for a trend in -aeroplane design that has only been equalled in importance perhaps by -the innovation of the monoplane wing devoid of external bracing, and -even for this it could not be claimed that it was of incalculable, if -any, value to the Empire and the world during the Great War. Fighting -scouts—thousands of them—were subsequently made for the Allies, and -were the outcome of Harry’s genius. - -It is a fact of no small significance in view of subsequent events that -when the Tabloid made its début at Brooklands a German aircraft concern -was established there, and on Saturday, November 29th, Herr Roempler, -a famous German pilot constructor, was flying one of the German D.F.W. -machines. - -The Tabloid was intended as a machine on which stunts of every -description could be performed. Sopwith and Hawker were among the -first to realise that manœuvrability, or the “stunting” -property, was of more than mere spectacular interest, and that in time -of war it would be of incalculable value. With such principles at the -back of his mind, Harry announced his intention of looping-the-loop -at an early date, a feat that Pégoud had introduced in order to -demonstrate the strength of the Blériot monoplane and remove the -prejudice against that type. The engine, tanks, pilot, and passenger -were massed together in an unusually small compass, the passenger being -seated side-by-side with the pilot. The original anticipated maximum -speed was about 85 miles per hour, but in actual practice 94 miles per -hour was exceeded. The wings, which were only very slightly curved, or -cambered, measured only 26 ft from wing-tip to wing-tip. The curvature -of the wings was considerably less than that of the standard type -tractor biplanes, although wing spars of exactly similar section were -employed—a notable instance of early standardisation. The original -Tabloid had warping wings—not ailerons. - -Pixton, who incidentally won the International Schneider Cup Contest -at Monaco in the following year on a Sopwith Tabloid seaplane, had -now come to the Sopwith hangars to carry on the work which Harry must -relinquish during his sojourn in Australia. - -In an earlier chapter of this book reference was made to the deviation -of the hub of British aviation from Brooklands to Hendon, where the -London Aerodrome had by now developed into a popular rendezvous -of London folk, and a good selection of British and Continental -racing aeroplanes was to be found. Two days after having erected the -Tabloid Harry flew it over to Hendon at a speed of over 94 miles per -hour. Entering the aerodrome, he made two circuits at what was then -considered an astounding speed, estimated at 90 miles per hour. Earlier -in the day he had been down to Farnborough with the machine, where in -an official test he attained a maximum speed of 92 miles per hour, a -landing speed of 36·9 miles per hour, and a rate of ascent of 1,200 -feet per minute. This performance, which was a world’s record, -was carried out with a passenger and fuel for 2½ hours. Empty, the -machine weighed only 680 lb. On the following day Harry returned from -Hendon to Brooklands, where he was surrounded by numerous admirers of -the new Sopwith-Hawker product. - -[Illustration: TESTING THE LIFEBOAT. ON THE BACK OF THE ORIGINAL -PHOTOGRAPH HARRY WROTE: “NOTE THE BROKEN ICE BETWEEN THE BOAT AND -SHORE.” - [_Facing p. 122._ -] - -[Illustration: THIS PICTURE SHOWS SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING -THE AEROPLANE TO THE STARTING-GROUND IN NEWFOUNDLAND. THE DRIVER -APPARENTLY TOOK THINGS LYING DOWN. - - [_Facing p. 122._ -] - -The following description of the Sopwith Tabloid is extracted from -_Flight_, December 20th, 1913: - - “When the latest production of the Sopwith Aviation Co. made - its bow to the public at Hendon a few Saturdays ago it did so like - a bolt from the blue, and, wasting no time in showing what it could - do, immediately completed two circuits at a speed of about 90 m.p.h. - The successes of the former Sopwith machines—designed by Mr. T. - O. M. Sopwith and Mr. Sigrist—are, no doubt, still fresh in our - readers’ minds, and with this new 80 h.p. “baby” - biplane, in the design of which Mr. H. G. Hawker, who piloted the - former machines to success, has played an important part, it seems - that further achievements will soon be added to the credit of this - go-ahead Kingston firm. - - “The general lines of the new biplane are similar to those - of the other Sopwith Tractor machines.... It has been designed - with the intention of producing what might be called an exhibition - machine, that is to say, a machine capable of performing all sorts of - evolutions such as steep bankings, small circles, switchbacks, etc. - This machine is therefore of small dimensions, having a span of 25 ft. - 6 ins. and an over-all length of 25 ft. The total area of the main - planes is 240 sq. ft., which gives a loading 3 lb. per sq. ft. light - or 4·5 lb. per sq. ft. fully loaded, the weight of the machine empty, - and with pilot and 3½ hours’ fuel, being 670 lb. and 1,060 - lb. respectively. The main planes, which are comparatively flat, are - set at a slight dihedral angle, and the top plane is staggered forward - 1 ft. They are built up in two cellules, the lower planes being - attached to the lower portion of the fuselage, whilst the top planes - are secured to a centre panel supported above the fuselage by two - pairs of struts; there are only two other pairs of struts, separating - the main planes near the extremities.... In plan form the planes have - a greater length in the trailing edge, as on the Morane monoplane. The - fuselage follows usual Sopwith practice, being rectangular in section, - tapering to a vertical knife-edge at the rear. The pilot is seated - in a small cockpit between the planes, whilst another seat for a - passenger is provided on the pilot’s right. The forward ends of - the top and bottom longerons converge, forming an attachment for the - front engine bearer. The 80 h.p. Gnome engine is mounted in the nose - of the fuselage, and is almost completely covered by a neat aluminium - cowl, but is nevertheless efficiently cooled by the stream of air - pressing through a narrow slit formed in the cowl by the front engine - bearer; the lower extremity of the engine also projects slightly below - the cowl. The latter is easily detachable, and hinges forward, giving - easy access to the valves. The carburetter, to which the petrol is - fed by gravity, projects within the cockpit, and can easily be got at - by the pilot or passenger. The landing chassis has been considerably - modified, and consists of two short skids, each connected to the - fuselage by a pair of struts. At the rear the skids are connected - by a streamlined cross-strut, in the centre of which is hinged the - divided axle, carrying at its outer extremities the covered-in running - wheels. In its normal position the axles lie in a groove formed in the - cross-strut, thus maintaining the streamline effect of the latter. - The axle is sprung by means of rubber shock-absorbers attached to - the skids, and is held in position by two very short radius rods, - hinged to the rear extremities of the skids. In order to prevent - the cross-strut from bending downwards in the middle, it is braced - at this point to the fuselage by a wire.... The tail consists of a - semi-circular stabilising plane, to the trailing edge of which are - hinged two elevator flaps with a balanced vertical rudder, almost - circular in shape, between them.... - - “Lateral control is by wing warping, the movement being carried - out by a wheel mounted on a vertical column, a fore-and-aft movement - of which operates the rear elevators through a connecting-rod and - countershaft. The warp cables are led from a rockshaft to pulleys let - into the uprights of the fuselage just above the rear spar attachments - of the lower plane. From these pulleys the cables go to the top - sockets of the rear outer struts. A continuous cable also runs from - each of the outer rear strut sockets of the lower plane over pulleys - on the tops of the two rear struts attached to the fuselage.... Flying - over the measured course at Farnborough, fully loaded with fuel for - 2½ hours, pilot and passenger, a maximum speed of 92 m.p.h. and a - minimum speed of 36.9 m.p.h. were attained. The climbing speed was - 1,200 ft. in one minute, also fully loaded—quite a credit to British - aeroplane design. It was originally intended to take this biplane over - to Paris during the Aero Show in order to demonstrate its wonderful - capabilities in the home of aviation, so to speak. We understand, - however, that this plan has been changed, and that the machine has - been sent out to Australia, where Mr. Hawker will put it through its - paces above his native soil, and endeavour to rouse the interest of - the Australian Government. After staying there some months, we may - hope to see him back in England. Our readers will, we feel sure, join - us in wishing both Mr. Hawker and the Sopwith Aviation Co. every - success in this latest enterprise.” - -Among other new machines under construction at the Sopwith Works about -this time may be mentioned a huge seaplane of 80 ft. span, propelled by -two 120 h.p. Austro-Daimler engines. The two propellers were each of 12 -ft. 6 in. diameter. There was also a new type of flying-boat driven by -a 200 h.p. Canton-Unné, or Salmson, radial water-cooled engine. This -machine, which was exhibited at the Aero Show held at Olympia in March, -1914, was considered the strongest and best-made flying-boat of its -time. Very soon after the advent of the Sopwith Tabloid, and shortly -after Harry’s departure for Australia, another Sopwith made its -first appearance, in the shape of a machine whose size was between the -Tabloid and the standard 80 h.p. tractor biplane. This new biplane, -known as the Tweenie, was engined with a motor of 100 h.p. The first -model was acquired by the Admiralty. In April, Pixton, on a Sopwith -Tweenie fitted with floats, won the classic Schneider Cup at Monaco. -The achievement attracted much attention from foreign journalists as -signifying a great British triumph. Very little notice of the event was -taken by the British lay Press; but the Royal Aero Club held a luncheon -in honour of Sopwith and Pixton, on which occasion Sopwith recounted -many of the amusing little incidents which led up to the evolution of -the winning machine. - -Before giving a detailed account of Harry’s experiences on his -Australian expedition it is well to record one or two happenings which -transpired in his absence from England. - -“Will o’ the Wisp,” in _Flight_, January 10th, 1914, -perpetrated the following, which calls for no further explanation: - - “‘Sopwith Aviation Company, Ltd. December 15th, 1913. - £26,000 (£1) (6,000 six per cent. cum. pref. and 20,000 ord.). To - take over,’ etc. Um—sounds all right. Fast little beggar that - new Baby-plane. Good Hydro, too, that one that nearly got round the - circuit. Clever chap T. O. M., clever men with him, too: what are we - going to see in 1914?” - -An Australian, after a visit to England, said: “Plenty of flying -can be seen at Brooklands. They’re cool customers nowadays. They -bid you good-day, hop on board their machine, there’s a whiz and -a flutter, and your man is out of sight, all in a space of a minute or -two.” - -Of nine tractor biplanes ordered from the Sopwith firm by the War -Office about this time, Harry was only able to deliver the first, as -the others were completed in his absence, when Pixton was responsible -for delivery. - -Harry’s name was well known outside aeronautical circles, even in -these days, when trans-Atlantic flights were no more than suggested. -The following incident, reproduced from _Flight_ of January 31st, 1914, -provides amusing evidence of this. “Will o’ the Wisp” -is again the culprit. - - “When Mr. Hawker returns to this country from Australia he - will have to search out Mr. Rutherford, of Gainsborough, and have a - few words with him. Mr. Rutherford rode up to one of the hotels in - Lincoln the other day on a motor-cycle, and said he was Hawker, come - to do some exhibition flying in the neighbourhood. He was, of course, - immediately the hero of the place, and was introduced to all and - sundry. He had great tales to tell of his flight round Great Britain - and what he was going to do in the future. So friendly did he become, - that he promised to take many of the guests for a joy-ride so soon - as his mechanics should arrive with the machine. Of course, there - is always somebody who can’t leave a poor chap alone, and the - kill-joy in this case was a policeman, who turned up and arrested - the giddy Rutherford for stealing the motorbike, which he had hired - at Gainsborough and had forgotten to return. The police found that - he was in the possession of ninepence, which goes to prove the old - saying that it is not always necessary to possess money to be happy. - Incidentally, he said he had had over a thousand offers of marriage. - Perhaps, when he has finished his four months’ imprisonment, he - will consider one of them.” - -On Tuesday, February 3rd, 1914, Harry’s British height record -of 11,450 feet was unofficially broken by Raynham, who, with Mr. -Harold Blackburn as passenger, ascended to 15,000 feet. Harry’s -absence in Australia provided an unique opportunity for his records to -be broken and new records held by others, at least until his return. -On the following Tuesday, under official observance, Raynham broke -Harry’s record for one passenger by ascending to 14,420 feet -with Mr. MacGeagh Hurst. On March 7th, Captain Salmond’s flight -of December 13th, 1913, when 13,140 feet was reached, was officially -recognised as beating Harry’s record. Harry’s other -records, for one, two, and three passengers, still stood, pending -confirmation of the reports of Raynham’s attempts to break them. - -“Aeolus,” in _Flight_, May 15th, 1914, wrote: - - “From a chatty letter to hand from Mr. George Payne, of - Ballarat, Australia, it is evident that Harry Hawker’s trip - ‘down under’ has created considerable enthusiasm among our - Australian cousins. In the case of the local poet this enthusiasm has - found vent in the following effort, which I think well entitled to a - corner in this page: - - ’ARRY ’AWKER. - - (After Kipling, behind scratch.) - - News Items.—Mr. Harry Hawker, the young Australian airman, made - several successful flights at Caulfield in the presence of 30,000 - people. During one of his flights he was accompanied by a young lady. - -Senator Millen, Minister of Defence, was a passenger with Mr. Hawker in -a recent flight over Melbourne. - - ’E’s a boster! ’Arry ’Awker, - ’E’s a doer, not a talker, - Wot we calls a real corker, - Tho’ not rash; - ’E cares nothing for a blizzard, - Though it cut him to the gizzard; - In the air he “is”—a “wizard”— - Less the smash. - - An’ ’e don’t use any frillin’ - Just to set the people thrillin’ - When they pay their bloomin’ shillin’ - At the show; - - But ’e takes things wery easy - While ‘e sees the engine’s greasy, - An’ ’e shouts, ’owever breezy, - “Let ‘er go!” - - An’ away ‘e goes a-soarin’, - While the ladies all adorin’ - With us common blokes a-roarin’ - In our joy; - An’ our praise ’e needn’t flout it, - So let everybody shout it, - For there is no doubt about it - ‘E’s the boy! - - An’ we ‘ear that Mr. Millen - Found that flyin’ way so killin’ - That no doubt ‘e’ll now be willin’ - Straight away - To give ’im an invitation - To be boss of aviation - For our young Australian nation, - With good pay. - - With ’is plane to fly about in - ‘E’ll be just the boy for scoutin’ - If the foeman pokes ‘is snout in - Doin’ wrong. - ’E will never prove a balker, - ’Ere’s good ’ealth to ’Arry ’Awker; - May ‘e keep like Johnny Walker— - Goin’ strong! - - But be wery careful, ‘Arry, - While with us you mean to tarry, - Or I’ll bet you’re bound to marry - Wery soon; - For you’ll find yourself a-sighin’, - An’ the ring you will be buyin’, - If you take the ladies flyin’, - Near the moon! - -“In his letter, Mr. Payne also mentioned that Australia is sending -us another of her sons, as Mr. Treloar, of Ballarat, is going to -England shortly in order to be initiated into the gentle art of flying. -I hope that Mr. Treloar will prove as apt at handling the control-lever -as are those of his compatriots who have already made a name for -themselves in the flying world over here.” - -The saddest episode of which England’s shores were the scene -during Harry’s absence in Australia was the disappearance of poor -Gustav Hamel, who, after setting out to fly to France, flew into a -Channel fog and was never heard of again. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -AERIAL PROPAGANDA IN AUSTRALIA - - Back to Australia—Harry Expresses Some Views—Australian Air - Policy—He Speaks of Stabilising Devices—A Reminiscence of the - Round-Britain Seaplane Flight—A Civic Welcome—Harry’s - Father Speaks—Assembling the Tabloid—First Flight in - Australia—Preparations for Flight—Flying from a Street—An Object - Lesson at Government House—Harry Dispels a Fallacy—And Speaks about - Whirling Propellers—A Flying Call on the Governor-General—Interrupts - a Game of Tennis—What the Governor-General Thought of Harry—Old - Melbourne Friends Fly—The Australian Press—Enterprising Lady - Passengers—Passengers pay £3 per Minute—Curious Attitude of - an Association Official—Organisation of a Big Public Flying - Exhibition—Harry’s Views on Flying—A Crowd of 25,000—Is - Difficult to Handle—And Affects Harry’s Programme—An - Accident—Without Serious Consequences—The Minister of Defence - Ascends 3,500 Feet. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -There arrived at Fremantle on Tuesday, January 13th, 1914, R.M.S. -_Maloja_, having on board the Sopwith Tabloid and Harry, who landed -at Melbourne on the following day to visit his parents. Interviewed -by a representative of the Press, Harry said the difference -between a modern biplane, such as that he had with him, and an old -“box-kite” biplane, an example of which the Australian -Government had recently acquired, was as great as that between -a motor-car and a bullock wagon or pantechnicon. Aviation, he -said, had made great strides during the previous year or two. The -“box-kite” biplanes were still regarded as serviceable -school machines, but had not sufficiently good speed capabilities -for military requirements, which the higher-powered modern machine -undoubtedly possessed. He pointed out that the costs of the Tabloid -and of a “box-kite” machine were about equal, and that, -considering its power, the former was the cheapest machine on the -market then. - -With an eye to business, Harry said he was prepared to fly from -Melbourne to Sydney in about 4½ hours. He would also loop-the-loop. -The latter offer was received with some surprise, as no one, least -of all a layman, had contemplated the possibility of doing this in -anything but a monoplane then. He was prepared to take off from the -street in his small speedy biplane, provided there were not, of course, -any cross wires or paddocks. Reminded of the attempt of one, Cugnet, to -rise from the Melbourne cricket ground, Harry said he would not have -tried to do that in a slow, low-powered machine. “What Cugnet did -said more for his pluck than his brains,” was Harry’s way -of putting it. - -Regarding stabilising devices, Harry declared them to be superfluous. -“The bird has no mechanical stability device,” he said. -“The muscles of its wings give it stability, and, as pilots -have become more skilful and have gained a better knowledge of their -machines, the risk of capsizing has been reduced to practically -zero.” Aviation, said Harry, had advanced in the direction of -knowledge and greater power and control. Never had he heard of an -aviator being blown over. On account of the high degree of natural -stability in the modern aeroplane it was, he said, a difficult matter -to keep a machine on its back when deliberately flying upside down. -Natural stability received too scanty attention, and if pilots would -let their machines “fly themselves,” so to speak, there -would be fewer accidents, was Harry’s opinion. - -“Flying,” he said, “is full of interest and is not -half so dangerous as the public imagine. Over 90 per cent. of the -accidents are due to carelessness, not necessarily on the part of -the pilot, but of workmen who leave wires slack and do not test the -structural parts of the aeroplane.” - -Asked for reminiscences of the Round-Britain Seaplane Flight, Harry -replied: “I don’t think there is much left to be said -about it. Every inch of the way has been discussed and every experience -told. We were in danger several times; out of sight of land, and at -times out of sight of the sea beneath as well, owing to thick fog. The -strongest impression I have retained is of an old Scotsman. Having -landed somewhere on the Scotch coast to repair an oil-tube, we were met -by this gentleman sauntering down with his dog. Was he astonished? Not -at all. One would have thought he had seen thousands of aeroplanes. His -conversation was limited. He sat on a stone while we worked, and asked -us where we were going and why, and whether ‘Yon thing all goes -up together,’ a question which has since become almost a classic -among the humorous anecdotes of aviators. We assured him it did. He did -not seem in the least surprised when we came or when we departed.” - -On his return home to St. Kilda, Harry was welcomed by the Mayor, at -the Town Hall. It was mid-day, and there was a distinguished assembly. -The presence of the Postmaster-General was significant, for postal -authorities had then, and even now still have, to be educated as to -the value of aircraft for mail-carrying. The Mayor said they had all -followed with the greatest interest their fellow-townsman’s -advancement in the Old World, and it was hoped when he returned to -England he would put up further records in the world of flight. Mr. -Agar Wynne spoke of Australians having all wished Hawker every success -in his attempted flight round Great Britain. There, in Australia, -they were far away from the big centres, and it was only by the push -and energy of their young citizens at the other end of the world that -Australia had become known among all the nations. He expressed regret -that Hawker had again to leave Australia, but hoped that when he came -back again they would be able to congratulate him on still greater -achievements. After others had said their say, Harry in reply expressed -his pleasure in knowing that as an Australian he had gained successes -in England, where, on his return, he would do his best on behalf of -Australia. Harry’s father said that amidst all the successes -and applause his son had not forgotten his home. He had brought a -machine with him, partly of his own design, which had not been publicly -demonstrated in England to any extent. Victoria was to have the first -opportunity of seeing that machine fly. - -The welcomes over, Harry lost no time in assembling the Tabloid, on -which the necessary work was almost complete by January 22nd. On -Monday, the 26th, the machine was on view, assembled, at the C.L.C. -Motor and Engineering Works, Melbourne. The highest-powered aeroplane -ever seen in Australia, it was regarded as a most serviceable type. A -trial flight, which Harry provisionally arranged to make on the 26th, -had to be postponed owing to the fact that the special castor oil, -necessary for lubricating the Gnome engine, had not passed the Customs. -There was talk of Harry taking part in the Sydney Aerial Derby, timed -to be flown in February, and it was generally supposed that, if it did -compete, the Tabloid would win easily. Harry certainly was considering -the question of making a non-stop flight from Melbourne to Sydney -on behalf of a well-known rubber tyre firm. The Australian Defence -Department had recently acquired a number of aeroplanes, and it was -hoped that some at least of these could take part in a race to Sydney. - -Harry made his first flight in Australia on Tuesday, January 27th, -1914, a fortnight after his arrival. Several flying-men had visited -Australia before, and one or two had left the ground, but Harry -was fairly acclaimed the first to show Australians the immense -possibilities of mechanical flight. One who stood by while he carefully -went over every nut with a spanner, tested each wire and each moving -part, recalled to mind previous flights that failed, and bethought -himself care is not the whole of an airman’s equipment. But the -tightening of a nut might prevent a broken neck, and it was little -wonder that an airman should not overlook anything that might mean the -saving of his own neck. - -There was nothing theatrical about the preparations. The hero of the -day did not gaze anxiously up aloft, frown, and shake his head. He -did not have long and heated arguments with his mechanic, nor did -he attire himself in large yellow clothes or look unduly nonchalant -with a cigarette hanging from the lower lip. The onlookers, contrary, -perhaps, to expectations, saw only the man whose interest was centred -in carefully tightening the nuts and adjusting the bracing-wires. As -one said, each airman who came to Melbourne had a different expression -just prior to the appointed hour for flight. Cugnet, he said, looked -stern and perhaps a little sad; Hammond bore the impassive countenance -of an Indian chief; but Hawker smiled as if it were an enjoyable game. - -His decision to make his maiden Australian flight was, apparently, -sudden. In the morning it was announced there would be no flying, but -by 4 o’clock in the afternoon the news had gone round in some -mysterious manner to the effect that he was about to make a trial -flight. One wing was put on the machine in the garage in which it was -stationed, the other being put on and adjusted when the machine had -been wheeled out into the street. When everything had been trued up, -and there only remained the engine to be tested, Harry got into his -seat, the propeller was swung, and several people lost their hats in -the draught caused by the rotating mass. Much dust was raised too. -The engine having cracked and spluttered and roared, and Harry being -assured of its good tune, he waved his arm, and the four begrimed -individuals who had been holding the machine back let go. Down New -Street, lined by crowds on both pavements, the machine raced for thirty -yards or so before rising into the air. Harry climbed steeply, at once -turning westward over the golf-course, while a maddened horse, drawing -a van, rose on its hind legs, seemingly pointing out the aeroplane to -the crowd, who watched a beautiful demonstration of the aviator’s -art. - -At a height of about 600 feet Harry described right-and left-hand -circles, banking at 45 degrees and more. Then he dived at what appeared -to be an unprecedented speed to within a few feet of the ground, -afterwards steeplechasing above fences and trees. He climbed and -climbed again, alternately switching off his engine and diving, as it -were, to the attack. Finally he mounted higher than previously and set -off in the direction of Toorak. After following the valley of the Yarra -at a height of about 5,000 feet, he glided down above the grounds of -Government House and switched on again at about 2,000 feet. He then -crossed above the lake in Albert Park, returning by the seashore to the -Elsternwick golf-links, to which he descended in a fine spiral glide, -ending in a sharp vertical dive and a beautiful landing at only 34 -miles per hour. The flight occupied about 20 minutes. He was received -with vociferous cheering. As the good horseman after finishing a -journey sees that his horse is fed, watered, and bedded before he seeks -his own dinner and repose, so did Harry carefully stow away his machine -out of reach of the crowd before yielding to any calls for speeches and -interviews. - -It appears that airmen who had previously made unsuccessful attempts -at flight in Australia sought to justify their failure by declaring -the Australian air to be unsafe and mysteriously different from the -air of Britain or France. This fallacy was clearly dispelled by -Harry. “There is not the slightest difference,” he said. -“It is the same sort of air, except that it is clearer than the -English. When I crossed the Albert Park lake I could see Geelong very -plainly.” - -Speaking of his machine, Harry said: “The engine worked -splendidly. The highest barograph record shows 5,000 feet. The -engine developed its full revolutions, and I was doing 90 miles per -hour.” He explained that there was one point upon which the -Australian needed education. That was—that it is unsafe to get in -the way of an aeroplane when it is rising from or coming to ground. -“The whirling propeller,” he said, “has played a part -in not a few tragedies at European aviation meetings, and crowding in -on it is a very good method of suicide.” - -This short trial flight which Harry made was considered by far the best -that had been seen in Australia, both as regards speed and control. -Getting off from the street was in itself a unique performance. The -value of swift flight under precise control in warfare was appreciated -by the onlookers as incalculable. - -A few days later, on February 3rd to be precise, the Governor-General, -Lord Denman, received a literally flying visit from Harry. It was -shortly after luncheon, when Lord and Lady Denman, about to play tennis -with some friends whom they were entertaining, were surprised by a -telephone message to the effect that Harry had just left Elsternwick -and would be over to see them in a few minutes. Their Excellencies had -barely time to reach the lawn before a tiny speck became discernible -against the blue sky and fleecy white clouds to the south-east. After -very few minutes had elapsed, Harry in the Tabloid passed, seemingly -slowly, over the massive buildings of Government House, at a height -somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 feet. To those on the ground it was -apparent that Harry had experienced no difficulty in finding his way, -for he came straight as a die from the south-east, where Elsternwick -lay, and as soon as he was above his destination he began to descend -in a magnificent spiral, whizzing round and round and down and down at -a terrific pace. As he came nearer to the ground he executed several -manœuvres for the benefit of those below. Making sharp turns, he -banked his machine to such a degree that many considered it miraculous -that he kept his seat at all. Then, when above the polo ground and -facing Government House, he glided down to the lawn, steeply and with -startling suddenness. - -Harry’s main concern while landing was thinking out how he should -present himself to the Governor-General. As the Tabloid came to rest, -like a great winged beetle, at the far end of the lawn, Lord Denman and -his party walked over to it and came upon an unassuming, clean-shaven -young man, clean and unruffled as if he had just done no more than -merely walk from St. Kilda road opposite. A little bit nervous, Harry -shook hands and thanked the Governor-General for the warm welcome. He -had, he said, a very good flight from Elsternwick, and the stiff breeze -which blew did not trouble him at all. The landing, too, had presented -no difficulties. - -Harry stayed for about half an hour, during which he explained his -machine to his hosts. They were particularly interested in the cockpit -and controls. Harry learned that Lord Denman was very interested in -aviation and before going out to Australia had enjoyed one or two -flights as a passenger in a Grahame-White biplane. There was also -present Captain Pollocks, A.D.C. to the Governor-General, who had also -had some flying experience in England. The departure was as informal -as the arrival. The machine was pulled round a little so that it would -have a clear run against the wind. Harry then said he thought he -“had better be getting along,” and, after again thanking -His Excellency for his warm reception, he climbed in and was away. - -After skimming along the ground for thirty yards or so, the machine -rose grandly over Government House and sailed at full speed round the -grounds, under such perfect control that the whole business looked -very simple. Again he banked his machine on sharp turns, and at times -he appeared to be almost on the point of turning over. But Harry did -not indulge in any trick flying of that nature, but was contented to -attempt no more than well-balanced turns and “zooms.” One -of his dives was so sudden that Harry’s manager, Mr. Sculthorpe, -remarked that it looked more like the influence of an awkward -air-pocket than an intentional manœuvre. After climbing to an altitude -of about 3,500 feet, Harry at last headed south-east for Elsternwick, -leaving a trail of smoke behind. In a few minutes the machine, after -dwindling to a mere speck, passed from sight. - -When informed subsequently of the allegation that Harry was far more -nervous of meeting him than of flying in the teeth of a gale, Lord -Denman laughingly said that so far as he could see, “This young -Australian airman seemed to be little concerned over one thing or the -other.” His Excellency added that the flight seemed not to have -any physical effect on Harry. “His hand was as steady as mine -when we met,” he said. - -On his return to Elsternwick, Harry, feeling less restrained, gave -an even more spirited display of fancy flying for the benefit of the -crowd gathered to watch his landing. He alighted on the golf-links -without incident, and after a brief rest made two more flights, each -time accompanied by a passenger. His two passengers were two old -Melbourne friends, Cecil de Frager, who subsequently lost his life in -a motor-cycling accident in France while serving as a captain with the -Australian Forces, and Maurice Smith. - -Commenting on Harry’s flights, the _Melbourne Argus_ remarked -that a characteristic feature common to all of them was the complete -absence of theatrical display. Harry flew as unconcernedly as an -expert drove a motor-car, and apparently with the same degree of ease -and comfort. He made the whole business delightfully simple, and his -personal preparations before starting a flight were considerably less -formal than those of a motorcyclist before mounting his machine. He -wore ordinary clothes, his sole extra covering or protection being a -pair of goggles. When he stepped on to the lawn at Government House he -was not even ruffled. His hair was nicely parted and his tie straight. -To the uninitiated it seemed absurd to think that he had been tearing -through the air at 90 miles per hour, a mile above the earth. One could -understand his not wearing a dustcoat in such circumstances, but might -have expected something less ordinary than a lounge suit and a grey cap. - -Another matter upon which the Press commented was the rapidity with -which the Tabloid was prepared for action. At 2.20 p.m. the machine had -been reposing more or less dismantled in the garage of the C.L.C. Motor -Works. In less than an hour it was soaring aloft with a man, nearly as -high up as the top of Mount Buffalo. In that brief interim the biplane -was pulled out from its shed, the wings were attached, and everything -made ready for flight. On no occasion did Harry omit to thoroughly -examine his machine before flight. - -Although his intention to fly to Government House had been kept a close -secret, the flight was, of course, witnessed by several thousands of -the populace, who happened to catch sight of the machine or hear the -murmur of the Gnome engine as it passed high overhead. A large crowd, -including nearly a hundred amateur and professional photographers, -gathered at Elsternwick to see the start and end of the flights. -A special exhibition of flying was arranged to take place at the -Caulfield Racecourse, and while in the air Harry distributed handbills -announcing the fact and vouchers valid for admission to the course. - -On February 3rd, the day on which he flew to Government House, Harry -was waited on by two ladies who desired to fly as passengers. The -flights were arranged to take place on the Saturday following, although -one lady offered £10 to be taken there and then, so that she might -be certain of being the first lady passenger in Australia. She was -disappointed, however, as Harry was not prepared to undertake any more -flying until Saturday. - -Passenger flight tickets found a ready sale at £20 each. In -anticipation of a rush for tickets at the Caulfield Racecourse -meeting, combined railway and admission tickets were on sale at -tourist booking-offices beforehand. Special tramway services were also -announced. The biplane was arranged to be in a prominent position where -all who entered the course would be able to make a reasonably close -inspection of it. - -[Illustration: THE DETACHABLE BOAT CARRIED ON THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT. - [_Facing p. 142._ -] - -THE SOPWITH TRANS-ATLANTIC BIPLANE IN THE HANGAR NEAR ST. JOHNS, -NEWFOUNDLAND. - - [_Facing p. 142._ -] - -On February 4th the _Melbourne Argus_ published a letter from the -Hon. Secretary of the Caulfield Progress Association, protesting -against “the use of the public park and recreation reserve known -as Caulfield Racecourse for a display for which a charge was to be -made,” and pressed the point that the proceeding was illegal. -This letter did not, however, cut enough ice to prevent the _Melbourne -Argus_ from announcing on the following day special railway services -for the occasion, as well as the intention of Sir John Madden and Sir -George Reid to be present on the course. - -Further correspondence relating to the use of the public preserves was -received and published by the _Melbourne Argus_. One correspondent -expressed surprise at the short-sightedness of the Hon. Secretary of -the Caulfield Progress Association in objecting to the racecourse -being used in the interests of aviation, and highly commended the -action of the authorities in recognising the national aspect of the -event. Another correspondent, probably a pessimist this time, who -expressed doubt as to the power of the Minister of Lands to give -permission to make a charge for admission to a display on the Caulfield -Racecourse, stated that nothing short of an Act of Parliament could -give the organisers of the display authority to make a charge. The Hon. -Secretary of the Caulfield Progress Association endeavoured to justify -his first by another letter, which appeared in the _Melbourne Argus_ -on February 6th. The morning paper announced that the gates would be -opened at 1.30 p.m. The public were warned that on no account would -they be permitted to encroach on the straight required for rising -and alighting, but they would be allowed to cross the course between -the flights. Further train and tram services were announced. - -The Australian Press were not lacking in giving every possible -support to aviation, and in particular to Harry’s enterprise. -On Saturday, February 7th, the _Melbourne Argus_ devoted a whole page -to descriptive details and pictures of the Tabloid, with which Harry -was to give his exhibition in the afternoon. Asked how much there was -in the art of flying, Harry replied: “All you have to do is to -get off the ground, keep up, and get back again, when and where you -want to.” Replying to a request for his opinion as to a certain -accident, when an aeroplane fell to the ground and was smashed as if -it were an egg, Harry said that the source of the trouble was a heavy -machine flying low down near the ground. What one required most of all -was plenty of air beneath one. He himself never from choice flew below -3,000 feet. If anything happened while one was well up, there was a -chance of making a good recovery before making contact with solid earth. - -Upwards of 25,000 people assembled at the Caulfield Racecourse to -witness Harry’s flying exhibition on the Saturday afternoon. In -New Zealand, Sydney, and Adelaide, the public had already seen a fair -amount of good flying, but, excepting those who had happened to see his -previous informal flights, the people of Melbourne had not until this -Saturday made the acquaintance of an experienced pilot who was as much, -if not more, at ease in the air as on the ground. Many factors probably -accounted for the extraordinarily large attendance. The display was -unique, for one thing; then the fact of Harry being an Australian, and -young at that, would draw many from pure sentiment. Again, was not the -man of the hour distinguished in the world of flight? - -The early part of the day was rainy and cheerless and there was little -improvement by the time the flights were to start. The outlook was -far from promising. Nevertheless, all the scheduled special trains, -numbering eighteen, were filled to overflowing, carrying 8,500 people -in all. All roads leading to the racecourse were filled with motor and -other vehicular traffic, which accounted for another 17,000 people. It -was a veritable Derby Day. Although several thousands paid to enter the -course, as many, and probably more, occupied points of vantage outside, -from where a clear view of the sky was to be had. The top of the fence -which surrounded the field was lined with hundreds of heads of boys, -youths, and men, all craning their necks to see as much as possible -without expending more than a little energy. Others thronged the roads -and streets in the vicinity. - -It was most unfortunate that, owing to the fact that the crowd was too -great to be amenable to the wants and dictates of the management, the -display was marred. Carried away by their enthusiasm and curiosity, -parts of the crowd overran the landing-ground, and so forced Harry, in -the interests of their safety, to abandon some of his programme. Harry -had previously been at great pains to choose this straight stretch and -arrange for it to be kept clear as a starting-and alighting-ground. -But across the end of the straight, near a newly-erected grandstand, -a densely-packed mass of people gathered, while hundreds of others -persisted in lining the rail of the steeplechase course. It was thus -rendered very difficult for Harry to land, and these two masses of -people considerably reduced the landing-space available. In fact, as a -result of the heedlessness of the crowds to warnings, cajoling, and the -attempted force of the police, at the end of his second flight Harry -was forced to make a fast landing, which terminated by his swerving -on the ground and running into the railing at the flat side of the -straight, where the crowd was exceptionally dense. One man, Mr. G. K. -Francis, an uncle of Harry’s friend and mechanic, Kauper, was -struck on the nose by the still slowly revolving propeller, and several -others in the vicinity received blows from other parts of the machine. -Fortunately no one was seriously injured, and the damage done to the -machine was very slight. Apart from a damaged landing chassis and a -splintered propeller, no other fracture occurred. Before this happened -Harry had decided that the crowd was making matters impossible for -him. His original intention was to make a solo flight first and then -follow this up by a series of passenger flights. A Miss Dixon was to -be the first passenger and Mrs. Clive Daniel the second. Lord Denman, -the Governor-General, accepted an invitation to make a flight. Several -other passenger flights had also been arranged beforehand. - -However, when the first ascent had been made according to schedule, the -crowd became unmanageable. The primary cause of the trouble was without -doubt the immense enthusiasm of the crowd and the intense admiration -which they had for Hawker. After his first flight, Harry managed to -have his machine drawn back to its original starting-point near the -beginning of the straight. Then the crowd which blocked that end of the -course broke from behind a police cordon and swarmed round the biplane. -The number of police present was inadequate to be of any avail. The -crowd would not be forced back. The two or three mounted police who -were stationed in the straight galloped up to the assistance of their -colleagues on foot and did their utmost to force the crowd away. Miss -Dixon had just walked down the course to the point where the biplane -stood, ready to take her seat. The crowd swarmed round on every side, -and meanwhile people from the other side of the straight were climbing -the fences and running across the track. The police did the most they -could to stem this new tide, but fully half an hour elapsed before -anything approaching order was restored. Even then the people lining -the end of the straight had advanced their position a considerable way -up the track, and thousands were lining the high fence on the flat side -of the course. Harry and his mechanics and members of the racing club -harangued the crowd and warned them of the danger, but their efforts -to clear the course were of no avail. Harry therefore decided not to -take the risk of making a landing in the cramped area with a passenger -on board. Nevertheless, in order that the entertainment should not be -entirely spoiled, he determined to make one more flight, with Miss -Dixon as a passenger, and land at Elsternwick. - -His altitude record having been broken in England a few days -previously, Harry had felt inclined to attempt to regain it in -the course of his exhibition on Saturday, but in view of all -the circumstances which I have outlined he abandoned the idea. -Nevertheless, his second flight was an effective exhibition of altitude -flying. He topped 6,000 feet and was almost lost to the view of the -spectators. Descending after a flight of about fifteen minutes, Harry -experienced the landing difficulties which he had expected and which -terminated as already described. Sweeping in from above the new -grandstand, he switched off his engine and swooped down, only to find -the space too small for landing. He switched on again and passed above -the crowd. Three times he repeated this manœuvre, which the crowd -cheered and regarded as an intentional feature of the exhibition. On -the fourth occasion he landed and ran into the crowd as explained. -Speaking of the accident afterwards, Harry said: “I made a very -bad landing, but it was a very difficult place. If there had not been -so many people there it would have been all right. It was difficult -work, but the machine stood the test.” - -To review these flights in greater detail. - -However great was the difficulty when near the ground, Harry was -perfect master of the machine in the air. Like a snipe hopping along -the ground before it takes wing, the machine shot forward. No one -seemed really to expect that it would fly, and the shout which rent -the air as the machine left the ground seemed one of half astonishment -and half satisfaction. At first Harry was content to traverse the -course, circling round and round above the heads of the people, who -cheered and cheered again. Turning the nose of his machine into the -south-westerly wind which blew, Harry began to climb in ever-narrowing -circles. Suddenly he pulled back the “joy-stick,” and from -the crowd below came a long-drawn “Ah!” To those on the -ground it seemed impossible that the machine could right itself. But -Harry had done no more than wilfully stall his machine, which, instead -of turning upside down, merely slid down about two hundred feet on -its tail. Righted once more, the machine was made to bank, volplane, -twist and turn like a great bird circling and hovering above the sea of -upturned faces. Then apparently it grew tired and swooped gracefully -to earth again. Passing over the stewards’ stand, Harry several -times playfully swooped down and up, leaving only a few feet between -the machine and their heads. Momentarily the crowd felt a thrill of -fear. - -Cheers rent the air as the machine at last came to a standstill, and -when Harry, after he had scrambled out, walked towards the grandstand, -there was a general rush to congratulate him and shake his hand. Thus -ended the first flight. - -The second flight seemed to the watchers below far more sensational -than the first. Scarcely waiting to circle the course, Harry began to -climb. The bark of the motor became no more than a purr as the machine -forced its way upwards, towards the sun apparently; 5,000 feet up, the -Tabloid appeared as a soaring bird to the crowd below. Suddenly the -purring of the motor ceased, and like a black-winged peer of the eagle, -the biplane sailed across the sky, twisting and turning as it were -in pursuit of visible prey. As it descended, the machine appeared to -change from black to grey. It was swallowed up by cloud and disappeared -altogether, only to return to earth with surprising suddenness. - -“Wet? No!” said Harry afterwards. “That wasn’t -a wet cloud I went through, it was a dry one. White clouds are always -dry. You go through black ones, and you’ll know the difference. -A white cloud is just like a dry white fog and the sun lights this up -beautifully. It is not a very clear day down here, but it is really a -very nice day up there. I was thinking while I was up that there seemed -to be just about one hundred miles of snow mountains, and the sun was -lighting up every one of them.” - -When Miss Dixon came down from the clouds, she, too, remarked on their -beauty as seen from above. Miss Dixon incidentally paid £20 for the -trip, which worked out at more than £3 per minute. Although it was -a costly business, many other ladies wished the flight could have -been theirs. Mrs. Clive Daniel who had also made arrangements for an -excursion on Saturday afternoon, was naturally very disappointed at -not being able to make the flight owing to the unavoidable change -in Harry’s plans. Mrs Daniel went so far as to offer Harry an -extra £10 if he made the flight, but Harry would not incur the risk. -He offered instead to make another flight with Mrs. Daniel from -Elsternwick after landing Miss Dixon there. When it was suggested -by someone the ladies should toss a coin in order to determine who -should have the privilege of the first trip, Miss Dixon declined to -abandon her bargain of having purchased the right to be the first -lady passenger, and accordingly she made the flight, which I will now -describe. - -For about five minutes the biplane circled the course and then, -pointing its nose homeward, flew directly for Elsternwick. The journey -took about a minute, and Harry brought the machine down on the -golf-links. Apparently it was Harry’s unlucky day, for a further -accident befell the machine as it came to earth. - -When the news spread abroad that Harry had decided to land at -Elsternwick, another great crowd assembled there. As soon as he saw the -people, Harry realised that he was confronted with a very difficult -landing problem. In order not to injure anybody, Harry purposely made -a steep descent. Unfortunately the biplane swung sharply round when it -touched the ground, with the result that the propeller splintered, the -landing chassis was badly wrenched from its mountings, and sundry wires -were strained. Luckily, no one received any injury. - -Miss Dixon thoroughly enjoyed her experience, and her enthusiasm was -shown by the fact that she at once arranged to make another flight with -Harry at Sydney. - -As Harry had been careful to bring one or two spare propellers with him -to Australia, the damaged Tabloid was soon restored to flying trim. - -On the following Wednesday, four days after the foregoing sensational -incidents, Harry had the honour of taking the Minister of Defence, -Senator Millen, for a flight. Senator Millen thus had the distinction -of being the first member of the Federal Cabinet to make an aeroplane -ascent in Australia. He was greatly impressed by the bird’s-eye -view of Caulfield, Malvern, Armadale, and St. Kilda, which he had -during a flight lasting about a quarter of an hour at a height of 3,500 -feet and a speed of 90 miles per hour. The flight was kept as secret -as possible. Nevertheless a crowd assembled in the hope of seeing -something, and, as usual, they pushed forward and occupied the fairway. -Mounted on a box, Harry’s father announced that there would be -no flight until all had withdrawn to the wall. This had the desired -effect, and Harry took his seat, ready to make a preliminary test -flight. After a run of about 40 yards, the machine rose gracefully, -and, steering a south-easterly course, Harry climbed to about 1,000 -feet. After circling round the park, he switched off his engine and -glided to earth, landing on precisely the same spot from which he had -taken off. - -Surrounded by a circle of friends, including the Minister of Customs, -Senator Millen watched this preliminary display with obvious interest, -and when it was over he made his way forward as it were to congratulate -Harry. But a burly policeman intercepted him and requested him to -retire. At the time very few of those present knew what the Minister -really intended to do. Senator Millen, turning to the constable, spoke -a few words to the latter, who at once broke into a smile and allowed -him to proceed. During the ensuing minutes the policeman bore the air -of one who had been entrusted with an important secret. - -But the Senator’s real mission was soon disclosed. Putting on a -pair of motor-goggles, he handed his hat to one of the mechanics, and, -after donning a cap, stepped up, and down into the passenger’s -cockpit. “Good boy, Millen!” shouted somebody, and the -crowd applauded. This time the machine took the air after a run of no -more than thirty yards. Heading into the wind, they soared steadily -above the electric power station until the only background was the -cloudless sky. After attaining a height of 3,000 feet, Harry, heading -eastward, took the Minister over the neighbouring suburbs. The purr of -the engine was distinctly heard by the people as the machine passed -above their heads. A white cloud from the exhaust-pipe indicated the -path of the machine, like the foam in the wake of a liner. To the -onlookers it seemed as if the machine proceeded out to sea during part -of the flight, but Harry explained afterwards that he did not actually -cross the water, but merely followed the coast. As the aeroplane turned -down-wind, Lieut. Petre and Lieut. Harrison, of the Defence Department, -estimated its speed at over 100 miles per hour. Time and again it -appeared to pitch and roll under the influence of the strong breeze, -but always under perfect control. After flying for about a quarter of -an hour at considerable height, Harry shut off his engine and glided -down, heading into the wind. After sinking and disappearing for a few -seconds behind the Elsternwick Hotel, the machine climbed just high -enough to clear the building by a few feet and swept between two tall -pine-trees, close to the ground, skimming along for about 50 yards, -a few inches above the turf, as if undecided whether or not to land. -Then it touched gently and, after a single hop, came to a standstill. -Senator Millen was received with loud cheering as he stepped from his -seat. - -After his flight with Harry, Senator Millen said: “I cannot say -that there was any feature one could describe as thrilling; nothing can -make one feel that one is heroic or any sort of a dare-devil: it seems -so beautifully simple, so steady, and so safe.” After stating -other opinions of his flight, he said: “My flight with Hawker -was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. Hawker is master -of his machine and seems to manipulate it by a movement of his finger. -While I watched him he never at any time made a movement with his arms. -In any case there is very little room to move in the cockpit. I have -done a great deal of fast motoring from time to time, but there is no -comparison between that and soaring in the air.” - -Harry afterwards took Lieut. Harrison, an airman of the Australian -Defence Force, and then Mr. T. G. White, holder of the motor speed -record between Melbourne and Adelaide. Mr. Francis Syme also had his -first experience in the air. On each occasion the rising and alighting -of the machine was accompanied by vociferous applause. - -Harry found the weather conditions the most boisterous he had yet -experienced in Australia. The strength of the wind he estimated at 35 -miles per hour, and the fact that it was not steady, but gusty, called -for most skilful piloting. The distance covered in his flight with -Senator Millen was about 20 miles. Prior to this flight Harry had only -flown an aggregate of about three hours in Australia, in which time he -covered in all about 270 miles. With Lieut. Harrison he ascended to -about 3,800 feet. - -Harry certainly displayed a keen appreciation of the economics of -flying propaganda while in Australia. Naturally his main object was to -popularise aviation as much as possible, and to do this he spared no -effort in giving exhibition flights at principal centres of population. -On the several occasions when he spoke of his preparedness to fly from -Melbourne to Sydney in under five hours he did not overlook the fact -that a remunerative inducement was a necessary concomitant. During most -of the time he would be flying over open country where there would be -few people to appreciate the object lesson provided by the aeroplane. -Therefore the expense of the flight must be retrieved. - -The weather conditions on Friday, February 13th, being good, Harry -had his machine out at 10.30 a.m. Two ladies and two gentlemen -enjoyed fairly lengthy flights during the morning, and Harry could -have continued carrying passengers until sundown had not the weather -been too good! As there was absolutely no wind it was difficult for -Harry to land below 40 miles per hour, and, the space available being -rather limited, he would not risk any further landings. As usual, a -large number of spectators was present. “How do they get wind -of it?” asked Harry. “I thought we had kept this little -flight absolutely secret.” But whenever the biplane was ready -for ascent there was an eager crowd waiting to watch and applaud or to -take photographs. By 2 o’clock a huge crowd had assembled outside -the garage in anticipation of witnessing further flights, but they had -to be disappointed as there was not a breeze of strength to ensure a -safe landing. Although Harry several times sent word to the effect that -there would be no flying during the afternoon, the people were content -to wait until dusk in a spirit of expectation. - -During Harry’s stay at Melbourne the Tabloid was continuously -on exhibition, either in the air or in the garage. Although a charge -of only one shilling was levied for admission to the garage, the sum -received soon totalled more than fifty pounds, representing over one -thousand visitors. To a Londoner this may seem, at first sight, very -few, but when it is realised that the population of the whole of -Australia is practically equal to that of London, it is clear that the -show was a great success. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -AERONAUTICAL ADVANCEMENT IN AUSTRALIA - - Harry’s Proposals for Aerial Defence—Seeing Under Water - from the Air—A Crowd of 20,000—A Governor-General Ascends 4,000 - Feet—And a Governor’s Daughter Goes Up Too—Stunts—Rumours of - Looping—Another Accident. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -When Harry arranged to leave Melbourne for Sydney on Tuesday, February -17th, he did not do so on account of any falling-off in the interest of -the residents of Melbourne and district, whose enthusiasm never abated. -In fact, when he did leave, and when he departed from Australia for -the last time (although he never knew it to be the last), there were -many who, having offered as much as £20 for short flights, had to be -disappointed. - -There was no narrowness about Harry’s plans for promoting -aviation propaganda in Australia. One idea which influenced his -actions considerably was to bring into bold relief in the world of -aeronautics the name of Australia, to do which he must accomplish the -converse, by bringing the world of aeronautics to the knowledge of -Australia. He hoped to achieve his object in part by establishing one -or two important records before returning to England in May. On the -important subject of the aerial defence of Australia Harry expressed -very strong views; and his authority was never disputed, for had he not -been brought into close touch with defence requirements in testing the -Sopwith hydro-aeroplanes for the Admiralty and in flying one thousand -miles around the British coast? He gave it as his opinion that the -aeroplanes already imported by the Australian Defence Department would -be of no practical use for the purpose intended. His view was supported -by several sound reasons. First, he declared that Australia’s -long coast-line made it imperative to employ hydro-aeroplanes or -flying-boats, and not land machines. - -“No one,” he said, “is coming from New South Wales -to attack Victoria. The danger to either state or the whole continent -will threaten from the sea, and it is therefore on the sea-board that -Australia must be prepared to intercept the enemy.” Continuing, -Harry declared that what was required by the Australian Defence -Department was a number of machines which could slip out over the -coast at a speed of a hundred miles an hour and drop their engines of -destruction upon the enemy before he “pushed the battle to the -gate.” Another significant statement which Harry made concerning -the machines which had already been acquired by the Defence Department -related to their antiquity. “Those machines,” he said, -“were ordered to my knowledge twelve months before they arrived -here. They have been here approximately twelve months. Aeroplanes are -constantly being improved, and the constructors as a rule produce -at least two new models a year. So, you see, your machines are four -models old already, and can only be used, if at all, for school -purposes.” - -[Illustration: THE DERELICT AEROPLANE, IN WHICH HARRY AND GRIEVE HAD -ATTEMPTED THE CROSSING, WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ATLANTIC BY THE U. S. -STEAMER “LAKE CHARLOTTEVILLE.” - [Facing p. 156. -] - -[Illustration: HARRY AT THE WHEEL OF THE RACING A.C., THE BODY OF WHICH -WAS DESIGNED BY HIM AND PROVED A REMARKABLE ADVANCE IN EFFICIENCY. - - [Facing p. 156. -] - -The Australians were much interested when one of the lady passengers -carried by Harry said that she could plainly see the bottom of the -bay while she was flying over Port Phillip. Harry and Kauper, during -their round-Britain flight, were able to see wrecks below water off -the Scottish coast. They found that views of this nature are not in -any way hampered by unfavourable conditions overhead, such as clouds. -A correspondent, in a letter to the _Melbourne Argus_, made the -suggestion that an aeroplane might be sent to fly above that part of -the ocean where the ill-fated _Waratah_ was last seen, with a view to -locating the whereabouts of the wreck. - -When asked to express his opinion of the meteorological conditions -prevailing in Australia, Harry said: “They are the finest in the -world. If there is one country in the world where aviation can be taken -up whole-heartedly as a sport, that country is Australia.” - -On Saturday, February 28th, Harry gave a flying exhibition before -20,000 people assembled at the Randwich Racecourse, Sydney. Most people -knew that Lord Denman was coming to see the flying, but none had the -least idea that the Governor-General would take the air with Harry. -Lord Denman, who had previously enjoyed a flight at Hendon, was taken -up to 4,000 feet. The next passenger was Miss Strickland, daughter of -the Governor of New South Wales. With these distinguished passengers -Harry did not attempt any stunts. In both cases the machine took the -air at a fine angle, climbing steadily. A couple of circuits were made -at a speed of about 90 miles per hour. - -It was during the flight with his third passenger, that Harry felt -justified in altering his plans. No one who witnessed his flights on -this particular Saturday afternoon would have been afraid to trust -themselves to his care; as one said, he controlled his biplane with the -ease and grace with which an expert chauffeur controls a motor-car. -Ascending almost perpendicularly, he attained an altitude of about -3,000 feet; then, with the machine banked almost beyond the vertical, -he descended in a rapid spiral. To those below it frequently seemed -that the machine was upside down. A great outburst of applause attended -one such descent, in which, instead of at once landing, he levelled -up the machine within a few feet of the ground and continued round -the course, conveying a vivid impression of speed. On this particular -occasion, after scouring the grounds in search of afternoon tea, Harry -landed in the vicinity of the grandstand! - -Harry had another flying engagement to keep on this particular -Saturday, and he flew over to the Victoria Park, Sydney. Many times he -was out of sight, hidden above clouds. There had been some talk of his -attempting to loop-the-loop during the afternoon, but the conditions -were not at all favourable. For one thing, Harry had no intention of -making his first attempt to emulate Pégoud at a height of less than -4,000 feet, and on this particular afternoon there were thick clouds at -1,500 feet. He would have had little satisfaction in going above them -and doing the job out of sight of those below, for who would have borne -testimony to his having accomplished the feat? Despite the low clouds, -Harry carried a goodly batch of passengers at Victoria Park and then -flew back to Randwich, where he was flying again on the morrow. On the -Sunday he carried many passengers, and his trick flying was greatly -applauded. - -Reaching an altitude of 2,000 feet, Harry gave what was described -as a magnificent flight of ten minutes’ duration, before an -assembly of six thousand people, at Albany, N.S.W., on Sunday, March -8th. He followed up this flight with another, in which he established -an Australian altitude record by reaching 7,800 feet. During part of -this flight he was hidden from view above clouds. When he reappeared he -executed a series of thrilling glides and dives, finally coming down -to about 400 feet. At this height he turned and flew in the direction -of the grandstand, and then, with intent to land, made a complete -turn. Spectators at once realised that Harry was experiencing trouble -with his engine. During his gliding and spiralling descent from the -great altitude he had allowed the Gnome to get cold, a circumstance -always fraught with the risk of not being able to restart the engine -immediately as required. Spluttering as the machine descended, the -engine finally gave out at 300 feet. Then it was Harry made a daring -dive in the hope that his motor would once more throb into active life. -But this manœuvre, twice repeated, was of no avail. From a height of -about 20 feet Harry brought the machine to ground in a crowded paddock -near the racecourse, in full view of many spectators and about 50 -feet from the three-railed fence. At first it was thought the landing -was satisfactory, but the momentum of the machine would have carried -it through the fence and wrecked the engine. Harry, realising this -predicament, took drastic steps, without hesitating. He plunged the -nose of the machine to earth so that the biplane stood on end with its -tail pointing skyward. A dense cloud of dust was raised. - -Thinking that Harry must be injured, the crowd gave utterance to a cry -of dismay; but a moment later Harry climbed out of his seat unhurt. -Of course there was a wild rush to the spot where Harry, the coolest -man in the crowd, was examining his machine. The damage amounted to a -splintered propeller, broken landing chassis, and broken interplane -bracing-wires. - -Harry’s only comment at the time was: “It was due to -pure carelessness. I let the engine get cold.” In so claiming -entire responsibility for an accident, Harry unconsciously displayed -his love for the cause of aviation. An accident seen by a large crowd -is essentially a set-back to the advancement of commercial aviation. -Presumably to avert this as far as possible, Harry said: “Blame -me, not the aeroplane,” or words to that effect. - -Some days later, on Wednesday, March 11th, Harry appeared in Melbourne, -smiling and unperturbed by the previous unfortunate occurrence. “There -was,” he said, “nothing at all about the accident of an alarming -nature; I was never further from a serious smash-up in my life. It -was not a flying accident at all, for the mishap occurred after I had -landed, when the machine was nothing more or less than a motor-car. -I was in danger of running into a fence, and I did the only thing -possible to avoid such a calamity, which would have meant serious -damage to the engine. There are no brakes on the landing chassis, -which was broken simply because I brought the machine up so abruptly. -The biplane will be ready by Saturday, when I shall carry several -passengers. Many more applications have been received, and I have as -many as thirty contracts for flights at £20 a time.” - -There was a considerable amount of flying in Australia in 1914. During -May a Farman seaplane was being demonstrated at Sydney. One of the -famous French pilots, Guillaux, was flying in Australia in April. He -looped-the-loop for the first time there, and aroused considerable -interest, following on Harry’s demonstrations. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS - - Harry’s First Loops—Flying to Manchester—Harry is Taken Ill in - the Air—He Returns and Lands Safely—And Collapses—An Extraordinary - Accident—A Very Narrow Escape. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -Harry got back to England on Saturday night, June 6th, 1914, and on -the Sunday afternoon was at Brooklands, flying both the two-seater -Sopwith and the Tweenie. He won an impromptu race with Sippé, who flew -a Bristol. “Aeolus,” commenting in _Flight_ on June 12th, -said: “Place Hawker anywhere where he can get his hands on a -machine, and you simply can’t keep him on the ground.” - -On Tuesday, June 16th, ten days after his return from Australia, Harry -looped-the-loop for the first time, both with engine on and off. He -was flying the 100 h.p. machine. On the Wednesday he did twelve loops -in succession. These displays were the forerunners of the looping -exhibitions which Harry arranged to give at Brooklands every Sunday -afternoon during the summer on the 100 h.p. Sopwith Scout. - -Harry flew to Hendon on the 100 h.p. machine on Saturday, June 20th, -and on returning to Brooklands in the afternoon he gave another looping -display. On Sunday, too, he was looping again. - -While the Hendon-Manchester-Hendon race was in progress on Saturday, -June 20th, Harry had the misfortune to be taken ill in the air. In -this race he was the scratch man, and, being favourite on the 100 h.p. -Gnome-engined Sopwith, it was a great pity he had to give up. - -He left the aerodrome at a high speed, about 25 minutes after the -previous starter, Lord Carbery. No news of his progress was received, -but an hour later he was seen approaching Hendon again. He made -a perfect landing, but was in a state of collapse, from which he -failed to recover for several minutes. Actually he had been as far -as Coventry, and had had a fairly rough passage. This affected his -stomach, and, after getting into dense fog and feeling he would be -overcome if he continued, he decided to return. His action in not -having landed at once may be criticised, but the fact that he got back -safely, if almost prostrate, is the best evidence that he knew what -he could do. Moreover, he had not experienced a forced landing with -this fast machine, therefore he could hardly be expected to know its -capabilities in this respect. - -Dr. Leakey, who attended Harry on this occasion, expressed the -opinion that he was suffering slightly from concussion due to partial -rarefaction of the air about the pilot’s seat of this fast -machine. This would tend, he said, to cause tympanum of the ear while -the roar of the motor compressed the air. - -On Saturday, June 27th, an Aeroplane Handicap was held at Brooklands -over a nine-mile course. Of the twelve machines entered, the slowest -had a flying speed of 35 miles per hour, while the fastest, the latest -Sopwith piloted by Harry, was capable of 111 miles per hour. But he was -too heavily handicapped, and the race went to Mahl, who was flying the -80 h.p. two-seater Sopwith. - -The same evening Harry had a very narrow escape. About 7 o’clock -he took up the 100 h.p. (monosoupape) Gnome Scout, and at 1,200 feet -looped-the-loop with the engine shut off. The loop was effected -properly, but when he had got the machine back on what seemed to be an -even keel, it got into a spinning nose-dive. Seen from the paddock, -the machine first dived vertically and then began to spin round and -round about its line of descent, descending comparatively slowly. -After a while—only a few seconds that seemed ages—the tail swung out -and the dive resolved itself into a spiral form. Finally the machine -crashed on its right wing in a coppice. The whole flight was described -as ‘looking like a leaf falling,’ and the fact that Harry -landed on the wing undoubtedly broke the fall and saved his life. As it -was, he was found, standing by the machine, in the thick undergrowth, -none the worse for the shaking. - -The following account of the accident was given by Mr. C. G. Grey, in -the _Aeroplane_, July 1st, 1914. - - “One of the most extraordinary accidents in the history of - aviation, and a still more extraordinary escape from death, occurred - to Mr. Harry Hawker at Brooklands on Saturday evening last. Mr. Hawker - went up about 7 p.m. on the Sopwith Scout (100 h.p. monosoupape - Gnome), and at about 1,200 feet he made one of his famous loops with - the engine cut off, by diving steeply and then pulling back. He made - the loop perfectly, but over the Byfleet road, and as he came out of - it, he started a vertical dive with a spin in it. - - “When I first caught sight of him from the paddock he was doing - a perfect ‘tourbillon’ spin, _à la Chanteloup_—that is to - say, the wings were revolving round the centre-line of the fuselage, - and the machine was standing vertically on its nose. It was coming - down quite slowly for such a fast machine, the pace being nothing - like its ordinary diving speed. Then the tail seemed to swing out - and the vertical path became an irregular spiral to the right, till - finally the machine seemed to be doing a banked turn with the body - nearly horizontal and the left wing up. The dropping speed had by - then decreased noticeably, but it was obvious that the machine was - not under proper control, for it seemed to ‘slash’ or - ‘flutter’ round like a falling leaf. At this point it - disappeared behind the trees on St. George’s Hill. - - “As quickly as possible a number of people from Brooklands got - to the spot, and after considerable difficulty found the machine on - the ground in a thick coppice, with Mr. Hawker standing alongside - it absolutely unhurt. A few minutes afterwards he went off back to - Brooklands, sitting on the carrier of a motor-bicycle, leaving the - machine in charge of the Sopwith machine crew. - - “Apparently the machine had struck partly sideways and partly - nose on into the top of a tall tree, into which it had flown rather - than fallen. It had then fallen vertically, bringing several big - boughs of the tree with it, and had finally sat down right side up, - flat on its chassis, on top of sundry saplings and undergrowth. The - wings had folded up neatly as it fell through the trees, and had come - down like a lid on the cockpit—how Mr. Hawker got out is a mystery. - The chassis had telescoped into the front of the fuselage. The cowl - was dented and bent, but not torn off. Two or three valve tappets - had been wiped off the engine, which was evidently revolving when it - struck the trees. The propeller was broken at the ends, but not at the - boss. The fuselage aft of the tank, with the elevator and rudder, were - absolutely untouched. - - “The first thing we did was to test the controls, and then found - the elevator and rudder working perfectly. The warp wires were also - uninjured, so there can be no question of controls going wrong. What, - then, was the cause of the accident? - - “For some time previously Mr. Hawker had been proving the - extraordinary stability of this machine. He used to take her up to - 1,000 feet or so, switch off his engine, and let the machine glide. - Then he would pull his elevator slowly back to stall her. With - the elevator hard back she would neither tail-slide nor dive nor - side-slip. She would simply descend on an even keel like a parachute, - but moving gently forward and rolling slowly first on to one wing and - then back to the other. Occasionally, in a gust, she would slide to - one side, descending sideways at about 45 degrees, which is hardly - a side-slip. On pushing the lever forward she would pick up her - gliding angle promptly. In fact, she seemed absolutely stable in every - direction. She recovered promptly also from a straight-dive which was - almost vertical. - - “Now comes this smash, and it is worth studying, for according - to the rules of the game the machine should have come up when the - elevator was pulled back. During the afternoon Mr. Hawker had been - arguing with an officer of the Naval Air Service about the need for - more vertical surface aft on these small high-speed Scouts. The - officer in question held that, owing to the short tail, if a Scout - started to spin round its own nose it would never come into control - again. - - “When Mr. Hawker disappeared behind the trees he undoubtedly had - his elevator lever hard back, and, as he was then banked well over to - the right, his elevators were acting, if they were acting at all, as - rudders, and so were forcing his tail round and increasing the spin. - In this position the rudder should act as an elevator and throw the - nose of the machine down, so causing a straight nose-dive from which - it should be easy to recover. Mr. Hawker tells me that he tried to - do this, but could not get it round against the air pressure, and he - ascribes this to the rudder being of the unbalanced type. He thinks - that with a balanced rudder and no fin he could have done it. - - “Also, he admits that if he had pushed the elevator forward as - soon as he found the spin developing, and had made a straight dive, - he could have pulled up straight, but he thought he was too near the - ground to risk doing so. - - It must be remembered that the Caudron on which Chanteloup does his - ‘tourbillon’ dive has a tail that warps in unison with the - wings and that it has two big balanced rudders, so that it really has - more control than the Scout class, and as it is a much slower machine - it changes its attitude in a much shorter distance even if it takes - the same length of time to do so. Still, it looked to me as if Mr. - Hawker was getting the machine under control just as she disappeared, - and I believe that if he tries the experiment again at 3,000 feet (no - one should try experiments lower than that), instead of about 1,000, - he will have come into control at 1,000 or so. - - “Anyhow, he is very lucky to be alive, and only for that - opportune clump of trees he would not have been. Still, to please the - Navy it might be worth while trying one of the Scouts with a bigger - rudder and fin—and a proportionately strong rudder tube, just to - avoid B.E. habits—so as to see how it affects their normal flying. - If it does not slow the machine appreciably, it might be well to adopt - a larger size simply to give extra directional stability and control, - and simplify the flying of the type by less clever pilots. - - “Has it struck anybody that there may be a very good reason for - the old Antoinette system of having vertical fins and rudders exactly - equal to the tail fins and elevators? An arrow with its vertical - feathers differing in area from its horizontal feathers would probably - steer curiously, so why not try a symmetrical ‘empennage’ - on aeroplanes?—C.G.G.” - -On the Sunday, the day after his so remarkable escape, Harry was giving -exhibition flights at Brooklands on the 80 h.p. Scout. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -SOME WAR-TIME EXPERIENCES - - Testing Production Machines—The Distinguished General and the - Camel—The Boredom of Old-Fashioned Transport—And How it was Remedied - on One Occasion—Testing a Doubtful Machine—Harry Gives Expert - Criticism—And Predicts the Performance of a Four-Engined Aeroplane. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -Harry was flying at Brooklands on Saturday, July 4th, 1914, when from -a height of 11,000 feet he could plainly discern the Isle of Wight, -so good was the visibility. A week later his machine arrived from -Australia. He lost no time in assembling the Tabloid, for during the -afternoon and on the morrow he gave looping exhibitions on it. These -Sunday exhibitions became a regular institution, and Harry’s -demonstrations were frequently referred to by the technical Press as -the “finest ever seen.” - -On Monday, July 13th, Harry flew to Farnborough and back on the -Tabloid, certain parts of which had been replaced by modifications -since its return from the South. The principal alterations were the -application of a lateral dihedral angle to the lower planes and the -uncovering of the rear part of the fuselage, the latter feature -resembling in some measure the practice adopted by Blériot in his early -monoplane designs. These changes were made to improve the suitability -of the machine for looping-the-loop. - -For looping displays at Brooklands during the period July 13th to 31st, -1914, Harry received bonuses amounting to £30. - -Public interest in displays of looping-the-loop was at its zenith about -this time, and Harry was kept very busy satisfying the craze, until -war was declared. On August 4th, the fateful day, he delivered his pet -looper to the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough. - -By this time the Commonwealth of Australia had a flying-school in good -working order and instruction had begun in earnest. It was generally -conceded that the great enthusiasm which the Australians had for flying -was largely aroused by the demonstrations which Harry gave there and -the pronounced views which he expressed. - -So far as the public were concerned, nothing more of Harry’s -flying was seen for several months after war was declared, until early -in March there arrived at Hendon, after journeying by air, a two-seater -tandem Sopwith biplane, a development of the Tweenie and of a size -intermediate to the Scout and the standard two-seater: and the pilot -was Harry. - -The privileged few who saw this businesslike-looking machine gleaned -from Harry that it climbed exceedingly well, besides being easy to -handle and comfortable to fly. Those who had not had an opportunity -to watch Harry’s piloting during the previous few months were -particularly gratified to see him coming in from Brooklands at a high -speed and exhibiting that brilliancy which characterised his piloting -in happier days of looping exhibitions and race meetings. - -Harry’s flying visits to Hendon were very frequent about this -time, partly because there was a very big training centre of the Royal -Naval Air Service there, in charge of the late Commander J. C. Porte, -R.N. On one occasion it was noticed he was flying for a long period far -beyond the precincts of the aerodrome, and numerous guesses were made -as to the cause, ranging from the belief that he had lost his way to -another that his engine had stopped and he was floating about, unable -to get down! When finally he had landed it was ascertained that he had -merely been completing the Admiralty one-hour test of a new machine. - -Some say Harry was the first pilot to loop-the-loop on a seaplane. Be -that as it may, on a certain spring morning in 1915 he was out testing -one of the Tabloids to which floats had been fitted. He described a -couple of loops as perfect as any that could be done on a land machine. - -Although most of his experience had been gained on high-powered Sopwith -biplanes, Harry was always equal to the occasion when it came to flying -something of a different order. Thus on a certain Sunday in August, -1915, he made a successful flight on a single-seater Beatty-Wright -biplane at Hendon. He was especially struck by the ease of handling -and sensitiveness of the controls of this machine, which in a sense -was not new to him, for it bore a striking resemblance to the old -Sopwith-Burgess-Wright. - -On June 6th, 1915, Harry broke the British Altitude Record for pilot -alone by ascending to 18,393 feet. This height exceeded the previous -record by nearly 4,000 feet. - -During April, 1916, Harry had the honour of flying before the King and -Queen at Brooklands, on the occasion of a Royal tour of inspection of -the Sopwith Works. - -The welfare of munition workers during the war when the strain was -greatest was of the utmost importance, and no explanation is needed as -to why the Sopwith Aviation Company held an athletic sports meeting in -the summer of 1917. In the afternoon a Sopwith Camel came overhead, -piloted by Harry, who performed what were described as “the -most hair-raising stunts ever seen.” At a very low altitude, -so that all could see in detail, he carried out loops, side-twists, -apple-turnovers, spiral dives, and other evolutions for which names -did not then exist. Once or twice the machine swooped down so low that -people ducked their heads. Those who recall the giant German Gotha -aeroplane exhibited at the Agricultural Hall may remember that it was -by a Camel that that particular machine was brought down. - -Of Harry’s work as test pilot to the Sopwith Aviation Company -during the Great War the best record is contained in his personal -log-book, or pilot’s diary, although this is by no means complete -and many entries are obscure, for Harry had no love for clerical work. - -To reproduce this diary would occupy many more pages than the whole of -my book, but the more interesting details and a statistical summary for -the period 1914-1916 are not out of place. In the particular book with -which I am dealing the first entry was made on July 13th, 1914, and the -last on October 20th, 1916. Entries were made relating to flights made -on 199 different days during that period. The different machines flown -and tested numbered 295, a remarkable record when it is realised that -with no more than a dozen exceptions all the machines were brand new -and put through their initial tests by Harry. - -Places mentioned in his diary as visited by Harry on his testing -expeditions include Brooklands, Farnborough, Southampton, Eastchurch, -Hendon, Blyth, Killingholme, Yarmouth, Dover, Calshot, Montrose, -Dundee, Woolston, Felixstowe, Chingford, Isle of Grain, Lincoln, -Kingston, Dunkirk, Villacoublay, Coventry. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._ - -OUR HOUSE AT HOOK, SOON AFTER NEWS OF HARRY’S RESCUE FROM THE -ATLANTIC. - [_Facing p. 174._ -] - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._ - -HOME AGAIN! HARRY AND GRIEVE AT GRANTHAM STATION, AFTER THE ATLANTIC -FLIGHT. MR. SOPWITH IS STANDING IN THE DOORWAY. - - [_Facing p. 174._ -] - -During the war several thousands of Sopwith aeroplanes were supplied -not only to the British Government but also to France and other -countries; and it not infrequently fell to Harry’s lot to pay -flying visits to Villacoublay during the years 1915-1917. On one -occasion, while Harry was there, a certain British General—who shall -be nameless—came on the scene, full of his own importance and talking -loudly of what he knew and of what he did not know. The subject under -discussion was the Sopwith Camel, a machine which Harry loved to -fly and believed to be well-nigh perfect, despite adverse criticism -occasionally directed against it. The General said he had had a good -deal of experience of the Camel, and that he found great difficulty -in getting the machine out of a spin, which, of course, was a serious -matter. - -In an undertone to a colleague, Harry said: “I don’t -believe he has ever flown one.” He then ordered a Camel to be -brought out from the sheds and extended to the General an invitation -to make a flight with him. Having carried the “Brass Hat” -about 2,000 feet up, he put the machine into a right-hand spin, from -which he did not attempt to recover until within but a few hundred feet -of the ground. Instead of landing and permitting the General to stand -on _terra firma_, he went up again and repeated the manœuvre, but with -a left-hand spin this time. Harry got out of the machine as if nothing -untoward had happened. He made no comment; but those who witnessed the -incident affirm that the way he looked at the General spoke volumes; -and as for the General, well, he suddenly discovered he had to go -off and inspect other sheds! - -The episode seems not to have ended there, however, for within a day -or two the officer in charge of the Villacoublay sheds (the friend to -whom Harry had confided in an undertone) was requested to report to the -controlling authority there, who made serious complaint and requested -him to write a letter of apology, containing assurances “that Mr. -Hawker would not do this sort of thing again.” It appears that -just before Harry had carried out the stunts with the General there had -been an epidemic of crashes through foolish, inexperienced young pilots -stunting too near the ground. Harry was therefore chosen as the victim -for chastisement, an action which caused him and his friends much -amusement. - -On one occasion it was necessary for Harry to go over from England to -Villacoublay by boat and train, a journey which to anyone, aviator or -not, was a miserable proceeding during the war. It is said that he -arrived at the aerodrome abusing everything to do with the sea, the -ships on it, the French railways, the railway officials, and everything -connected with rail transport. Finally he explained that he must have -a machine on which to fly back, as it was the only way of getting -about in reasonable comfort. How his want was satisfied provides an -interesting story. - -For some time the French had been in a very parlous state in regard to -fighting machines, in consequence of which the Sopwith representatives -at Villacoublay applied to the Air Board to let them have a Camel to -submit for tests. The request was complied with, and instructions were -sent from London to G.H.Q. at Marquise for a Camel to be detached -from store and sent to Villacoublay. A quaint old ruin turned up, -that had about as many flying properties as a tea-tray: the engine, a -subcontracted Clerget, was described as “simply a collection of -ironmongery,” and, taking the machine as a whole, it was just -possible to stagger about in the air if one knew a lot about flying. -Needless to say, the machine was of no use for its intended purpose, -namely, for demonstration purposes before the French Government, and in -consequence it had been rotting in the sheds for months. - -When Harry asked for a machine on which to make his return journey, -he was told that this was the only one available, and its history was -recounted in detail. Nothing daunted, he went and had a look at it, -and, after a few minutes’ examination, he expressed the opinion -that as apparently it had some indication of having been an aeroplane, -he thought, with care, it might be flown to London; and anyhow, -anything was better than boats and trains. He took the machine up and -found it unsafe to fly in its existing condition, for the engine very -nearly came out of its fixings. - -As it happened, there were one or two experimental Sopwith 1½ -Strutter biplanes, the property of the French Government, in the sheds, -and as the authority in charge decided that something very serious -might occur if Harry did not fly back, he ordered the engine from one -of these machines to be installed in the decrepit Camel. - -Harry set out for England in the Camel next morning in filthy weather, -but it was not he who had the “hump,” for those at Villacoublay had -intermittent spasms of what they called “heart disease” during the next -twelve hours, as they could get no news of his safe progress or arrival. - -Really, they said, they had not the least anxiety, for they had -unbounded confidence in what they described as Harry’s uncanny -capacity for getting out of trouble. Nevertheless, there were -considerable expressions of relief when news turned up that he had -landed safely. During the flight he had three forced landings owing -to failure of petrol feed; and he pulled out sundry odd bits of inner -tube and rubber piping from his tank. How they ever got there was never -discovered, but Harry regarded it as all in a day’s work, and a -subject of amusement rather than annoyance. - -Mr. Alan R. Fenn, a colleague of Harry’s and French -representative of the Sopwith Company at that time, to whom I am -indebted for some of these reminiscences, in a recent letter to me -wrote: - - “One other little thing that occurs to me is concerned with - the Dolphin. You will remember that we converted the 200 h.p. - Hispano-Dolphin to take the 300, and this work was done in Paris, all - more or less by rule of thumb. I then asked Harry to come over and - look the job over and fly it, if he thought well, and generally to see - if it was all right. - - “This was an extremely important matter, not by any means solely - from the point of view of the Sopwith Co., but much more from the - point of view of the French and American Armies in the field, who had - then no fighting machines coming forward for the 300 Hispano at all. - - “When Harry arrived and I pointed out to him that he must - not be too particular, explaining to him the very serious position - of matters, he did not hesitate for a moment, but took the machine - straightaway in the air, and as there was some little question as - to its strength, he gave it a thorough good rolling, spinning, and - diving, just to make quite sure it was all right. - - “It was so characteristic of the man in showing his complete - absence of fear, even when there might be a doubt in his mind as - to the capabilities of the machine. As a matter of fact, when this - machine was stressed, it was found to be very seriously weak, and - before it was put into production it was, of course, stiffened up. - - “There is one other characteristic little incident that occurred - as illustrating his outspokenness when he knew a machine was not right. - - “I took him to the sheds of a certain very famous designer and - constructor at Villacoublay to show him the new machine which had - just been offered for test to the Technical Section of the French - Government, and was supposed to be going to do all sorts of wonderful - things. - - “It was a weird affair, and its designer and constructor - happened to be in the shed at the time. Harry had a careful look over - the whole machine and made one or two caustic comments to me. I then - introduced him to the designer, who was a fairly tall man, and Harry, - looking at him squarely with his brown eyes, enquired which way up the - machine was intended to fly! - - “It was a tense moment, but Harry’s obvious sincerity - completely disarmed the designer, and they went into a discussion of - the pros and cons. Unfortunately I have no capacity for describing - incidents of this sort, but it really was very comic, for it never - occurred to Harry that his remark might cause offence: the design was - wrong, and that’s all there was to it! - - “I need hardly say he was correct in his views, as the machine - never did anything except kill a couple of people: which was what - Harry said it would do. - - “On another occasion there was a big four-engined Blériot. Harry - was on the field when this machine crashed at its first flight. The - pilot, I believe, was paid one thousand francs for every minute he - remained in the air. Harry was aghast at the whole machine and that it - should ever go into the air. He foretold precisely what happened when - it was flown. - - “The tail twisted off, and the machine, after falling like a - stone, caught fire. - - “Harry’s visits were very much looked forward to at - Villacoublay, and among the French pilots he was a source of - considerable admiration for the brilliancy of his work and his - profound knowledge of air work generally. Everybody turned out when - they got to know that Hawker was in the air.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A MOTORING HONEYMOON - - Harry to the Rescue—A Game of Cards—Keeping an - Appointment—Twenty-four Hours too Early!—A Provisional - Engagement—Marriage—Gas-bag Motoring—A Strained Back—Faith in - Christian Science. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -There must have been very few moments in Harry’s life when he did -not thoroughly enjoy himself, and since the time when I first met him -in April, 1915, stranded in a little light car which I used to drive -in those days, his cheery optimism has helped him over disappointments -and dangers which would have overcome a less buoyant nature. Some few -incidents of the intimate side of his character help to show how he -took life. - -One Sunday in April, while driving with a school friend through -Richmond Park, we came to a sudden standstill half-way between the -Kingston and Richmond Gates. Before starting that day I had seen that -the boy had placed a spare tin of petrol in the back, and I had put -this petrol into the tank before leaving Kingston. My knowledge of cars -extended very little beyond the amount it took to get this particular -light car along, so any stoppage was the source of much anxiety if it -happened to occur far from the reach of assistance. - -I commenced to look for the trouble in the carburetter, but this seemed -to be getting a proper supply of petrol. I dare not look so far afield -as that mystery the magneto, and I began to look upon the person who -could locate the cause of a stoppage almost immediately as a kind of -wizard; there seemed so many things that might happen. While I turned -the starting handle hoping that the car had forgotten its trouble, a -Grégoire came by in which were two men, and it was a sign of awkward -youth that I resolutely refused their proffered assistance, regretting -it as soon as the car was out of sight. Presently I noticed the -“petrol,” dropping from the carburetter when I flooded her, -instead of quickly disappearing into the ground, had accumulated into a -puddle, and then the bright idea at last struck me that the tank had -been filled up with nothing but water. I let all the contents of the -tank out and resignedly settled down to wait for a passing car whose -driver had a tin of petrol to spare. One or two passed, but we were -unable to obtain petrol from them. - -Then the Grégoire returned, and this time pulled into the kerb. The -driver, whom we were soon to know as Harry Hawker, got out and said, -“Was it petrol after all?” Rather surprised at this very -lucky guess, we enquired as to how he got his knowledge. “If -a girl breaks down,” he said, “she will invariably take -everything down that is detachable before she looks into the petrol -tank”; and although this was not quite fair in our case, it was -characteristic of his almost uncanny gift of being able to discern -what was wrong with a car almost without seeing it. I explained what -had actually happened while Harry was filling our tank from his spare -tin. We exchanged cards, or, rather, it would have been an exchange -had not Harry, after a lengthy search in many pockets, found he had -left his case at home, and so wrote his name on the back of the other -man’s. He had a nervous, offhand manner all the time, and -although he made one very unconvincing effort at a compliment on my -knowledge of motor-cars, he seemed genuinely relieved when I let in the -clutch and with many thanks drove away. - -But this did not prove to be the end of the episode, for the -following Sunday morning brought me a telephone message from the -“Police.” Vaguely wondering how I had broken the law, -although when one drives a car one gets on quite a familiar footing -with the police, I was surprised to hear that it was our rescuer of the -previous Sunday, who, with a sort of boyish enthusiasm, said he had -bought a 27-80 h.p. Austro-Daimler car during the week and suggested I -should come and try it. So we four newly-made friends set out, and this -was the first time I drove a real motor-car. It was characteristic of -Harry’s good-nature that each car he had—and he had many during -his lifetime—he was not only willing to let me, but pleased that I -should want to drive it, and those who have a kind of love for their -cars will know the effort required to let others handle them. - -Every Sunday during the summer we continued these drives without the -knowledge of my parents, until these meetings were discovered, as -such meetings usually are sooner or later. After a while I managed, -by telling stories of his great gallantry, to persuade my mother to -ask Harry and his friend Basil, with whom he “digged,” to -dinner. After dinner, my father, mother, and an old friend wished to -get up a hand of whist, and Harry volunteered to make up the fourth, -and sat down as though he enjoyed it. There were some young people -there that night, and we all trooped off into another room to indulge -in more enlivening pastimes. Whether he thought that to play a quiet -game of cards with the older people would make a better impression -than playing such childish games as we others were indulging in, is -a debatable question; but I am not sure he would not have had more -success had he joined us, for, as I afterwards learned, he loathed -cards, had played whist only once in his life before, and, needless to -say, played a very bad game. However, his simple frankness found favour -and we were allowed to continue our Sunday afternoon drives. - -Christmas drew near, and mother, on finding that Harry and Basil would -be alone in “diggings” for the festive season, invited -them to come and spend Christmas with us. “Now, don’t be -late,” she admonished them as they said good-bye on the Sunday -before. “We have dinner at four o’clock on Christmas -Day.” They certainly were not late, since they arrived at four -o’clock on Christmas Eve, twenty-four hours before they were -expected! Dad was the only one at home, and I arrived home at six -o’clock to hear his recital of their brief call. I guessed at -once they had made a mistake in the day, but Dad refused to agree with -me. The incident was never mentioned to Harry until after we were -married and about to spend Christmas in my old home. Then I said to -Harry, as we were packing: “We will not make a mistake in the -day this time!” “Good gracious!” exclaimed Harry, -“do you mean to say my wonderful display of tact failed on that -other occasion? As soon as we arrived, and I saw we were not expected, -I guessed we were a day too soon.” He went on to tell me that he -got out of a difficult situation by convincing Dad it was a time-worn -custom in Australia to make a call upon people the day before you went -to stay with them. Then he thought of the tell-tale bags in the back of -the car. He fixed Basil with his eye, and in a meaning voice directed -him to go out and turn off the petrol as the joint leaked—and Basil -took the tip. When Dad went out a little later to speed his two guests, -the bags were hidden beneath a large fur rug. Now, Basil felt the cold -intensely in England, but Harry not at all. So it must have been a -study in expressions when, in answer to a suggestion from Dad that they -should throw the rug over their knees, Harry assured him it was not -necessary as neither of them felt the cold in the least! - -In those days of war, when Harry was very busy seven days a week -testing new machines, sometimes at the rate of ten a day, and working -half the nights on designs for new ones, it was brought home to me, on -Harry’s enquiry as to how I filled in my time, how little work -I did to justify my existence. “I bet you I will get some work -within a fortnight,” I told him, and, after arranging the nature -of the bet, he took me on. - -Then followed a hunt for the elusive work. I had not the slightest idea -where to begin, as I had no special qualifications. However, I applied -at a Labour Exchange, an experience uncongenial in the extreme. I was -asked to fill in some forms stating my qualifications and experiences. -This did not take me long! I was then asked to fill in some more, and, -after this, was told to go home and await their communication. - -In a few days I had a letter asking me to call on the Monday at the -offices of the National Health Insurance Commission, Buckingham Gate. -There were only three days more before the expiration of my bet with -Harry, so I was only too glad to keep this appointment. I could have -laughed aloud when Mr. Alfred Woodgate, afterwards affectionately -known as the ‘Archangel,’ turned to his colleague, Mr. -Bailey, under whom I afterwards worked, and observed: “Let me -see, Bailey, you are wanting someone at once, aren’t you?” -and I was told to consider myself engaged as from the morrow. I -wondered whether I ought to say “Thank you, Mr. Woodgate,” -or “Thank you, sir.” Eventually I just said “Thank -you,” and departed very elevated. Perhaps the greatest joys -and sorrows of my life hung upon the words, “Consider yourself -engaged from to-morrow,” for that same evening Harry and I became -provisionally engaged to be married. I say provisionally, because at -that time, being still in my teens, and taking into consideration the -uncertainties of war, I did not want to be tied completely. - -The Sunday rides were continued, generally to Brooklands, where -there was always something for Harry to do. The Austro-Daimler had -been well “hotted up” and was now capable of 80 miles -per hour, and we spent many an exciting time “strafing” -anything willing and able on the road. I often wonder what manner of -curses we drew on our heads from nervous pedestrians who seem to enjoy -ignoring the footpath and walking with their backs to traffic, or -those twenty-mile-an-hour motorists who love the very centre of the -road and hate to move. I remember in particular an elderly gentleman -walking slowly along the road by the side of which was a perfectly -good and empty footpath, who, dropping his hat and stick, remained -firmly planted on both feet and stared at us in open-mouthed amazement -and disapproval as we whizzed by. Certainly for his especial safety -it would have been better had we indulged in our turn of speed on the -footpath. But I am sure Harry was less of a danger on the road driving -at 70 miles an hour than those, who cursed us most, were driving at 20 -or sauntering about in the middle of the fairway. These little trips -did not cease, and I well remember the very last Sunday Harry was with -me he said: “Let’s go out alone like we used to do and not -take anyone with us.” We did so, but then we met some friends at -tea-time! - -I often wonder if the early days of our engagement would have been -less stormy had I been more nearly Harry’s intellectual equal -or else a different type of girl altogether. But Harry had no time -for the “take-care-of-me” kind of female, and I believe -he thoroughly enjoyed our heated arguments. After we were married we -drifted into an always interesting and exciting existence, and life was -well worth living. - -We were married at St. Peter’s Church, Ealing, on November 14th, -1917. Just before the appointed hour, I sent a message round to the -church to see if Harry was there, as he so easily forgot the times of -his engagements. But his brother, who was to attend him, had rounded -him off the aerodrome at Brooklands, where he had completed the testing -of a machine in the morning, and hustled him into the awful clothes and -awful hat customary at wedding ceremonies, which he wore for the first -time. My first sane memory after the ceremony and reception were over -was of a most appalling noise issuing from the room in which Harry was -changing, and eventually some object was kicked into my room, which -turned out to be the poor old hat in tatters! - -For months Harry had been saving petrol from all quarters,—the -restrictions on that commodity being very severe then—in order that -we might spend our honeymoon on a motor tour. But motoring with petrol -became quite prohibited, so Harry had a large stand built on the -Grégoire to hold a gas-bag. We tried it a day or two before we were -married and found we could run a matter of about four or five miles -on the whole bag, which did not look very hopeful for a journey down -to Cornwall. Anyway, we started with the gas-bag up and the petrol -tank full and a few extra tins of petrol in the back, since it was our -intention to proceed by petrol except for an occasional mile or two by -gas for appearances’ sake. We filled up at Exeter, and arrived -at Launceston the next day in time for lunch. A dear old waiter, very -interested in us and our fearsome erection, related for our benefit -some incidents he remembered connected with the appearance of the -first motor-car in Launceston. He asked us how far we could go with a -bagful of gas. Harry said: “Oh, eighty or ninety miles.” -The waiter said someone had told him that gas-bags were no good, as -they could only do about ten miles. But Harry informed him we carried -compressed gas in an aluminium case, which assertion completely -satisfied him and left him with the idea that he had just seen the last -word in gas-propelled vehicles! The gas-bag was a nuisance, however, -and we should have done just as well without it, despite the remark -of the “bobby” inspecting petrol licences at Exeter. -When he saw us coming out of the gas company’s premises, he -said with a grin: “Ah! I see you have the laugh of the petrol -restrictions!” - -All the horses shied at the wretched thing, and we were hung up half -an hour in a very narrow lane near Penzance owing to a horse which -had shied, fallen, and refused to get up again through fear of our -conveyance. - -It was at this period that Harry’s back started to give trouble. -A week or so before we were married he was flying a machine to France -and had to make a false landing into thick snow for some trivial cause. -Not being able to speak any French to explain his presence there, and -being in civilian clothes, he was taken into custody by the French -authorities and placed in the guard-room. He was due to arrive at his -destination—Villacoublay, I think it was—before dark, so the delay -was serious. He managed to get away on a passing English lorry, and -with the assistance of two men he got the machine out of the snow and -arrived at Villacoublay before dark. In moving the machine, he strained -his back, which since his crash in 1913 was always apt to give trouble -under a great strain. It did not get better, and a month later he went -to bed for a time on his doctor’s order. The treatment gave him -no relief, so that after a fortnight he decided to get up and let his -back cure itself, which, for the time being, it did. - -He had no trouble of any description until two years later. One day, -when he had been doing some heavy lifting in his workshop, he came in -and complained once more of the pain in his back. It grew worse and -worse, until he could not stoop or bend his back at all. He was then -advised to consult a famous bone-setter, who told him his trouble was -an adhesion of muscles which would have to be broken away, an extremely -painful process, but that when it was completed there would be no -further trouble. Harry said, “Go ahead,” and every week -he received the treatment and every week he seemed to get stiffer and -to suffer more pain. He persevered with the treatment for some weeks, -often in great pain, until I persuaded him to have further advice. He -consulted a back specialist in London, who, after having seen the X-ray -photos of his back, gave the verdict that two courses only remained -open to him. The first was to be flat on his back for two years; the -second, an operation, by which new bone was to be grafted into the -spine, followed by twelve months on his back. He was told that there -was no alternative to these two remedies, as if his back were left in -its present condition it would gradually grow worse until he could not -move at all. Poor Harry! This was the greatest trial of his life. - -A few days later he was persuaded to have Christian Science treatment, -and by a strange coincidence Commander Grieve wrote to him on hearing -of his trouble, telling him in his blunt way to “Give Christian -Science a go.” He told of cures that had been effected in the -case of his own relatives, and said he firmly believed that their -lives were saved through Christian Science methods. Harry read out -the letter, saying: “Well, if it’s good enough for old -Mac, it’s good enough for me!” and at once received the -treatment which he had been advised to take, and made a study of the -Science. The result was magical. The pain in his back went away, not -gradually, but immediately, and never to the end of his life—only a -year it is true—did he have any further trouble, although that last -year was filled with greater physical strain—track-racing—than any -other year of his life. He was able to bend his back to do anything, -put on the weight which he had lost during the painful two months, and -was his own cheery self again. - -I have written here just the bare truths of Harry’s back trouble -and cure, making no attempt to round it off with suggestions that the -cure may have been the effect of his first adviser’s treatment -(just for the benefit of those sceptics who will smile), since it -was his firm opinion that the Christian Science treatment did for -him immediately and permanently what no one in whom these sceptics -put their faith could do. We all know so little and profess so much, -and yet ninety-nine out of a hundred Christian people will back any -guessing human doctor against their God when bodily adjustments are -necessary, and smile with amusement when the odd one seeks and receives -his Maker’s help. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -BUILDING A 225 H.P. MOTOR-CAR - - Harry Buys Two Aero Engines—And a Mercèdes Chassis—Structural and - Starting Problems—Myself as Rivet-Driver—We Start the Engine—And I - Stop It—On the Road—Shows Clean Heels to Big American Car—And Tows - a Rolls—Harry in His Home Workshop. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -As soon as we had settled down at “Ennadale,” Hook, Surrey, -and Harry had fitted up his own workshop adjoining the garage, he -conceived the idea of building himself a real motor-car, and with this -end in view he purchased two 225 h.p. Sunbeam aero engines (one for -spares) and a 35 h.p. Mercèdes chassis. - -At the time we had an enclosed Talbot, the gas-bag Grégoire, and a -“sports” Ford, and Harry wanted to complete the “fleet” with a truly -sporting car. - -He dismantled the Mercèdes chassis and then began his task of putting -the Sunbeam in the frame, no small undertaking single-handed. - -The first trouble was the front cross member of the frame, which -did not allow sufficient room for the long engine, and for days he -debated whether he would cut out the Mercèdes four-speed gear-box and -substitute a smaller box of two gears or shift the member. He decided -to move the member back, and in the end the frame had so many holes in -it that it had the appearance of having been “lightened.” -However, he had all the surplus holes filled and the frame strengthened -to take the extra weight. Then he got the engine in, and the trouble -became the ground clearance, which only amounted to about six inches. -The engine was raised a little, and although the oil-sump and fly-wheel -seem perilously near the ground, no damage has ever been done. The -radiator he obtained off an aeroplane, which he had nickelled, and the -propeller-hole filled in with tubes. Then he started with sheets of -aluminium to make the bonnet. I became so proficient at riveting that -one side was left to me, which I successfully accomplished, though the -length of the bonnet, about 7 feet, made it cumbersome to handle. -Messrs. C.A.V. made a special starter capable of turning it at a good -speed, as it was impossible to start it by hand. I well remember the -first evening we started her up. The batteries were so low that the -starter would only just turn the motor over. The car was not ready for -the road, so we could not tow it, and we were a long time trying all -means to start it. At last, with Harry swinging for all his might, -helped by what little effort the starter could manage, it started up, -but on one side of six cylinders only. - -With the deafening roar of an unsilenced aero engine running in the -confined space of a shut garage, and with the exhaust filling the air, -it became very uncomfortable to me, but not so Harry. He seemed quite -content to stand and watch it. Whether he had had secret forebodings as -to whether it would ever start, or, having started, whether it would -blow itself up, I do not know; but he looked so impressed to see the -motor running, although only on one side, that it was quite an effort -to leave it to fetch some tools which he needed from the adjoining -workshop. - -It had been running some time, and not too slowly, when, looking round, -I saw the induction-pipe was red hot. I called to Harry to come and -stop the engine, but in the din he did not hear, so, rather than waste -a second, I stopped the engine. After all the trouble we had had to -start it, Harry thought I must be mad, until he saw the induction-pipe -creaking and cracking—all the solder run. - -For a minute he thought the motor was spoilt, realising that it had -been running too long on one side alone. - -However, off came the induction-pipe, and the next day it was brazed up -and then replaced. - -A few days after this saw it out on the road for its first run. It -exceeded all expectations both as to speed, flexibility, and especially -acceleration, and we returned home covered in mud and home-made glory. -Harry had a special aluminium body fitted of his own design, one of the -first aluminium bodies seen on the road, and certainly the first real -attempt at protection for the rear passengers. For some time we had a -good deal of plug trouble. Continually they oiled up through running -slowly. Sometimes a good fast run would clear them, but generally they -had to be changed, and with twelve sparking plugs this became pretty -frequent. The use of special adapters, into which his ever-favourite -K.L.G.‘s were fitted, completely solved the difficulty and -never has the trouble recurred. - -This car became Harry’s most valued possession. In appearance, an -ordinary powerful touring car, he loved to try her out against anyone -willing for a “go.” - -I remember being passed on the Portsmouth Road at a high speed by a -12-cylinder Packhard, driven by a big American. We were not exactly -“dawdling” along at the time, and the Packhard came for -us, thinking Harry had his foot down. However, following it through -the town of Kingston at the staid pace that town demands, but, happily -for its finances, does not always obtain, we found the broad straight -road of Kingston Hill practically empty of traffic. The American opened -out, and the 12-cylinder Packhard is no indifferent “speed -model.” He sped away, we following closely, until well on to the -hill, when Harry, without need of the rapid change down employed on -lesser cars to get away quickly, put his foot down, and with a dig in -the back due to the acceleration we shot ahead with half the power to -spare. - -At the top, the man on the Packhard came alongside and said, -“Say, that’s some roadster you’ve got there. What -power is she?” To which Harry replied with his usual inoffensive -bluntness, “Same as yours. Twelve cylinders, only better -ones.” They struck up quite a friendship, the American vowing at -parting that he must get something like that to take back to America -with him. - -Another time, going to town to have it out with some body-works people -who had kept a chassis of his an unconscionable long time fitting -a body, and getting no satisfactory promise of an early date of -completion, Harry told them they could leave it altogether and he would -take the chassis home. He had a friend with him at the time who had -never driven a car in his life, and knew nothing about such troubles. -Well, the car was to be got back somehow, and if this man could not -drive it he “could at least,” says Harry, “sit and -steer it while I tow you gently.” - -And thus they left London for Kingston, the novice at his first -steering-wheel being towed by Harry on the Sunbeam. The very natural -qualms on the part of the man were testified by the state of the brakes -when they eventually did get home, showing it was doubtful if they -were ever released in his manful endeavour to follow instructions and -“keep the rope tight.” - -All went well, proceeding at little more than double the lawful -speed of five miles per hour for towing vehicles, until they reached -Putney, when a Benz, manned by a good portion of the British Navy, -started to tempt Harry. Undoubtedly the Sunbeam interested them, -and they kept passing and stopping, inviting yet hardly expecting a -“strafe,” considering the Rolls chassis tied on behind. -Still, Harry studied the feelings of his friend behind and plodded on -into the open road between Putney and Kingston. At last, having just -been passed like the wind by the Benz, the temptation got the better -of him, and with a glance behind to notify his intention, he opened -out, and up the hill he roared with his freight behind, passing the -Benz with its highly-amused and excited crew like an express train. -And the man behind only said two words when they arrived home to tea: -“Never again.” - -It was never amusing to be towed home by Harry, as I know well from -experience. Once at Brooklands the 6-cylinder A.C., then in its -experimental stage, had broken something while on the track, and Harry -offered its driver, Victor Bruce, a tow home on his own racing A.C., -then fitted with a two-seater body. Just before starting, a little -delay was caused by someone taking the passenger seat on the 6-cylinder -A.C. for a lift home, which said seat was apparently booked by another -member of a little gang of speed merchants who forgather at Brooklands, -called generally “Moir,” although he has other and very -nice names. The gentleman having been placed gently but firmly on his -feet by Moir, he started to walk up the hill from the paddock towards -the gate. - -Harry, having tied the six-cylinder on behind with a bit of thin -string he had found lying about, we started off, accelerating to take -the hill. Halfway up, just passing the seat-usurper, to whom Moir, -standing on the seat that he could be better seen, was bowing with -that courtly manner lost to us centuries ago, the string broke through -the jerk in changing gear, and the bow had a sudden and undignified -ending. However, in a very up-to-date manner, the gentlemen assisted -in replacing him, and the rest of the homeward journey, with the same -string, only much shorter, leaving a couple of feet between the two -cars, was of sufficiently diverting a nature to remedy any discomfort -that might have been felt from the bruises. Harry and I being very late -for something that night, we hurried, making a run home in record time, -which time I should hate to see in print. - -And yet he had very few accidents. The only one that might have had -bad results, but which fortunately did not, was when driving his -Austro-Daimler in 1917 with Lieut. Higginbotham, who was the Admiralty -representative in inspecting the Sopwith machines, and two other men. -Entering Brooklands for the flying-ground, they had just left the -paddock, and in negotiating the S bend which the road takes here, at a -good speed, the car turned completely over and landed in the ditch. - -The three got out unhurt, but the car had to be lifted off -Harry’s arm where the steering-wheel had caught him. His shoulder -was badly put out, necessitating his arm being in a sling. The next -afternoon, in making some enquiries about some machines, he was advised -not to go near Brooklands for a day or two, or he might be tempted to -fly. He replied: “That’s all right, old man. I put three -of them through this morning, but this wretched sling is a nuisance -flying; I must have it off to-morrow”—which he did, although it -was very painful and took much longer to right itself. Another outcome -of the incident was that Lieut. Higginbotham the next morning lodged -a humorous complaint against the Sopwith Aviation Company for trying -to dispose of the Admiralty representative owing to his strictness in -supervising their productions. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._ - -THE SCENE OUTSIDE KING’S CROSS STATION, LONDON, WHEN HARRY -RETURNED FROM THE ATLANTIC. THE AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS DECIDED THAT HARRY -MUST HAVE SOMETHING MORE TRIUMPHANT THAN A CIVIC RECEPTION. - - [_Facing p. 198._ -] - -Harry spent all his spare time in his workshop attached to the garage, -where he always had some big undertaking on hand. He had the habit -of singing or whistling at his work, unless things went very wrong, -when he would work in silence and it was difficult to extract a word -from him. But it was when he had two or three days’ work to be -finished in one night that he developed that irritability which came so -quickly and went as quickly which was one of his characteristics. But -the occasions were comparatively rare, for generally he was perfectly -happy and good-tempered during the evenings we spent in the workshop. -He always worked with a rapidity which almost bewildered the stranger, -and he had no patience with a slow worker, rather doing the work -himself. In the winter months we decided to give up going down to the -workshop after dinner, and spent these evenings reading. Or, rather, -I read while Harry listened, as he could never read or write himself -for any time, since he performed both in such a slow and laborious -manner it was obviously no enjoyment to him. We always began with any -items of interest from the current motoring and flying papers, and -sometimes a long (and to me generally unintelligible) article from the -_Automobile Engineer_, and then continued the book we had in hand. He -was a schoolboy in his taste for literature, for it was always a tale -of adventure, varied by something gruesome, such as Bram Stoker’s -“Dracula,” which he chose to be read, and we got through -many books in this way. - -One evening, soon after the Armistice, Harry came in and said he had -been asked to fly the Atlantic with a machine which Sopwith’s -were prepared to build. He had always been keen on the flight, and I -knew it would come sooner or later. Pamela was two months old at the -time, and I had a great feeling of responsibility on her account. Harry -gave me a perfectly free choice as to whether he should go or not, -and I was torn between my duty to Pam to ask him to stay and my duty to -him to let him go. I tried to imagine how I should feel if another man -were to fly the machine that Harry ought to fly, just because I feared -the consequences. I knew I could never allow that to happen. I said: -“Why should you think I want you to stay? I want to be proud of -you.” - -So after that they went steadily forward with their preparations -and were eventually ready to start for St. Johns, Newfoundland, on -March 28th, 1919. Harry and Commander Grieve in a preliminary test at -Brooklands in one day flew a distance of 1,800 miles, equivalent to the -Atlantic flight, and there was no hitch, not even in the sandwiches -which I cut for them! - -Jury’s Imperial Pictures produced a film showing Harry’s -trials for the Atlantic flight conducted at Brooklands prior to his -leaving for Newfoundland. The operator who took this film went up in a -second machine when Harry was in the air. - -It was pouring with rain the day Harry started, and bitterly cold. -During the preparations my courage had remained high, but when I went -into Harry’s room just before we left, and found him crying, I -lost heart and broke down entirely. He had been putting a few last -things into his bag when his feelings got the better of him. He was -always sensitive and soft-hearted, and I knew he was going to be -terribly homesick until he got over the other side and had plenty to -do. The sight of his grief was too much for me—my courage oozed out -altogether. But tears—even the tears of a grown-up man and woman—are -a wonderful relief to overwrought feelings. We felt much better -afterwards, and were able to look on the bright side of things once -more. - -I only went as far as London to see Harry off, for I could not leave -our baby for long at a time. The drive could hardly be described as -cheerful. I sat on the floor of the 12-cylinder Sunbeam, for better -protection from the rain, as we carried no hood. With my head on -Harry’s knee, I longed to sleep away the next two months. He -reached the station only just in time to catch the train, and a number -of friends had gathered to see him off. I recall that at that moment -I wished I had married a farmer’s lad without ambitions. I was -thankful when the whistle blew, as I felt so very unsure of myself and -was afraid of breaking down again. He was gone, and all I could do was -to wait for the future to unfold itself. - -I got back home at ten o’clock in the morning, oppressed by a -feeling of great desolation. I could not settle to anything, and even -Pam could not brighten me up. - -After the first week of Harry’s absence, time at home went fairly -quickly. I never left home for longer than two hours, and when I did I -bought newspapers of every edition, in the hope of getting news. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -READY FOR THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT - - Conditions Governing the Flight—Arrival in Newfoundland—Mount - Pearl Farm—Snowed Up—The Test Flight—Local Interest - Intense—Wireless Difficulties—Details of the _Atlantic_—An - Aerial Lifeboat—Clothing of the Trans-Atlantic Airmen—Estimates - and Anticipations—Over a Ton of Fuel—A Letter for the King—An - Inspection by the Governor—Storms—Prospects of a Race—Revising - Plans—Grieve—Navigation Problems and Methods—Weather Forecasts—A - new Starting-ground—Nervous Tension—The Aviators are Amused - by Their Correspondence—A Would-be Aerial Bandsman—False - Weather Reports—Services of the Air Ministry—Weather-bound at - St. Johns—Harry’s Confidence—Four Magnetos and a New - Propeller—Address from the Mayor of St. Johns. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -The regulations governing the competition required that the flight be -made from any point in the British Isles to the United States, Canada, -or Newfoundland, or in the reverse direction, within seventy-two -consecutive hours. The competition was open to all persons of any -nationality not of enemy origin, and no aeroplane of enemy origin or -manufacture could be used. The starting-place had to be named by each -competitor and also as nearly as possible the proposed landing-place. -All starts had to be made under the supervision of officials appointed -by the Royal Aero Club, and only one machine could be used in each -attempt, which could, however, be repaired _en route_. The machines had -to be marked so that they could be identified on landing on the other -side. Intermediate stoppages were permissible, as also was towing on -the water, and if a pilot left his machine to go on board ship he must -resume his flight from approximately the same point as that at which -he went on board. (The latter condition seems at variance with the one -permitting towing.) It was permissible to alight on the water for the -purpose of making minor repairs, and an aeroplane could lie alongside a -ship for the period for making the repairs. - -Harry and Grieve arrived at St. Johns, Newfoundland, on Sunday, March -28th, 1919, and immediately about to prepare for a start on April -16th, when they would have the advantage of a full moon, if conditions -otherwise were favourable. It was their intention to start about -10 p.m. English time, and they expected to reach Fermoy, co. Cork, -Ireland, between 4 and 5 o’clock on the following afternoon. -They arrived before their rivals, Raynham and Morgan, the Martinsyde -personnel. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the -Sopwith machine, in its gigantic packing-case, from the city to the -temporary aerodrome, although the distance to be traversed was only -a few miles. The roads between St. Johns and the aerodrome were in a -shocking condition, and the immediate approaches to the aerodrome at -the best could only be described as sodden. - -The shed in which the machine was housed was of timber, 55 feet across -the front, 50 feet deep and 30 feet high. The front was made up of door -sections sliding between grooved panels to either side, where they -were removed and laid on the ground when the machine was brought out. -The replacement of these doors presented no little difficulty when the -wind was high. The shed overlooked a slight downward incline, with -an eastern aspect, facing St. Johns Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean, -neither of which, however, was visible from the aerodrome. The name -of the place was Mount Pearl Farm, four miles west of St. Johns, and -was the largest area of cleared ground in the vicinity. It was rough, -uncleared ground that made it difficult to get the machine from St. -Johns to the aerodrome. - -For a distance of about 100 feet heavy stone was spread in front of the -shed to facilitate handling of the machine. When only quarter filled -with petrol about 20 men were required to wheel the machine on the -aerodrome. - -On April 7th, there was a very heavy fall of snow followed by a -twelve-hours’ rainfall, which effectively combined to turn the -Mount Pearl Aerodrome into a mud-bath, thereby preventing any test -flights being made for several days. Thus delayed, Harry and the -Sopwith personnel were able to take it more or less easy in erecting -the machine. The work was soon completed. The Ford car which they -had at their disposal became stuck in the snowdrifts more than once. -Attempts to drain the aerodrome by the digging of trenches were made. -In expediting the installation of the wireless on the machine, the -staff of the Admiralty wireless station rendered considerable services, -for which Harry was very grateful. - -Harry made the first flight with Grieve on Thursday afternoon, -April 10th. Leaving the ground at 4.40, he ascended to 3,500 feet, -flying above St. Johns and Concepcion Bay, where he carried out some -high-speed tests, during which well over 100 miles per hour was -attained. He landed at 5.30. But for the fact that the mud due to the -recent heavy fall of rain had been hardened by frost, this flight -would not have been possible; and, as it was, the wheels sank into the -mud considerably when the machine landed, in spite of the fact that -Harry had lightened the load as much as possible by carrying a minimum -quantity of fuel. - -So far as concerned the engine, the test flight was entirely -satisfactory, and the only trouble with the aeroplane was a slight -bending of the rudder, which occurred as the machine was leaving -the ground. Considering the state of the latter, it is a matter for -surprise that more damage was not done. The wireless transmitter was -put out of action owing to the fan, by means of which the generator -was driven, being of unsuitable dimensions and turning too fast. As -regards the actual flight, all was nearly lost; for when the machine -was leaving the aerodrome an unusually strong “bump” nearly -drove it into a cluster of trees. Crowds of people in the streets of -St. Johns congregated to watch the trial flight, which, incidentally, -was the first ever seen by the majority. The interest was so great that -even the Senate, or Parliament, was prorogued in order that members -might see what was going on. - -As his rivals with the Martinsyde were due to arrive, Harry was anxious -to get away as soon as possible. So well did everything go that at one -time he hoped to get away on April 12th (Saturday), but the weather -would not agree when the time came. - -As already mentioned, the generator of the wireless transmitter was -burned out, and so Harry, being unable to replace it locally, cabled -home for another. In the interim, Grieve, who was inclined to favour a -smaller type of apparatus having a shorter radius of action, procured -a “Boy Scout” set for use in case the new generator -ordered from home did not arrive in time. The absence of wireless -“sending” apparatus would certainly minimise their chances -of safety in the event of a mishap because they would be unable to -summon ships to their aid by this means. Harry and Grieve, however, -were at first inclined to believe that, travelling at a speed of 100 -miles per hour, wireless would be of little use in making effective -communication with passing vessels. - -Nevertheless, one effect of the long delay in making a start was to -cause them to modify their views as to the utility of carrying a -wireless transmitter, for on April 20th Harry installed a small sending -apparatus. This, however, proved unsatisfactory, and about the end of -the month he cabled to England for a more powerful set to be sent out -by the steamer _Digby_ on April 28th. It is interesting to note that -experiments with a directional wireless apparatus were carried out -during the trials at Brooklands, but they decided to do without it on -account of its great weight and because wireless was not a necessary -accessory for Grieve’s method of navigation. - -The Sopwith machine, which was christened the _Atlantic_, was a -single-engined biplane propelled by a 350 h.p. Rolls-Royce engine -installed in the nose and driving a four-bladed tractor air-screw. -The engine alone weighed 850 lb., and the rest of the machine (i.e., -without fuel, oil, water, and pilot and navigator) turned the scale at -about 2,000 lb., the total flying load at the start being estimated at -6,150 lb. A maximum speed of 118 miles per hour could be attained and a -cruising speed in the region of 105 miles per hour at 10,000 feet. - -The “fairing,” or streamlining superstructure of the body -or fuselage, was designed in the form of an inverted boat, partly -collapsible, which could possibly be useful in case of emergency if -the aeroplane kept afloat long enough for Harry and Grieve to launch -it. The boat was made of three-ply wood. During their long wait for -the weather they passed away much time by testing this boat in the -inland pools in which broken ice was floating, and found it possible -to launch it in less than a minute. The pair of them could walk along -with the boat, drop it into the pool, and, subject to their exercising -considerable caution, get in; but to steer a course in it was very -difficult owing to its unorthodox shape. The boat contained emergency -rations, paddles, and flares, the latter, of course, being for the -purpose of attracting shipping. Parachute lights for night signalling -and smoke flares for day signalling were carried in the fore part. At -the stern was carried an air-bag, which could be inflated not only -to serve as an additional means of flotation, but also as a support -for the collapsible upper part of the boat, which was made of canvas. -A sea anchor was provided. The emergency rations in the boat were -supplemented by a gallon of water in a hermetically sealed cask. In the -aeroplane the commissariat included sandwiches, cheese, beef extract, -toffee, and black coffee in Thermos bottles. - -Neither Harry nor Grieve had much confidence in the lifeboat, in spite -of their skill in launching it. For one thing, they had no experience -in launching it with the aeroplane either afloat or in a sinking -condition. When ultimately they had occasion to launch their boat in -mid-Atlantic, Harry and Grieve found that, with the machine right -way up, the process presented no difficulty. To simply lift a catch -and heave clear was easily done. In the cold inland pools in which -they practised with their boat Harry and Grieve also tried out their -patent unsinkable clothes, which, contrary to many reports, were not -electrically heated. - -The clothes which Harry and Grieve wore comprised heavy woollen -under-garments, and two jerseys over their ordinary suits. Outside all -this was a floating rubber suit with air-bags back and front, ready -for inflation if needed. These safety suits were of the American Navy -pattern. - -In attempting the flight, Harry was of opinion that he was undertaking -nothing of an exceptionally hazardous nature. Several flights of over -20 hours’ duration had been made by other pilots previously, and, -having confidence in his machine from his knowledge of it, he felt as -safe over sea as over land. He would prefer to fall into the water than -on to the land, and the boat and special clothing were a good insurance -against the drowning risk. The only doubtful factor was the estimation -of the probable weather conditions in mid-Atlantic. Murky weather would -prevent the use of the sextant, and might therefore impede navigation. -Harry believed that at a height of 8,000 feet the conditions over the -Atlantic would be similar to those over a like area of North America, -which being so, he would be able to reach London in 24 hours. - -It was estimated that the 350 gallons of petrol which they carried -would be enough to keep them in the air for 22 hours. They proposed to -fly at 10,000 feet and, if possible, maintain a speed of 100 miles per -hour. As the range of their wireless receiver was 300 miles they would -be in touch with the wireless station at St. Johns for three hours -after the start. Nevertheless, when it came to the actual test it was -very difficult to make out any message owing to the noise emanating -from the propeller, and the batteries ran down too. - -Naturally, with over a ton of fuel on board to carry them across, -the machine would get lighter and lighter as they progressed, a fact -which would be in their favour as regards “landing.” Had -the engine failed near the start at, say, 10,000 feet the machine -would have glided down in about twelve minutes at an angle of 1 in 6, -and Harry, choosing a spot at once, could have “landed” -anywhere within a radius of about twelve miles. As the machine -proceeded further on its course and became lighter and lighter due -to the consumption of petrol and oil, the radius within which it -could “land” would become correspondingly greater owing -to the increasingly fine gliding angle. This fact was one to give -the two pioneers added confidence, seeing that ships which under the -circumstances prevailing near the start would have been beyond range, -if encountered later on in the flight might have been within the -gliding range. - -When Raynham was asked why he had not any safety device such as boats -and tank-exhausters, his reply was that he “proposed to fly the -Atlantic, not to fall into it.” - -Sir Charles Harris, Governor of Newfoundland, handed Harry a letter -for delivery to His Majesty the King, and, with members of the Cabinet -and several naval and military officers, inspected the machine on -Saturday, April 12th. - -Among many visitors was Harry’s old friend Raynham, and Harry -returned the call on the following day. The two who, six and a half -years before, had struggled for the British Duration Record were now -matched for Atlantic honours. - -After the inspection the tanks were filled, and on the main planes -seals were attached by the representative of the Royal Aero Club, Major -Partridge, who gave Harry an envelope addressed to the secretary of the -club, in which the number of the engine and a list of identification -marks were enclosed for Harry to deliver on landing. Truly for Harry -and Grieve it was now only a matter of sitting still and awaiting the -pleasure of the elements. Before the tanks were filled the petrol and -oil were strained six times. - -A storm in mid-ocean was reported early in the day (April 12th), with -westerly winds right across the Atlantic, which caused Harry to decide -to start at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, but when 5 o’clock -came preparations were not complete, so a further postponement until 6 -o’clock was made. But the weather conditions went from uncertain -to bad, and thence to worse, with a westerly gale blowing at St. -Johns, and so the flight had to be declared “off” for that -day. But at the first opportunity a start would be made, and this was -provisionally fixed for mid-day on the morrow, Sunday. - -In the meantime Harry had plenty to do on the ground, with such duties -as supervising the turning of the machine on the ground while Grieve -was adjusting the compass. In England betting books were being made, -and Harry’s chances of making the flight before May 31st were -estimated at 5 to 1 against about the middle of the month, and he was -first favourite, Raynham being second at 7 to 1. - -The mail, consisting of about a hundred letters, included, in addition -to the letter for His Majesty, others for the Prime Minister, Cabinet -Ministers, and other celebrities. “First Trans-Atlantic Aero -Flight” stamps were printed by Newfoundland, but there was no -demand for them at £100 each. - -On the following day, Sunday, at the appointed hour, Harry was ready to -start, but a strong south-east wind, heavy rain, and thick fog would -not permit. Moreover, it had been raining throughout the night. At 1 -o’clock the proposal to start was definitely abandoned. Harry -and Grieve were now very concerned as to their prospects, seeing that -rival machines were now getting ready and would probably be able to -start as soon as they did, whenever the weather became propitious. The -hangar was besieged by crowds of reporters, photographers, and cinema -operators. - -Early on Monday, April 14th, Harry cabled to Sopwith the words -“Bad weather,” which intimated that the flight was not -likely to start on that day. As a matter of fact, after the week-end -a spell of continued bad weather set in, and on Tuesday Raynham was -practically ready to make his trial trip. - -Harry was by several days the first to arrive and be in readiness at -Newfoundland, and small wonder that when he was robbed by the weather -of such valuable advantage there should be very keen competition -between him and Raynham. For several days they did not come in contact -very much, but when both had had time to realise that they might be -held up for weeks and months, the rival crews continued on terms of -most intimate friendship. - -Thus one effect of the delays of Harry’s departure was to -increase the possibility of a race across the ocean by him and Raynham, -who was ready to start without a preliminary trial if necessary in -order to gain an advantage. Both crews were burning with eagerness to -be first away, but they fought the contest in a thoroughly sporting -spirit. They stayed at the same hotel in St. Johns and were on terms -of close personal friendship. When at one time it was thought that -Raynham’s aerodrome might be too small for his machine to get -off safely, Harry, with characteristic grace, offered the use of the -Sopwith field. They agreed that the first away should carry the mails. - -The unavoidable delays in starting also served at least one useful -purpose in that they provided an opportunity for Harry to review and, -where necessary, amend his plans. His final decision was to head due -east until striking the northern steamship route, to which he would -keep, because, owing to alterations in the wireless equipment, he would -probably only be able to receive messages and not transmit them. On -sighting a ship he would fire a red Vérey light as a signal for the -ship to notify her position. These arrangements were communicated by -wireless from Cape Race to ships already on the high seas. - -It was Harry’s intention to fly fairly low, gradually gaining -height, until reaching the Grand Banks, frequently fog-bound from -sea-level up to 2,000 feet. Beyond there he expected finer weather, and -would ascend to 8,000 feet, which he would maintain for the greater -part of the flight, until nearer home, where he would climb to about -12,000 feet. At 8,000 feet he anticipated freedom from the impediment -of fog usually very prevalent in that season, and as Grieve used -clouds, not the horizon, for navigation, it was necessary to be above -them. But if they were uncertain of their position at dawn Harry would -decide to come down low near some passing ship or other in order to -get a check on his reckoning. Arrangements were made whereby as soon -as the flight was begun the Admiralty wireless at St. Johns would -advise all the coast stations and ships in the Atlantic zone; and it -was anticipated that general interest in the flight would keep every -wireless operator on the Atlantic keenly alive to the importance of -getting news of the machine. - -As for Grieve, his chief concern was as to the weather conditions over -the ice area from St. Johns to the Grand Banks. He conceived four -weather zones between Newfoundland and Ireland, the first of which -was that just mentioned, where conditions were complicated by the -existence of heavy Arctic ice-floes drifting south on the Labrador -current into the Gulf Stream, the fog being caused by this confluence -of currents having a temperature difference of 20 degrees. From Grand -Banks to mid-ocean was an area regarding which atmospheric conditions -above sea-level were very little known, but where frequent storms were -reported by shipping in the early spring. Farther east was an area -less notorious for violent weather changes, and beyond this the region -round the Irish coast, where, on account of the complete meteorological -records of the United Kingdom, the condition could be forecasted with -approximate accuracy. - -Although Grieve had a good understanding of weather, forecasts were -useless unless the type of weather prevailing was known. This essential -information, obtainable only from vessels carrying wireless, was -very difficult to get, and when it arrived was generally days late. -A weather chart of the Atlantic was plotted out daily by the local -meteorological officer, Mr. Clements, to the best of his ability, but -he was handicapped by the absence of necessary reports and had to -assume a good deal. Regarding the weather during the Atlantic attempt, -Grieve wrote: - - “The day we flew the weather was apparently of the westerly - type with a depression in mid-Atlantic a little to the southward of - our course. This depression should have proceeded to the E.N.E., over - towards Ireland, but apparently it spread to the northward, and we - landed in the middle of it.” - -The first half of the journey, therefore, seemed to involve the greater -element of risk, and it was a debatable point whether the great total -flying load during this stage would be an advantage or otherwise. -With a ton of petrol on board, the machine would be less likely to be -severely tossed about than without it, and if it did not yield to the -wind gusts it would have to be strong enough to resist the buffeting of -the wind, which it was quite capable of doing. On the other hand, it -would not have such pronounced climbing powers as it would in the later -stages, when a great proportion of fuel would have been consumed. -Grieve[2] was of opinion that, if they safely traversed mid-ocean, -information from west-bound ships in the vicinity would be of great -guidance during the remaining half of the voyage. He also believed that -the machine, the qualities of which they had tested thoroughly for -nine hours, could easily maintain full speed for eighteen hours, which -should enable them to reach Ireland; and they hoped to be able to make -their landing at Brooklands, another five hundred miles from there. - -[2] Commander Kenneth MacKenzie-Grieve is the youngest son of Captain -MacKenzie-Grieve, R.N., and a younger brother of Captain Alan -MacKenzie-Grieve, R.N. He entered the Navy at the age of fourteen and -a half and spent many years on foreign stations, Australia, China, and -the Mediterranean. During the Great War he served in an armed trawler -on the East Coast, and was later acting Commander of H.M.S. _Campania_, -a seaplane ship, for navigating duties. In 1913 he received the vellum -of the Royal Humane Society for saving life. - -In order to locate their position and lay a course which would take -them to the Irish coast, just north of Valentia, Commander Grieve -intended to take observations every half hour. It was Harry’s -intention to fly on to Brooklands without landing in Ireland if -daylight would allow. He also intended to release the undercarriage -soon after the start in order to conserve his petrol as much as -possible. In view of the fact that the machine would have to be landed -without an undercarriage it was highly important that this act should -be accomplished in daylight. A squadron of R.A.F. aeroplanes was in -readiness at Fermoy co. Cork to proceed to the coast to escort Harry -over the last few miles of his journey. Four magnetos were installed on -the _Atlantic_ on April 14th, in place of the two ordinarily carried, -the risk of engine failure due to ignition troubles being thereby -halved. - -Heavy rain fell during the night of April 14th and the morning of the -15th, but by 11 a.m. the weather had somewhat improved. In view of the -keen competition of the Martinsyde, which was by then ready for trial, -Harry hoped to make a start from a less sodden stretch of ground which -he had discovered at Mount Pearl. Raynham’s main object was to -make a start at the same time as the Sopwith. Later in the day a fall -of snow prevented any flying for either the Sopwith or the Martinsyde. - -The new starting-ground which Harry had found was a gravel hillside to -which he could draw his machine by means of horses. He expected to be -able to take off down the slope. Harry and Raynham had now become so -equally prepared to start that they agreed to spin a coin as to who -should carry the mail bag. - -On Wednesday, the 16th, snow fell heavily all over Newfoundland, making -flying altogether impossible. Nevertheless, the rival camps kept a wary -eye on each other, Harry being particularly on the alert to prevent -Raynham stealing a march on him by an unexpected start, but really -there was nothing for both parties to do other than watch and wait for -the passing of the bad weather. The Martinsyde crew claimed that they -could afford to give Hawker three hours’ start, and catch him up -after that. - -Later in the day report showed that it was very problematical as to -whether anybody would make a start during the week, and the weather -charts indicated unfavourable conditions for several days to come. -Raynham had made a trial flight on the previous day and was entirely -satisfied. The moon was on the wane, and as this was a most important -factor in influencing a decision to start by either party, hopes of an -early start were at most slight. - -On the afternoon of Thursday, April 17th, Raynham and Morgan, his -navigator, made another trial on the Martinsyde. Raynham cabled to -London two bets of £50 each at prevailing odds on Harry and himself. - -On the morning of Friday, April 18th, the weather prospects were so -good that both Harry and Raynham decided to start at noon, but before -then a storm came on, accompanied by weather reports which indicated -no prospects of an early start being at all possible. It was on this -day that Major Wood and Captain Wyllie left England for Ireland, in -the Short biplane on which they were to attempt the flight from east to -west. But their effort was terminated in its preliminary stage by an -enforced descent in the Irish Sea. - -Hawker, Grieve, Raynham, and Morgan supported the nervous tension of -the immensely trying period of waiting with remarkable fortitude. It -was a great strain, living in a highly keyed-up condition day after -day; yet beyond a certain restlessness there was nothing unusual in -their outward demeanour. It was easy to see that they were watching -each other to guard against a surprise start. They were on the best of -terms. When practically no work remained to be done on the machines -they found time hanging very heavily, and how to pass the hours was a -matter of difficulty. - -The long delay in starting was due to lack of knowledge of weather -conditions in the Atlantic rather than to the weather itself. Many -crossings will have to be made before the requisite knowledge is -gained, and as this knowledge is gained so will the evolution of -commercial trans-Atlantic aircraft be influenced. It was only -elementary wisdom for all concerned to wait for tolerable weather. - -Hopes of a start being made were high on Sunday, April 20th, when the -Air Ministry stated that conditions were then exceptionally favourable, -except at Newfoundland, where it was still foggy, and between 18 -degrees and 25 degrees west, where the clouds were low and extensive -and the sea rough. At St. Johns at 8 a.m. there was a light west -wind and a clear sky, and the day was very promising. If mid-ocean -conditions were in their favour Harry decided that he would start early -in the afternoon. - -Subsequent reports, however, indicated the presence of storms -in mid-ocean, and all hope of an attempt being made that day -was abandoned. So Harry busied himself by installing a small -wireless-sending equipment, which was later on discarded as it proved -unsatisfactory. Raynham, too, would have nothing to do with appliances -tending to lessen his will-power and induce him to summon help in an -emergency which might otherwise be overcome. - -Pending a change in the weather, Harry tended his machine as one would -a thoroughbred racehorse. Every morning he visited the hangar, started -up the engine, and tested the controls to ensure that everything was in -order for a “snap” jump-off in the event of the opportunity -arising; while Grieve busied himself “listening-in” for -wireless reports. Sandwiches were changed every morning and Thermos -flasks replenished, to the delight of young urchins, who enjoyed an _al -fresco_ meal. During the whole of the waiting period Harry continued to -be optimistic and was never really downcast by the weather prophets. - -On Monday, April 21st, a strong head wind, accompanied by indications -of a complete break-up of the weather, prevented any start being made -and almost induced Harry to give up all hope of making a start during -the month. Nevertheless, the same evening the Air Ministry announced -ideal weather conditions as being prevalent. Betting odds on the -chances of a successful flight before May 31st were now 7 to 2 in the -cases of both Harry and Raynham. - -The local weather conditions at St. Johns on April 22nd were decidedly -unfavourable for flying. A severe sleet storm was raging off the -coast, which would have impeded the progress of any machine, and the -city and suburbs were overshadowed by a dense fog. Conditions reported -from mid-ocean were equally discouraging, and the general effect of -the reports led Harry to suppose that there would be no substantial -improvement for a day or two. Both Harry and Grieve and Raynham and -Morgan were showing increasing signs of the strain arising from the -delays and the uncertainty regarding the start. They all agreed that -they had come to the starting-point much too soon, but each party -pleaded that the other was trying to steal a march and get away first. - -While trying to pass away the time, Harry derived some entertainment -from a large number of letters which arrived daily, both from England -and all parts of the American continent. These letters contained good -wishes of all kinds, besides offers of assistance from inventors and -weather prophets, poetry, and the usual requests for autographs in -handwriting which was obviously “flapper.” The gem of -the collection was from an old Irish soldier in Manitoba, who asked -if the airmen would have any use for the services of a cornet-player -during the journey across. He said he served fourteen years in the -Army as a bugler and had the honour of sounding all calls during the -military ceremonies in connection with Queen Victoria’s last -visit to Dublin. His suggestion was that, apart from entertaining them -during the flight, he could make himself useful in sounding calls or -playing tunes as the aeroplane approached towns in Ireland or England. -He thought “Garryowen” would be suitable to herald the -arrival over Ireland, and suggested “We’re Bound for London -Town” as an appropriate melody after crossing the Irish Channel. -He wound up by saying he would give his services gratis. - -From New York came a poem in a feminine hand, entitled “The -Vikings of the Air.” Both Hawker and Grieve, as well as Raynham -and Morgan, received copies of this effusion, which they considered -displayed considerable powers of versification in its authoress, but -was tactless in one part: - - “Like Norsemen bold who launched their sturdy craft - On seas that stretched beyond their farthest ken, - And drank deep draughts of ocean’s briny air - With keen delight, and sailed they knew not where.” - -The last line was considered by Grieve as casting serious aspersions on -his skill as a navigator. - -From an Englishwoman in New York Harry received a letter which was -voted “first rate” by all members of the Sopwith party. -After wishing him the best of luck on his “daring venture,” -the writer continued: - - “I have followed the papers feverishly each day for news of - your latest movements. And now the honour of the old Mother-Country - rests on your success. You have just got to be the first across the - Atlantic. May God speed you on your perilous but still wonderful - flight.” - -In a different strain was a letter received by Grieve from two young -women in the cable office of the British War Mission in New York. It -ran: - - “Sir, do buck up, and start—we cannot stand the suspense much - longer. Best of luck from two Cablettes.” - -Grieve’s only comment was to the effect that their suspense was -nothing in comparison with his own. - -Excitement was keen on Tuesday, April 22nd, when Raynham announced his -intention to make another “trial” flight. Although the -fog prevented Raynham from carrying out this project, Harry had his -machine out, suspecting an attempt to outwit him, for on the previous -Sunday Raynham had declared that his next flight would be THE FLIGHT, -and Harry knew Raynham’s tanks were full. This episode resulted -in both parties coming to an agreement not to make a “hurried -unconsidered departure,” and not to start unless the weather -conditions were fairly settled. The local betting was by now 5 to 1 -against Harry and 8 to 1 against Raynham. The weather conditions at St. -Johns, around the Newfoundland coast, and across the Atlantic continued -to be most unpropitious for flying, and there was little prospect -of an early change. Weather experts, who expressed doubts as to the -possibility of the flight being accomplished before May, said that the -only day during the previous two months on which flying was possible -was Friday, April 12th, when the Sopwith machine was scarcely ready and -the Martinsyde only arrived. Harry was now greatly concerned over the -prolonged delay and did not expect to be able to start before April -25th, or 26th. - -Consternation was caused in the airmen’s camp on Wednesday, -April 23rd, by what appeared to be a genuine message from the Air -Ministry asking the reasons for Harry’s and Raynham’s -failure to start. The message, which was addressed to Mr. Clements, -the meteorological expert of the Royal Air Force at St. Johns, -declared that all the weather reports reaching England indicated -favourable conditions for a start. Harry replied that wireless reports -from vessels at sea announced conflicting winds, making the start -inadvisable. - -The weather had not improved on Thursday, April 24th, when rain fell -all day. It was discovered that impostors had been busy sending -messages purporting to come from the meteorological bureaux of Canada -and the United States. One such message, which advised the airmen to -leave at once, said that the weather was suitable, notwithstanding the -fact that it was the worst possible. - -The Air Ministry, in emphatically denying having sent any cable asking -why Harry or Raynham did not start, indicated that their function was -merely to prepare forecasts and not to say when a machine should or -should not start, this decision being within the province of the pilot -and navigator concerned. - -Considerable mystery surrounded the circulation of the false weather -reports which held back both Harry and Raynham, who were waiting for -favourable weather at St. Johns, with their petrol tanks filled and all -stores on board their machines. - -It appears that these reports were entirely in disagreement with -those supplied by the Meteorological Department of the Air Ministry. -During one spell of 24 hours the conditions were ideal and almost -unprecedented for the time of year, the anti-cyclone area extending -all over the route; and had the airmen started through the coastal -fog they would have soon flown into bright skies and light winds. As -it was, misguided by false reports from unknown sources, Harry and -Raynham, greatly to the surprise of the Air Ministry, decided not to -start. After this happening the Air Ministry arranged to transmit their -reports by secret code and so prevent interference. - -Naturally, before the matter was cleared up, Harry bitterly resented -the attitude of the Air Ministry which resulted in his receiving -communications containing implied criticisms of his failing to fly when -weather conditions were favourable; for during three successive days no -mid-ocean reports of any kind turned up. He could not be expected to -risk a start without such information, seeing that it had to be made in -the “foggiest place in the world.” Having once ascended, he -would not be able, in case of emergency, to regain the aerodrome, owing -to the fog, and off the coast he might have had to face sleet which, if -it accumulated on the wings, would soon have driven him into the sea. - -April saw no change for the better, and Harry and Raynham continued -weather-bound throughout the last week. On Saturday, the 26th, the -fog was reported as spreading many miles out to sea. Raynham having -received many mascots, including a wooden parrot, “Emma,” which was -built into the cockpit of his machine, Harry was interrogated as to -what special charms he intended to carry. “I only believe in one -mascot,” he said, “and that is Grieve.” Grieve, on the other hand, was -carrying mascots such as white heather and a lady’s handkerchief. - -With the pilots straining at the leash to get away, the navigators -made good use of every opportunity to improve their wireless skill. A -Marconi representative gave them daily tests in receiving, wireless -communication being maintained between the two aerodromes, eight miles -apart. “D.K.A.” was the wireless “call sign” of -Harry’s machine. - -Chatting with the special correspondent of the _Times_, after running -his engine, Harry said: “It’s simply splendid; to hear it -makes me long to be up and off.” He said that he had arranged to -throw overboard his charts and maps with a message asking the finder to -forward them to the Royal Aero Club, London, as soon as he had crossed -the Irish coast. On the back of the charts would be written the time -of crossing the shore and other details for identification purposes. -The Ardath Tobacco Company, Ltd., announced the offer of an additional -prize of 2,000 guineas to be given to the winner of the _Daily Mail_ -£10,000 prize for the first Atlantic flight. - -During the week-end the weather conditions improved a little, but not -to a degree that would warrant the making of a start. That Harry did -not hope to start for at least ten days was apparent from his having -cabled to England, ordering a new wireless outfit to be sent by the -steamer _Digby_, which left Liverpool on April 28th. - -Describing his preparations in order to avert ignition trouble, Harry -said he had four magnetos, set in a series independently of each other, -each giving a spark to the twelve cylinders, so that in the event of -one or two failing he would still have a reserve. Discountenancing any -idea of effecting repairs in the air, Harry said, “Once we leave -the ground, we must fly or fall.” - -There was great activity on Monday evening, April 28th, when hopes -of a start were high. Harry replaced his four-bladed propeller by a -two-bladed one. For over three hours Raynham and Morgan stood by their -Martinsyde, waiting to seize a favourable opportunity to get away. At 6 -o’clock they decided to abandon the attempt. Just as Raynham had -given orders for his machine to be housed for the night, Harry drove up -from his aerodrome. Some good-natured chaff was exchanged. - -The Mayor of St. Johns, on April 30th, presented each of the airmen -with an address from the inhabitants, a cup being forwarded to each of -them later. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -ONE THOUSAND MILES OVER THE ATLANTIC - - Signalling Arrangements—Temperament—A Press Tribute—The - American Attempt—Just Before the Start—Parting Messages—The - Start—“Poor Old Tinsydes!”—Dropping the - Undercarriage—Out of Sight of Land in Ten Minutes—Over the - Fog—Four Hours Above a Sea of Clouds—Grieve’s Method of - Navigation—Weather Not as Forecasted—Taking the Drift through a - Hole in the Clouds—400 Miles Out—Cloud Banks and a Gale—After - 5½ Hours—Over-heating Radiator—What was the Cause?—The Only - Possible Remedy—Is Effective at First—At 10,000 Feet—Giants of - Nature 15,000 feet High—A Side-wind that Became a Gale—Flying - “Crabwise”—Losing Height—Clouds, Darkness, and a - Doubtful Time—Nearly Down to the Sea—Dawn—Sea-sick—Looking - for a Ship—The _Mary_—The Rescue—Up to the Knees in the - Sea—Captain Duhn—Sighting St. Hilda and the Butt of Lewis—A - Famous Signal—“Is it Hawker?”—“Yes”—The - Navy’s Guests—The Civic Welcome at Thurso. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -No attempt having been made in April, the best time was expected to -be between May 12th and May 19th, when the moon would be more or -less full; but Harry decided not to wait in the event of conditions -otherwise becoming suitable in the interim. The general idea throughout -the whole of the waiting period was to make a start between 5 p.m. -and 7 p.m. (Greenwich time). It was expected that the ocean would -be crossed about nineteen hours later. If he was able to proceed to -Brooklands according to his intention, Harry hoped to land there about -7 p.m. (Greenwich time), i.e., 8 p.m. summer time, on the day after the -start. - -Grieve decided to take half-hourly sights during the passage, and, -if they arrived in time, smoke-bombs would be used for ascertaining -the drift over the ocean and to indicate to ships the position of the -aeroplane in case of emergency. The smoke-bombs were not expected to -arrive before May 8th In the event of a mishap occurring at night a -white parachute flare was to be used, not unlike the flares used by -the Zeppelins over London, and visible for miles. The white flare was -to be fired at once if the engine failed or if a forced descent from -any other cause were necessary. But the white flare or a wireless -“S.O.S.” was only to be used in an emergency when the need -for help was very urgent. A red flare was to be used for opening up -communication with a ship. - -In an article on “Temperament,” published in _The Morning -Post_ on Friday, April 25th, 1919, Mr. H. Massac Buist wrote: - - “Mechanical achievement has been pushed to such a pitch that - endurance on the part of pilot and crew is now demanded in the highest - possible degree, whereas many a brilliant aerial performance that - has attracted world-wide attention in the past has made the maximum - demands on nerve, but practically none at all on sheer physical - endurance, as instance looping-the-loop and suchlike feats. Even in - the war the average flight did not try the physical endurance of the - pilot in any high degree, the strain being instead on the nerve. - Of course, the requirements of the Service occasionally called for - prolonged efforts, but if all the flights made from the start to - the finish of the campaign are considered it will be found that the - vast majority occupied less than four hours. In the Transatlantic - enterprise, however, we have no competitor whose calculated speed - would enable him to make the aerial journey in less than 19½ hours - under the most favourable conditions. - - -“THE BEST PREPARATION. - -“Yet it is not a matter of mere endurance, because the longest -over-water flight so far projected will be attempted in most cases -with machines not designed to alight on the water. In other words, on -setting out, each pilot will know that his life depends on nothing less -than absolute success, and is almost certainly forfeit if anything -goes wrong. That realisation represents the equivalent of the strain -of flying in war service, while the duration of the effort is the -multiplication of the strain. But the Transatlantic enterprise will -differ from war service in that the pilot himself will order himself to -start, whereas in war, no matter what betide, the individual has always -a realisation that a power outside himself has determined his destiny -and taken responsibility off him by giving him his orders, therefore -the issue is on the knees of the gods. - -“Such qualifications afford the additional confidence that comes -of resource. One does not, of course, mean merely that the pilot helps -to rig the machine—all Service pilots are trained to that extent—or -that he touches ignition or throttle lever while the engine is running -through a bench test; instead, one means that the pilot one would -naturally look to successfully to perform a feat of this sort, other -things being equal, is a man like Harry Hawker and Sidney Pickles, who -year after year before there was a war, through the war, and after it, -takes a hand in the building of the experimental machines of the firm -employing him and puts them through all their tests, as well as the -standard products of the given firm—work which, regarded in all its -phases, represents taking as big risks per annum in peace time as are -taken by any soldier in war service, since in an experimental stage -none can really foretell what is going to happen when the first of a -new type aircraft is taken into the air. - - -“THE TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN ATTITUDE. - -“The most consistently successful types of men at this work taken -over a long spell of years are perhaps those represented by a group of -three young Australians, Hawker, Pickles, and Busteed, who came over -here determined to realise their dreams of lives of adventure in the -air on the distinct understanding that there was plenty of money in the -venture. As one student of human nature remarked: - -“They don’t want the Archbishop of Canterbury to hold a -special service for them before they get off the ground; they are not -going to die until they have done everything mortal man can to prevent -it; if they do die, they will take it to be absolutely as natural a -process as to be born; and, in the meantime, instead of wasting their -time collecting mascots and inventing fancy names for the machines -they fly they prefer to do as much of the building of them as time and -opportunity allow, and they see to it that the financial side of the -business is so fixed up that they will not be leaving spots of poverty -behind them. - -“Undoubtedly that touch of self-reliance which we associate -pre-eminently with the Australian temperament will go a long way -towards securing success in such efforts as the race across the -Atlantic. - -“Among our home-bred pilots of the same class, too, we have many -men who have acquired this habit of clear-thinking in essentials, of -eliminating emotionalism from their temperament, and of always taking -off their shirts to get right down to their job. Occasionally a man who -is not of that temperament may score a notable success; but if an eye -be kept on the performance of flying feats year after year, and the -average of each man’s achievement, it will be found that the man -whose name for consistent achievement year after year advances with the -progress of the science of flight is one with ‘no frills about -him.’ - - -“WHAT MAKES FOR SUCCESS. - -“It is right that the thing should be so. These men follow on the -lines of those masters by whose enterprise flight is alone possible. -The late Wilbur Wright was a plain man, and his brother Orville remains -so to this hour. They found that they had to know, and to do so much -that there was no time for social life as such, even if they had had -the temperament for it, which they had not. - -“You do not find Hawker and Company lounging about in clubs -in the intervals between their big aviation undertakings, for the -sufficient reason that they give themselves no intervals of leisure, -because they are always busy working for money, which they know how to -look after when they get it. A result is that they never get overawed -at the prospect of any one of their aerial feats. Each is to them -merely part of the ordinary day’s work, imposing no more strain -than any other day’s work. For instance, I recollect some years -ago the effect exercised on one of the best aero engine mechanics in -the country on first coming in contact with Hawker: - - “‘I tell you ’ow it is with that there ’Arry - ’Awker, sir; he’s my fancy for anythink every time. - It’s like this: we were standin’ there down the Solent - chattin’, and that there Tommy Sopwith was remarkin’ - as nobody’ adn’t looped-the-loop on a seaplane, and - mentioned a matter of 40 quid for the man as did it first on one of - his machines. ’Awker, who was standin’ by, got ’im - to confirm it; then went across to his machine and started up the - engine. There wasn’t what you might call more than a couple of - ’andfuls of water where it was moored; but he just bumped and - splashed it into a flight, and a couple of minutes after he looped - over our ’eads twice. That’s ’Arry ’Awker; - no ‘alf measures, no stintin’; and it was the first time - a seaplane had looped-the-loop. Then he brought ’er down and - walked straight up to Tommy Sopwith, ’olding out ’is - ’and for the boodle—that’s ’Arry ’Awker, too. - ‘E’s there and the goods ’as to be there. I tell - you, sir,‘e’s my fancy every time.’” - -The fact of no attempt having been possible in April probably accounted -for the comparative silence of the Press during the first days of May. -The public was beginning to doubt whether the flight would be possible -in the then immediate future. Nevertheless, Harry was by no means -idle. Among other things, with Raynham, he was busy looking for a more -suitable starting-ground, but, as most of the country was under the -plough, their efforts met with no success. Meanwhile, the Americans -were rapidly completing arrangements to make their now famous attempt -to cross the ocean, _via_ the Azores, in three flying-boats, with the -aid of several warships as guides and refuges in case of emergency. -These machines made their start at 10 p.m. (Greenwich time) on May -16th, but Harry was still delayed by weather on that day. The American -route bore distinctly southward, whereas the British route was slightly -northward. - -When Lieut.-Com. Read in one of the American seaplanes had reached -the Azores, and so accomplished two-thirds of his journey across the -ocean, Harry and Raynham felt keenly that the blue riband of aerial -navigation was slipping not only from their hands but also from Great -Britain. Nevertheless, they were wise enough to know that to throw -precaution to the winds was to court disaster and so yield to the rival -nation. The last four days before Harry’s start were very trying -for him under such circumstances. He was continually in touch with the -weather office, only to hear of raging storms on his route and fair -weather on the Azores route. At one time he seriously contemplated also -flying to the Azores, but the difficulty of the petrol supply ruled -this out. - -In spite of many preoccupations, Harry and Grieve passed a few hours -of the last few days of their sojourn at St. Johns by indulging in -motor-drives, while Raynham played golf and Morgan kept watch on the -weather bureau. - - -THE START - -On the morning of the 18th there came a change. The _Atlantic_ was -brought out of her hangar, the petrol tanks were quickly and carefully -filled, every drop being passed through a perfectly clean strainer. -Oil and water tanks were filled and the machine thoroughly looked over -and the engine tested. While Harry busied himself with such operations -Grieve was seeing that all maps, charts, flares, smoke-bombs, and other -impedimenta were in order. The mail bag having been divided between -Harry and Raynham, the letter from the Governor of Newfoundland to -His Majesty, the one from the Prime Minister of Newfoundland to the -Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, and another from the people of Newfoundland -to the people of England, fell to Harry’s lot to be carried. In -addition to letters for Lord Northcliffe, the _Daily Mail_, the _Daily -Express_, and others, he also had a letter from the French Consul to -be delivered to the French Ambassador in London. He was also entrusted -with the medal of the American Joan of Arc Statue Society, for delivery -to the British Museum. Some dates, chocolates, and a flask of brandy -for use in emergency were included in the commissariat sufficient for -three days. - -Harry arrived at the final decision to start not only for the reason -that the weather was better, although not perfect, but also because -owing to the progress made by the American flying-boats there was a -likelihood of his missing a chance of getting a British machine over -first. The moon was well on the wane, and any further delay would -probably have meant another matter of weeks. One American machine was -already known to have reached the Azores, and reports were current -to the effect that two others had as well. The night before starting -Harry and Raynham both agreed to set out if the weather looked at all -promising, and on the morrow they received fewer weather reports than -on any previous occasion. - -At 3.5 p.m. Harry and Grieve were getting into their flying clothes. -Ten minutes later Harry waved his arm and the chocks were pulled away. -As he sped down the field he heard the rising cheers of the spectators, -which were soon drowned by the engine’s roar. - -Before leaving, Harry was feeling particularly confident. “I have -a perfect machine for the trip,” he said, “and the engine -is the best in the world. I am confident that we shall get across. -The great problem is to find Ireland, but I have every confidence in -Grieve.” Grieve’s parting message to friends assembled -about the machine was, “See you in London.” - -Speaking of landing without the undercarriage, Harry said, “I -expect to make a perfectly good landing, and have no fear of badly -crashing the machine.” - -It will be remembered that Harry had changed his propeller. He -believed that the four-bladed type put an undue strain on the engine. -Furthermore, without the landing chassis the machine would land on -running skids integral with the base of the fuselage. Assuming he could -land with the two blades horizontal it was conceivable he could land -and do no damage at all, whereas with four blades the propeller would -be bound to fracture and possibly lead to other damage. - -Harry considered the question of weight to be of the utmost importance. -Before starting he lifted Grieve’s bag and enquired whether he -could not dispense with his pyjamas, as he would have a long sleep at -the end of his journey. - -Harry and Grieve boarded the machine without feeling in the least -bit “nervy.” After getting into his seat, Harry asked, -“How about old Tinsydes? Tell Raynham I’ll greet him at -Brooklands.” - -At 6.48 p.m. summertime (5.51 Greenwich or 3.15 St. Johns) on Sunday, -May 18th, 1919, Harry and Grieve set out to cross the Atlantic from St. -Johns to Ireland, and, if possible, to Brooklands, in a single non-stop -flight. The weather conditions had been reported to be fairly good all -the way across the ocean, and the days had been lovely at St. Johns -for over a week. Visiting the Meteorological Office at noon, Harry -remarked, “Hang the weather! I go this afternoon, though it leads -me to the Pacific.” Three hours later they were completing the -final preparations, after having lunched at Glendinning’s Farm -with some local friends. At 3.15 p.m., having warmed up the engine, -Harry opened up and sped down the starting slope at Mount Pearl for -the last time. He covered almost the whole length of the ground before -rising, and only just cleared the fence at the lower end. It was only -by exercising more skill than is usually required in starting that he -was able to keep the machine straight while going over the not too even -ground. As it was, he took off in a direct line. - -Everything at the start went well, as Harry intended it should. Getting -off the ground was necessarily difficult, as owing to the direction of -the wind and the dimensions of the ground it was essential to steer a -diagonal course over the aerodrome. - -During the run of 300 yards the machine lurched hazardously, bumping -over the field until it struck a hummock and lifted. The wings took the -air at a low swinging start, but did not swerve a hair’s breadth -from the chosen course. - -Three minutes later Harry was soaring above the western outskirts -of St. Johns, climbing steadily the while. With the sun shining on -her wings, the aeroplane _Atlantic_ was a glorious sight for those -who had the good fortune to see her from below. Steering a steady -course, ascending E.N.E., Harry passed over Pleasantville Lake and -Raynham’s aerodrome at Quidi Vidi at 2,000 feet, six miles -from the start. Looking down, he could see Raynham and his machine -surrounded by a big crowd of townsfolk. - -Harry remarked, “Look at old Tinsydes with a crowd round -him!” To which Grieve, who was too preoccupied to look, replied, -“We’ve got the bulge on him.” - -They continued on over Bolands Hill, a rocky promontory 600 feet high -separating St. Johns from the open Atlantic, where Harry could plainly -discern a dozen white mountains—icebergs—having no terrors for this -ship of the air. At 1,500 feet above Bolands Hill, having decided that -all was well, he slipped the undercarriage. So lessened in load by -four hundredweight, and with diminished air resistance, the _Atlantic_ -began to climb with appreciably greater speed. Five minutes later she -was about 4,000 feet up, flying eastward, steady as a rock, and just -passing out of sight of those who were watching with powerful glasses. -As the undercarriage was being projected earthwards by gravity, Harry -thought of the stimulating effect it would have on Raynham. - -As the machine passed out of sight of land at 3.35 p.m., about ten -minutes from the start, the signalman at the marine lookout on the -hills above St. Johns reported that it was flying in a north-easterly -direction. - -When the start was made at Mount Pearl the weather was perfect, at any -rate locally, although a fog-bank at sea was visible. There was a light -north-westerly wind and a cloudless sky locally. The conditions were -described by Harry as “not yet favourable, but possible.” - -The machine climbed very well, and after about ten minutes, when -it passed out of sight of land, Harry encountered the thick fog -of the Newfoundland Banks. Fortunately they had no difficulty in -climbing above this, although naturally they lost sight of the sea, a -circumstance which was, if anything, a little disconcerting. Above them -the sky was clear. Grieve just managed to get one drift reading before -they passed out of sight of the breaking waves. - -For the first four hours after leaving St. Johns the clouds and fog -above which they passed were level-topped like a sea and gave a -perfect horizon for the celestial observations on which Grieve’s -navigation depended. - -The following account of the process of navigating the machine was -given to _The Daily Mail_ before the start by Grieve: - - “Navigation of aircraft across the Atlantic must necessarily be - of the rough and ready type, but as it is of vital necessity to ensure - success every means must be taken of finding one’s position and - making most use of the air currents met with. - - “Of course the machine might get across by steering a compass - course, allowing for the various winds, supplied from the limited - knowledge of the meteorologists. But few reports of the surface winds - are available, leaving large spaces on the chart of the weather in - which conditions can only be guessed, while the upper air currents are - absolutely unknown. - - “Should the navigator allow for a beam wind of 30 miles an hour - when the opposite exists he will be 60 miles out of his reckoning at - the end of one hour, and soon altogether out of the weather system he - is expecting on the direct route. - - “The only method of checking positions and finding the course - and speed made good over the sea is by astronomical observations and - obtaining the positions by wireless from ships _en route_. In the - latter case the ships keep regular narrow lanes and may not be met - with, as it would be virtually impossible to keep in their track, and - unless one should pass over them and be seen by them their positions - would be valueless. - - “My intention is to rely chiefly on astronomical positions - which I shall obtain by sextant and work out by a diagram invented - by my instructor, Commander Baker. The altitude of the sun, taken - about every hour, will give me a line of position at the time of - the observation. When the sun is on the prime vertical the line of - position will be the longitude; when on the meridian the latitude. - At other times two observations at a good interval, with the run - in that time, will give me a position. To obtain this run the - ‘drift’ must be known, and I hope to get this by dropping - smoke-bombs by day and light-bombs by night and observing the true - path of the machine past them through the ‘drift’ - indicator. - - “For night work I have a diagram to facilitate working the - sights of six stars, each of which, in combination with the Pole - Star, or each with the other, in certain conditions, will give me a - good position. The chief difficulty in getting astronomical positions - will be to see the necessary horizon. Should it be visible it will be - necessary to know the dip of it, which is approximately the square - root of the height of the machine obtained by the altimeter, an - instrument in the cockpit indicating the height in feet above the - sea-level. - - “If I am above the clouds I must judge the height above them and - use them for my horizon, which will give useful, if only approximate, - results. As a matter of fact, the whole navigation must be considered - as an approximation, but as Ireland is large and there are no - dangers in the air to keep clear of, I do not anticipate any serious - difficulty in making a landfall, given good conditions.” - -As regards the weather during the flight, it was not at all as they -expected. They anticipated a north-easterly wind for a short way out, -backing to the north-west, with a small depression, on the south side -of which they expected to pass and thereby get into favourable winds, -first westerly and then south-westerly, as they approached Ireland. In -actual fact they encountered northerly winds. - -At about 7 o’clock Greenwich time, about an hour after the start, -the sea was visible through a hole in the fog for just a few seconds. -They were then at 4,000 feet and climbing. Grieve, by observing the -breaking waves through the drift indicator, was able to calculate -the drift of the machine as 10 degrees to the right of their course, -precisely the same as when he made his previous calculations just -before they passed above the fog. - -Until 10.15 p.m. Greenwich time they steered a true east course, not -magnetic east. Meanwhile Grieve took sights every half hour, and at -10.15 he estimated that they were 400 miles from St. Johns and had -maintained an average speed of 91 miles per hour. They reckoned to be -then in the track of the steamships, to keep to which the course was -altered to North 73 East true. - -The visibility became very bad. In front and to the right and left, -above and below, were heavy cloud-banks which formed dark, ominous -gorges, or chasms, through which they flew, feeling very, very small -and insignificant in comparison with such giants of Nature. That the -prospects were not bright was soon proved when they drove into a heavy -storm with rainsqualls. A strong northerly gale drove them steadily -out of their course and the dense masses of cloud impeded accurate -navigation. - -It was a lucky stroke of fortune that the engine and all other vital -components of the machine survived this bad weather during this early -stage as they advanced into night skies. - -After flying for five and a half hours, Harry noticed that the -temperature of the cooling water in the radiator began to rise. The -effect of this, while not appreciable at the moment, was likely to be -complex unless the cause, some defect in the circulation, could be -remedied. It was, of course, impossible for either Harry or Grieve -actually to inspect the likely source of the trouble, and any effort -to eliminate it had to be made, if at all possible, by manœuvring the -machine. - -It was about 11 p.m. Greenwich time (i.e., midnight, summer time) when -the defect became apparent. Grieve was busy taking sights while Harry -was piloting and watching. The clouds were now exceptionally thick, -and Harry recalled that he had only once seen the sea since he was ten -minutes’ distant from St. Johns. And he had now been flying for -just on six hours. - -The moon had not yet risen and it was well-nigh impossible to discern -anything. Flying at 10,000 feet, Harry could just make out innumerable -clouds, many of them terrible, ominous-looking peaks extending -upwards to about 15,000 feet. Having to go round the clouds, it was -difficult to steer a good course, and he could not really afford to -waste time and petrol in making any deviations from a truly straight -course. Furthermore, he and Grieve, side-by-side, were feeling not too -comfortable bodily. The cane ring forming the neck of Harry’s -suit, which kept his neck free, was jumping about. Grieve frequently -had to replace it, and his fingers became frost-bitten, as it could -not be done with gloves on. Otherwise they did not suffer from cold, -although it was freezing hard. As they forged ahead the temperature -of the water in the radiator rose from 168 degrees F. to 176 degrees -F. in the space of a few minutes. At the latter temperature it stayed -practically constant for a couple of hours or more. - -It was at 1.30 a.m. that they realised the great extent of their drift -owing to the strong north wind. Taking sights regularly had become -impossible owing to the clouds having broken up and ceased to provide a -level horizon. Grieve managed to get a Pole Star down to a flat piece -of cloud, and discovered with no little surprise that they were about -150 miles south of their intended course. Harry therefore turned more -northward to counteract this drift. Nevertheless, half an hour later -they were still drifting southward and not making their course, and so, -realising that the strength of the gale must be terrific, they had to -force the machine still more northward up to latitude 50 degrees and -into the track of the ships. - -Harry was somewhat concerned when Grieve told him that their drift was -equivalent to a side wind of 20 miles per hour, but this did not deter -him from sticking to the job. The effect of a strong side wind would of -course mean having to travel “crabwise” in order to keep -to the course, a proceeding which must lessen their forward speed. - -Both pilot and navigator came to the decision that there must be a -cause for this abnormally high temperature in the radiator, which -persisted, and, if it continued, was likely to jeopardise their chances -of success, owing to all the water being ultimately boiled away. Harry, -having concluded that some obstruction had got into the water-filter -between the radiator and the water-pumps, knew that the only possible -means of removing it was by switching off the engine and diving down -steeply in the hope that this would clear the refuse in the filter. -This he actually did, and the result was for the time being successful. - -But after another hour, by which time they were about 800 miles out -from St. Johns, the trouble recurred. The weather was still no better -and the clouds very high. Repeatedly Harry switched off and dived, but -the obstruction would not clear itself now. Every such dive entailed -losing several hundred feet in height, and it is not surprising, -therefore, that they gave up the diving process. Each time, after -climbing, the water began to boil; and so after getting to 12,000 -feet they agreed to maintain that altitude for the latter half of the -journey. These episodes of the choking radiator had not yet given -them to doubt their being successful in making the crossing. They had -got above most of the clouds now, and, with the moon coming well up, -they could keep a good course. The fact that by closing the throttle -a little they were able to nurse the engine and keep the water from -boiling, although done at the expense of a little speed, ensured for -them every confidence that all would be well. Thus, with the engine -throttled, they cruised along at a constant height of 12,000 feet for -about four hours more until they came up against more of those very, -very high black clouds significant of unknown, unexplored wastes of the -Atlantic vault. They had encountered a depression which had travelled -north from the Azores. - -So thick were these new clouds that it was almost impossible to get -between them. They extended upwards to an altitude of 15,000 feet, -3,000 feet higher than the machine, and the only thing to be done was -to get above them. - -Once, twice, thrice did Harry try to get above those clouds; and as -many times steam belched forth ominously from the radiator and was -turned to ice. The radiator trouble having thus prevented a very -necessary and desirable manœuvre that would otherwise have been -possible, Harry could only go down into the abyss and find the bottom -of the enveloping clouds. Incidentally, the glide gave the water system -an opportunity to cool down. - -Having glided down to about 6,000 feet, they entered an even darker -region than that from which they had just descended, due, of course, to -the presence of more clouds above them cutting off the light. - -Climbing being out of the question, down they went to 1,000 feet only -above the water before they could see to fly. While they dived through -the clouds their engine was stopped, and when Harry opened up the -throttle it refused to restart. Only when they were within a few feet -of the water did it pick up by a lucky chance after Harry had given -up hope of its recovery. In fact Harry had hit Grieve on the head to -warn him to desist from pumping-up, which might result in his suffering -a broken arm when they struck the water. At that moment the engine -started. It was a very narrow escape. There they were greeted by those -delightful signs of the sun just getting up, one of the real joys of -Nature which has delighted the eyes of most flying-men. Again they -set their course, but that water would not be kept from boiling. It -was then that they agreed to “play for safety,” as Harry -himself expressed it. - -At 5 a.m. two stars enabled Grieve to determine their position as -being directly on their course and about 950 miles from St. Johns, -representing an average speed of about 85 miles per hour. No more -sights were possible, owing to the clouds and the approach of daylight. -When they came down low to look for ships about 6 a.m. their position -was estimated by Grieve as 50 degrees north, 29 degrees 30 minutes -west; and they pursued a more northerly course to get well on to the -steamship route. - -The hour of dawn was the one hour in twenty-four in which flying always -seemed to hold the greatest charm for Harry, as indeed I believe it -always has done for most aviators; and on this occasion, after having -flown through a black night _above_ one desolate waste whose secrets -may never be unfolded and _ahead_ into another which had never before -been explored by man, as one can well appreciate, Harry was overjoyed -on beholding the first signs of the dawn of May 19th, 1919. That he and -Grieve almost immediately began to have an eye for the refuge of a ship -only goes to prove the serious nature of the radiator trouble. But for -those high clouds which, coupled with the doubtful cooling system, had -forced them to yield most of their advantageous height, they might have -been able to continue on further than they did at a moderate cruising -speed with the engine throttled. But although they covered almost -two-thirds of the journey, the chance of their being able to complete -it under any circumstances had become practically negligible owing to -the loss of water due to several hours of overheating. - -Mentally both Harry and Grieve were comfortable, but an attack of -seasickness upset Harry a bit. While flying a couple of miles above the -dark ocean they did not attempt to probe in their minds the secrets -of regions four, five, perhaps six miles below them. Even had they -done so, such thoughts could scarcely have had a demoralising effect -on souls like theirs. The fallibility of a machine, against which no -man can have absolute insurance, was all that robbed them of the joy -of completing their intention. Theirs was a successful failure, and -beyond perhaps additional monetary reward (which to Harry was never an -unimportant consideration), had they had the good fortune to make the -direct flight, I do not believe they would have commanded one iota more -respect than they did when they returned to the world at large, as from -the dead. - -They decided to fly diagonally south-east and then south-west across -their course to see if they could find a ship, knowing that they would -be unable to go on indefinitely boiling away the water. For two and a -half hours they carried out these tactics, in sight of the very rough -ocean and with their machine pitched and rolled about by a tempestuous -north-east wind described by Harry as “half a gale.” There -were heavy rainsqualls, between which were clear spaces in which Harry -endeavoured to keep. But these spaces became smaller and finally -visibility had almost gone. At last Harry’s eyes were gladdened -by the sight of a ship close to them on the left. Both the ship and -the aeroplane were more or less in the fog, with low clouds above, and -Harry and Grieve were almost over the ship before they saw her. At a -height of 400 feet they flew alongside, firing three Vérey lights as -signals of distress. - -While flying so low down between the rough sea and low clouds the -_Atlantic_ was bumped about very badly. As Grieve said, “It was -like being in a small motor-boat in a heavy sea.” - -It was at about 6 o’clock on the Monday morning that the second -mate and the helmsman of the _Mary_ sighted the aeroplane. The sea was -rough and a stiff breeze was blowing, and the conditions for launching -a boat were getting worse instead of better. So much so, in fact, that -Captain Duhn did not think he could have saved them an hour later. - -Harry was very cheered when he first saw the _Mary_, for he had been -looking about for a ship for over two hours and had been violently -seasick the while. Grieve also was thankful and relieved when he saw -the ship. - -The machine floated well. The engines held the air, as well as the -spaces in the petrol tanks and the wings. - -They flew to and fro above the ship several times until they saw men -on deck, after which they went ahead about two miles and made a very -good “landing,” although a heavy sea was running, with -waves about 12 feet high which swept over the wings intermittently. -Apart from waves breaking over it, the machine floated well on an even -keel and was generally well out of the water. As they saw the steamer -approaching they released their lifeboat in case the aeroplane should -break up and sink, as it showed signs of doing. Their life-saving suits -kept them more or less dry while the crew of the _Mary_ were putting -out their boat, which operation took fully an hour and a half. The -vessel was only about two hundred yards from the aeroplane. - -After they touched the water, Harry and Grieve found themselves -standing in the cockpit, up to their knees in water. - -Waves were “sloshing” under the upper planes of the -machine, the nose of which was heading into the wind. Sometimes waves -dashed right over the top planes. Harry was indeed amused by the -sight of the first big wave striking the under-surface of the top -plane, which until then had been dry and shining. It lifted them right -out of the water, and the trailing edge of the top plane broke away -completely. The sun was hazy, and low driving clouds were prevalent. -Having launched their own little boat in case they should need it in -the event of the _Atlantic_ going under, they spent the interim until -their rescue in discussing as to the possibility of the _Mary_ having -appliances whereby they could salve the aeroplane. - -After much difficulty the boat succeeded in reaching them, and they -were taken aboard and the boat was drawn to the _Mary_ by a line. It -was impossible for them to salve anything from the aeroplane, and they -arrived on board the _Mary_, which rolled heavily, without boots or -caps, and Grieve without a coat. They were exceedingly sorry to have to -leave valuable instruments and mail on board the _Atlantic_. - -As the ship’s boat came up to them it banged heavily into the -aeroplane and they hopped aboard at once. The _Mary_ slung out a rope -with which they were hauled to her. Grieve, being a naval man, was -spokesman when they first got on board. He went on the bridge and asked -Captain Duhn if he could salve the machine. Captain Duhn regretted he -could not, and remarked on their narrow escape. Grieve’s log was -washed from his pocket while they were in the water, with the exception -of one page of rough notes. The _Mary_ was on a course from the Gulf of -Mexico to Pentland Firth, and was crossing the main steamship route, -which is only a few miles broad. - -The total distance over which they had flown without a stop was -approximately 1,050 miles at an average speed of about 80 miles per -hour, approximately the distance which Harry covered in stages at a -much lower speed in the Round-Britain Seaplane Circuit in 1913. - -Altogether, before being picked up, they had been 14½ hours out from -Newfoundland, it being 8.30 a.m. on Monday, Greenwich time (9.30 summer -time), when they boarded the _Mary_. There they met Captain Duhn, whose -English was good. He told them he had feared they would sink before his -boat could pick them up. As they went on the bridge with him, he said, -“Another hour and you would have gone down.” He thought -Harry and Grieve were Americans, and seemed very nonchalant. As Harry -said, “We were struck by the casual manner in which he took the -whole business, as if it were an everyday affair to take airmen out of -the Atlantic.” Naturally the first enquiries, Harry and Grieve -made were as to their bearings and the likelihood of their meeting a -ship that day or the next and being in the main route of shipping. -The _Mary_ carried no wireless and they were anxious to let friends -know of their safety. When they went on board, Captain Duhn considered -there were good prospects of seeing a ship with wireless at any moment. -But as the day wore on the storm increased in violence and they had -to heave to, only making about a knot in a northerly direction. This -course took them away from the shipping route and lessened their -chances of being able to communicate. - -Neither Harry nor Grieve were the slightest bit excited either at the -start or when rescued. As Harry put it: “When we started we felt -it was a ‘cert’—100 to 1 on.” And Grieve, “We -had been waiting so long, we felt callous about the whole thing.” -They were pretty well “done up” when they got on board, and -feeling seasick, in preference to taking food they had a good sleep. -Grieve woke up first and went on the bridge. - -Grieve’s seat was not absolutely side-by-side with Harry’s, -but was just a little behind, Harry’s left shoulder being in -front of his navigator. Grieve was thereby able to move about to the -extent of kneeling down to look at the drift indicator, to stand up -to take observations, or to move forward a little for working the -wireless. This probably accounted to some extent for Harry being in -need of sleep, since he had not had such freedom to move about. - -Captain Duhn thought they were Americans—in fact Harry jokingly -remarked that he rather thought Captain Duhn was a little disappointed -that they were not. Harry told the Captain he would like the -opportunity of making another attempt, and he pointed out the advantage -the Americans had over him in the shorter oversea distances and the -assistance of the American warships, although he personally would not -have appreciated such assistance, which detracted from the value of -the performance. When they had rested and made themselves “at -home,” Harry and Grieve passed away much of their time on board -reading English books which Captain Duhn had. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._ - -HARRY AND GRIEVE LEAVING BUCKINGHAM PALACE AFTER HAVING BEEN DECORATED -BY THE KING. ALTHOUGH A CIVILIAN, HARRY RECEIVED THE FIRST AIR FORCE -CROSS—A SERVICE DECORATION. - - [_Facing p. 244._ -] - -On Sunday morning, May 25th, almost one week after starting, they -sighted St. Kilda and later on the Butt of Lewis, when communication -with the mainland became possible. It was a beautiful morning, with -the sea as smooth as ever off this exposed coast. Shortly after 10 -o’clock, heading for the Butt of Lewis, Captain Duhn, after running -up signal flags reading “_Mary_,” began sounding the syren. With the -weather so fine as it was, this could not but attract the attention of -the coastguards. As the vessel drew nearer the shore, Captain Duhn, -acting on Harry’s instructions, ran up the signal, “_Communicate by -Wire_,” which had the desired effect of intimating to the coastguards, -Chief officer William Ingham and Leading Seaman George Harding, -that an important message would follow which they must transmit to -headquarters by telegraph. The next signal run up was the international -signal for “_Saved Hands_,” and this was then replaced by the symbol -indicating that the following signals would be spelt. Up went the -flags “_S.O.P._,” followed by “_A.E.R._” and after another interval by -“_O.P.L._,” and finally “_A.N.E._” It was when they received the last -syllable that the coast-guardsmen were thrilled with the knowledge -that they had good news of men whom the world had given up as lost. -Having delivered this message, Captain Duhn put out to sea, again, -and was just going beyond signalling range when he saw on shore -the flags asking “_Is it_.” Returning towards the shore, he read, -“_H-A-W-K-E-R_.” Up went his reply, “_Yes_.” The form of signal was -made out by Grieve, who was conversant with the code. - -Off Loch Erribel the _Mary_ was met by the British destroyer -_Woolston_, sent out from Scapa Flow by Admiral Fremantle to take them -aboard. Harry and Grieve therefore bade farewell to Captain Duhn and -thanked him for the great kindness they had received at his hands. -Captain Duhn described Harry and Grieve as a couple of unusually -amiable and pleasant fellows in whose company it was a pleasure to be. - -Harry and Grieve did not converse a great deal during the flight, -although the noise from the engine was comparatively quiet, most of -it being carried away behind them through a long exhaust-pipe. Their -conversation was mostly carried on by signs. Grieve would hold up the -vacuum flask when he wanted to know if Harry required a drink. They had -an inter-communicating telephone, which they rarely used. As Grieve put -it, they were too busy to talk much. - -Sometimes they communicated by writing. One of Grieve’s messages read, -“We didn’t have much to spare taking-off,” referring, of course, to -their only just clearing the boundary of the starting-ground at Mount -Pearl. He wrote all the compass bearings during the flight and held -them up for Harry to read. Grieve used the clouds for his horizon -simply because they saw more clouds than sea. In fact, with one -exception it was nothing but clouds until they were forced down almost -to the water during the last two or three hours. But the weather did -not hinder them, and Harry was convinced that but for the radiator -trouble he would have won through. - -Speaking after the flight of their means of communication with ships, -Grieve said that the first wireless fitted was tried during their -test flight at St. Johns, when the exciter of the generator burnt -out owing to the too great speed of the small windmill or air-driven -“propeller.” They therefore had to discard this set, which -they replaced at once by a small “Boy Scout” plain aerial -set, designed to give a radius of about 25 miles. Their long wait at -St. Johns gave them time to receive from England a new set slightly -different from the original one, and more powerful than the “Boy -Scout” set, for it had a range of 250 miles. They were unable -to give this a preliminary test in the air, however, because they -preferred not to risk any more test flights on such a small aerodrome -as they had. When they got in the air they found the spark to be -very feeble, and only a small ampèrage could be raised, owing to the -windmill or “propeller” in this case being too small. -Nevertheless, they felt they had enough power in their transmitter to -communicate with any ships within moderate range, and they tapped out -messages every half hour, with the object of letting the outside world -know that they were still in the air. But no acknowledgment of these -messages was ever received during or after the flight. When the engine -was throttled down, during the last few hours to keep the temperature -of the water as low as possible under the adverse circumstances in -which it was circulating, the speed of the machine was not enough to -drive the wireless windmill. - -Nevertheless, the S.O.S. call was tapped out at intervals of 15 minutes -in case the spark should happen to operate. Fortunately Grieve never -intended to rely on the wireless for navigating purposes other than -to check positions occasionally by communicating with any ships which -they might pass above. Previously to the flight, ships were asked by -wireless from St. Johns to make known their position in the event of -their seeing an aeroplane by day or a red Vérey light at night. Harry -and Grieve saw no vessel other than the _Mary_, and therefore fired no -lights until then. Ships that reported having seen red lights in the -sky before then probably saw the red glow from the exhaust-pipe of the -machine as she passed in the night in and out between the clouds. - -Exactly half the petrol carried, 170 gallons, was used, an equal amount -remaining in the tanks when the machine took the water. - -One of the conclusions arrived at by Grieve was that future navigation -in the air undoubtedly lies with directional wireless, once that is -perfected. - -They spent Sunday night, a week after their romantic departure from St. -Johns, on Admiral Fremantle’s flagship, H.M.S. _Revenge_, and -on Monday morning, having received an Admiralty pass to London, they -transferred to the destroyer F.O.8, which took them from Scapa Flow to -Thurso in about 45 minutes. It being low tide, it was impossible for -the destroyer to go into harbour, and so Harry and Grieve were rowed -ashore by half-a-dozen bluejackets, once again to set foot on home soil -at Scrabster Pier, whence the late Lord Kitchener had departed on his -ill-fated voyage in the _Hampshire_. The sun shone gloriously, and away -in the distance could be discerned the blue outline of the Orkneys. - -As they reached the landing-stage cheer upon cheer rolled forth from -those who had assembled to meet them. Provost and Mrs. MacKay, with -members of the Thurso Town Council, several naval officers and men, and -townsfolk, had motored out to Scrabster, where everybody and everything -was _en fête_. Provost MacKay was the first to greet Harry and Grieve. -Addressing them, he said: - - “Mr. Hawker, in the name of the people of Thurso I offer you - and Commander Mackenzie-Grieve a welcome, not only to Thurso, but - to the shores of Britain. Throughout the length and breadth of the - land, and of every land, to-day the news of your safe deliverance is - ringing, and hearts everywhere are rejoicing. It is true that you have - not achieved what you so gallantly set out for, but to-day you need - not worry over that, because you have indeed achieved great things. - The names of Hawker and Grieve will live for ever in the annals of - Atlantic flight. You have brought a new lustre to the daring, the - endurance, and the intrepid spirit of our race. Your countrymen greet - you warmly and proudly as heroic pioneers and sportsmen. From the - moment of your departure from St. Johns the world has been on tension - for news of you; expectation gave way to anxiety, and then anxiety to - gloom, but happily all fears and forebodings are to-day dispelled. - The world-wide joy over your pluck and safety is so great because the - sense of relief is so great. It was at this landing-stage that Lord - Kitchener said farewell to the land he loved, and now we shall also - know it and mark it as the place of wonderful welcome to two brave - sons of Empire.” - -Harry, on behalf of Grieve and himself, expressed his heartfelt thanks -for this warm greeting, with the modesty and brevity which were so -characteristic of him on such occasions. Provost MacKay then introduced -the members of the Town Council and other Thursonians, after which Mrs. -MacKay invited them to her house for luncheon, an invitation which they -were happy to accept. - -In the Provost’s car they drove through the beflagged streets, -where many people, including parties of bluejackets, had foregathered. -At North Bank House they enjoyed a quiet luncheon with Provost and Mrs. -MacKay, Sir Archibald and Lady Sinclair, of Ulbster, and the senior -naval officer, Lieut. Weir, and his wife. They were feeling very fit -and their complexions were sunburnt. Briefly Harry recounted their -experiences, telling of the cloud-banks, the clogged radiator pipe, the -descent nearly to the water, the rough seas and tempestuous winds, and -the sighting of the _Mary_ and their gallant rescue. - -Harry and Grieve were much amused by some of the newspapers which -Provost MacKay showed them, containing their obituary notices. Grieve -was particularly touched by a photograph purporting to be that of his -wife, for he was not married! Before driving to the station Harry and -Grieve spoke of the warmth of the hospitality they had received, not -only at Thurso, but also at Scapa on the previous evening with the -Grand Fleet. - -During the luncheon, crowds assembled outside Provost MacKay’s -residence, and at the station Thurso had never before seen such a -throng. Cheers were ringing on all sides, handshakes, cameras, and -autograph books were the order of the day. Thurso was _en fête_ as -never before. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -MY OWN REMINISCENCES OF THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT - - I Wait for News—The Americans Start—I Hear Harry has Started—And - I Put Out the Flags—No News Next Morning—Fate is Unkind and - Brings a False Report—Which, Contradicted, Delivers a Paralysing - Blow—No Further News—“All Hope Abandoned”—Good - News—Peace of Mind Once More—Everybody Happy—The King Telegraphs - Congratulations—I Go to Meet Harry at Grantham—Harry’s - Triumphal Progress to Grantham—Together Once More—Harry - Rides a Horse Through London—“Escape” from the - R.Ae.C.—Celebrations at Ham—Fireworks at Hook. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -After the first week of Harry’s absence the time passed fairly -quickly. I never left home for longer than two hours, and then I bought -newspapers in case Harry had started. Often I would have news about -seven in the evening to the effect that Harry was about to start. I sat -up until the news was contradicted. Never before had I taken such an -interest in the moon as during these few weeks. I knew every phase, and -when it reached the full I felt sure that Harry would be starting. - -I was in town when I saw a placard saying that the Americans had -started, and I at once rushed to the nearest telephone box to find out -if any message had come through from Harry, as I knew he would not let -the Americans arrive first without a struggle; but the moon was waning -and the weather reports none too good. - -On the night of May 18th I received a message to the effect that Harry -had left at 6.30. The first thing to do was to put out all the flags, -for he would be home on the morrow. But this did not take long, and, -when done, the time seemed to drag. - -As the hours went by and darkness came on, the time passed even more -slowly for me. I remember I went to the window and stood there waiting -for the moon to rise; it was waning, but, despite that, seemed to make -the night less terrible. It was very cold, and I wondered whether it -was all worth while. I had written down each hour that Harry was to be -in the air, and hour by hour crossed them off. - -When the papers arrived on the morrow they were full of the start -of the Atlantic flight, but gave no news beyond the precise time of -the start, as no wireless had been received. No message came for me -until about ten o’clock that night, after I had been down to -Brooklands expecting his arrival. The message, which was from the -Admiralty, told me that Harry had landed in the sea forty miles off -the mouth of the Shannon, and until two or three o’clock in the -morning the telephone unceasingly rang, bringing congratulations from -far and near. My brother, who had obtained special leave, remained up -all night and made himself comfortable by the telephone. The beginning -of the night found him receiving messages and returning thanks with -energy, but by one o’clock his tones lacked their initial -gusto, and by two o’clock they were hardly lucid. I went to bed -thoroughly happy and at peace, but I was too excited to sleep. - -I was the first one down in the morning to get the papers. I opened the -_Daily Mail_ first of all, and the headlines I saw nearly blinded me. -I have since had to read worse news than I read that morning, but I do -not think I have ever felt so frantic and yet so completely hopeless as -when I saw the fatal words, “Hawker Missing—False Report of Fall -in the Sea.” - -I believe at that moment I gave up all hope. Then I thought of almost -his last words to me before he left: “If things don’t go -quite right, never give up hope”; and as there seemed to be two -sides to the question whether he was alive or not, and no definite -proof of either, I decided, no matter what happened, to cling firmly to -the belief that he was alive. - -Mrs. Sopwith, who came to see me about ten o’clock, helped me to -keep my resolution during the whole of the ensuing week. My brother -obtained leave to stay with me; and then it was a case of waiting. Day -after day passed with no news. Each morning, after reading the papers, -I went off to the Admiralty for any further news; and every day I saw -the papers getting less and less hopeful. Everyone seemed to put a time -limit on his, or her, hope. One said, “I will give them three -days,” while one more optimistic said, “A week.” When -I had waited a week I could almost feel that Harry was near, and on -Saturday I was perfectly sure that I had only one more day to wait. - -On the 24th I received the following telegram: - - “The King, fearing the worst must now be realised regarding the - fate of your husband, wishes to express his deep sympathy and that of - the Queen in your sudden and tragic sorrow. His Majesty feels that the - nation lost one of its most able and daring pilots to sacrifice his - life for the fame and honour of British flying. - - “STAMFORDHAM. ” - -But neither this nor Lord Northcliffe’s generous offer to make -provision for myself and Pamela changed my conviction that Harry would -turn up safe and sound. - -On the Sunday morning I read in the papers that “all hope had -now been given up for the safety of the Atlantic airmen,” and I -recall thinking how silly “all hope” sounded, when they -could not know everyone’s hopes. I went to the little church -opposite, where prayers were offered for the safety of Harry and -Commander Grieve. I remember hurrying home because I thought the good -news had come; but it had not. - -About an hour later I was told that the _Daily Mirror_ wanted me on the -‘phone with a message that could not be entrusted to anyone but -myself. They simply told me that Harry and Grieve had been picked up -by a Danish ship without wireless and had just signalled their message -with flags to the Butt of Lewis; and could they, as the first to convey -the news to me, send a representative down for a private interview at -once. What I answered I do not know—probably nothing—but I felt that -anyone could do what they liked then; I should be happy. - -My brother and I rushed round to spread the good news. We went first -to the Sigrists’ bungalow on the Thames Ditton island, where I -had spent the previous day. They had already heard the news, and Fred -Sigrist rushed down the steps of his house saying, “What can I -do for you?” I replied, “Oh, jump in!” He at once -took a header, fully clothed, and swam up and down, shouting incoherent -messages to all and sundry on the island. By this time a lot of people -had collected, and we drank everyone’s health at Fred’s -expense. Then we went home, with everyone following us. When we -arrived at Hook a terrible vision of a dozen or more reporters met our -eyes. The _Daily Mirror_ man wanted his interview as promised, and the -others wanted to listen, which did not suit him. Anyway, we all shook -hands, there was no “interview,” and plenty was said next -morning in the papers. - -By this time there was a large gathering of people, and although I -believe each of them had a cup of tea or a glass of something better, -there was little food in the house for such a crowd. I then went to the -special Thanksgiving Service which Mr. Wood, the curate-in-charge, had -arranged at Hook Church. It was a most beautiful service, and I was -much impressed by its simplicity and the feeling in the hearts of the -congregation. - -On arriving home again I found a dinner had been arranged at the -Piccadilly Hotel, and we were to start, about thirty strong, just as we -were, the men-folk in boating flannels and the ladies in light summer -frocks. Perhaps we exceeded the speed limit, or the inspector who -operated a trap on Putney Hill thought we did, and we had to stop. My -brother and I were leading in the Sunbeam. When the police recognised -us (an enormous Australian flag attached to our radiator cap must have -given them some idea), they waved us on without complaining; and as we -passed, one of them said to me, “I’d feel like a bit of a -blind myself if I were in your shoes.” - -We were a very jolly party, and it only needed Harry’s presence -to make it complete. When we arrived at the hotel the orchestra there -played “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” and everyone -was very gracious. We dined, and, after visiting a few friends in -London, returned home. - -After news of Harry’s safety was confirmed, I received the -following message from the King, by telegram: - - “The King rejoices with you and the nation on the happy rescue - of your gallant husband. He trusts that he may be long spared to - you.” - -From Queen Alexandra I received this telegram: - - “With all my heart I wish you and the nation joy on the safety - of your gallant husband and his companion. I rejoice that a Danish - ship rescued his precious life. - - “ALEXANDRA. ” - -The next day I had appointed to go and see an Atlantic flight film -at the Majestic Cinema, Clapham. We arrived at the hour fixed, and I -thought there was a fire somewhere, as all the traffic was held up and -there were simply mobs of people. I could not believe that they had all -come to see us, but it seemed they had, and I am afraid they must have -been very disappointed. Someone gave me a beautiful bouquet, but before -I had gathered myself together it was taken away and then presented -to me again by the same charming lady. It appeared that the hitch was -caused by the cinema operator opposite falling off his cab just at the -critical moment when the bouquet was being presented, so it had to be -done all over again. I never saw the film version of this incident, but -it must have been funny. - -From a flag-bedecked box we saw the film of the Atlantic flight. Mr. -Derwent Hall Caine said some very nice things about Harry, and added a -few about me for the sake of politeness. - -The next morning I stayed in bed and amused myself opening the more -interesting of the correspondence. I received about 2,000 letters -before Harry came home—that was in two days—and I am afraid many did -not get opened for weeks. - -Mr. and Mrs. Sopwith and myself left for Grantham just before lunch, -and arrived with nearly an hour to wait for the train which was -speeding Harry down from Scotland. The station was closed to the public -and only R.A.F. cadets were allowed on the opposite platform. The -station-master was most charming, and had arranged for Harry to meet me -in his own little room on the platform. - -While on board H.M.S. _Revenge_, Harry sent the following message, -_via_ Aberdeen, at 10.35 p.m. on Sunday, May 25th: - - “My machine stopped owing to the water-filter in the feed-pipe - from the radiator to the water-cock being blocked up with refuse, - such as solder and the like, shaking loose in the radiator. It was no - fault of the motor [Rolls-Royce]. The motor ran absolutely perfectly - from start to finish, even when all the water had boiled away. I had - no trouble in landing in the sea. We were picked up by the tramp ship - _Mary_, after being in the water 1½ hours. We are going to London - from Thurso at 2 p.m. on Monday, arriving in London between 7 and 8 - p.m. on Tuesday.” - -The above message constituted the first public account as to the cause -of the failure. - -To Harry, on the _Revenge_, Provost MacKay, of Thurso, sent the -following message: - - “The people of Thurso heartily rejoice over your and - Mackenzie-Grieve’s safety, which is surely as wonderful as - your pluck. May I have the pleasure of meeting you and any others at - Scrabster (Port of Thurso) to-morrow and providing luncheon before the - departure of the afternoon train or of assisting you in any way?” - -The progress of Harry and Grieve to London was nothing short of -triumphal and an experience in itself, apart from the actual flight -accomplished. After leaving Thurso, at Bonar Bridge station they met -with a rousing reception. The people there had turned out _en masse_, -and two pipers, McBain and Macdonald, played soul-stirring strains -while the crowd cheered and cheered again. As the train stopped, the -folks swarmed round the carriage door and Harry and Grieve shook hands -with as many as possible. There were several telegrams awaiting them at -this remote little station, an augury of what they might expect nearer -home. They took in a tea-basket here. - -At Tain the excitement took a similar form. Here a council meeting -was specially adjourned, and the councillors proceeded to the station -to meet the train. Provost Maitland delivered a brief congratulatory -message. Harry’s radiant smile thoroughly captivated the people, -who cheered to the echo as the train passed out. - -Similar expressions of the public joy occurred at every station between -Thurso and Inverness. At Brora most of the population, including the -school-children, were on the platform, and loud cheers greeted the -arrival and departure. At Invergordon the crowds on both sides of the -train were particularly large, and unbounded enthusiasm prevailed. At -Alness they were acclaimed by pipers, amid cheers. At Dingwall and -Beauly similar warm-hearted acclamations were offered. - -At several places _en route_ ladies offered bouquets, and by the time -the train reached Inverness Harry’s compartment was rich in the -perfume of the lily of the valley. - -There were many incidents of human interest on the journey. At one -point far up North Harry noticed a woman and her two kiddies waving at -the train from the door of a crofter’s cottage on the hillside. -He and Grieve both responded by waving their handkerchiefs until they -were out of sight. At some of the stations children came shyly forward -to shake hands and say, “Good luck.” Some were more bold, -and said, “You will do it yet.” Harry was completely won -by the warmth of the Highland welcome, and remarked later, “What -fine people!” - -As the train came over the bridge into Inverness, the siren of a vessel -in harbour heralded their arrival. The station and the vicinity were -occupied by enormous crowds, and it was with the utmost difficulty -that Harry and Grieve were able to get, or rather be got, to the -Station Hotel. Speaking from the main staircase of the hotel, Provost -Macdonald, on behalf of the people of Inverness, said: - - “We congratulate you very heartily on your brave attempt to - cross the Atlantic and more particularly on the marvellous escape you - have had. In 1913, when you, Mr. Hawker, passed Inverness, you did not - give us much of a chance of welcoming you, but we now have the chance, - and give you a real Highland welcome. We are delighted to see you, and - to congratulate you on your wonderful attempt to cross the Atlantic. - We are glad to know that you live to fly another day, and I hope that - before long you will win that great prize offered by the _Daily Mail_. - The proprietors of that newspaper have done a generous and patriotic - action in stimulating aviation—one that deserves the congratulations - of the whole country. We are all delighted to have you and Commander - Grieve with us. I hope that after you have had a needed rest you will - have another try at the Transatlantic flight, and, if you do, you - will have the best wishes of the people of Inverness that your second - attempt will be successful. I call for three cheers for Mr. Hawker and - Commander Grieve, and three more for Mrs. Hawker, who has never lost - faith in her husband’s safety.” - -When the cheers had subsided, Harry said: - - “I can assure you I feel very embarrassed under the present - conditions. I cannot help feeling in a sort of way that I am here - under false pretences in so far as I am not so good as people think - I am. The risk I ran was not so great as people think it was. It - was a perfectly straightforward thing, and not at all an attempt - of the do-or-die order.” (Amid cheers, somebody shouted, - “You’re too modest!”) “Under ordinary - conditions, there are hundreds of ships in the Atlantic without - wireless, and one might be picked up and be there for a fortnight - without anybody knowing about it. There was practically no risk at - all. I thank you very much indeed for your warm welcome and your good - wishes.” - -Grieve was also called on for a “speech,” and said: - - “I can only echo Mr. Hawker’s words. I deeply appreciate - your great and enthusiastic welcome, as I am a Scotsman myself.” - - -They were both called on to make a brief speech from the balcony of the -hotel as well. After supping with Provost Macdonald, they entrained for -Edinburgh and London. - -In the small hours of the night, even at tiny stations, there were -little groups of people eager to catch a glimpse of the train as it -passed through, and long after Harry and Grieve were enjoying a sleep -they were passing stations where the train halted to the accompaniment -of bagpipes. - -Perth was reached at 5 a.m., when one would have thought everybody -there would be fast asleep. But this was not so. The people were -there in thousands to cheer and watch the heroes of the hour for a -few moments. A bouquet was presented and, in acknowledging it, Harry -mentioned that he had had an excellent sleep from Inverness and was -feeling very fit. - -As for the reception at Edinburgh, I cannot do better than reproduce -the account given by the _Evening News_ (London): - - “... At Edinburgh, which has grown accustomed to the visits - of the great, there were the same scenes. The station platform was - crowded by 8 o’clock and there was a strong force of police on - duty to keep the way clear for passengers. When the train steamed - in there was a great murmur of excitement and craning of necks. - Hawker was at once surrounded by all kinds of official and unofficial - admirers. It was really marvellous, the number of solemn officials - who found it their duty to be very near Hawker as he came down the - platform. The cheers grew and grew till the whole station echoed with - them. Suddenly there was a rush through the barrier, and before the - police realised what was happening Hawker was raised shoulder high and - carried, smiling and a bit unstable, through the clamorous crowds. It - was an extraordinary scene of fervour and welcome. Then he disappeared - into the Station Hotel for breakfast. The same desire to see and - acclaim the hero was there, though it was more discreetly veiled, as - becomes a great hotel. It was wonderful, the number of people who had - left their newspaper and their handkerchief in the dining-room and in - the hall. - - “I had a few words with Hawker in the hotel. I found him looking - the very picture of health, bright and youthful—as one could hardly - believe after his journey into the Atlantic and across Scotland. He - told me that already he had given the whole story of the flight. He - talked with the greatest enthusiasm of his journey through Scotland. - ‘You would hardly believe,’ he said, ‘how kind and - appreciative they have been the whole way down. It has absolutely - astonished me.’ I asked him whether he thought he would ever - try the Atlantic again. One might have expected a very emphatic - negative to such a suggestion, but all Hawker could say was, ‘I - don’t know.’ He said it depended on the Sopwith firm, - seeming to suggest that his own personal experiences and tastes were - rather unimportant things. - - “Commander Grieve does not look quite so fit as Hawker. I - thought he looked a bit tired and strained, but the journey from - Thurso would do that, even if he had not done before it the biggest - feat in navigation the world has known since Columbus. When the train - left at 10 o’clock there was a repetition of the scenes of - arrival, only with a bigger crowd. - - “Every corner of stair and platform and bridge where one could - get a glimpse of Hawker and Grieve was crammed to the utmost. There - was wild cheering and the police were busy. The two dived quickly into - the Pullman as if a bit embarrassed with all this excitement; but, - after many requests, appeared at the carriage door to be photographed. - In a moment the train was away, and Edinburgh set to talking about the - magnificent young heroes, and to-night will read of the acclamations - all down the line.” - -At Newcastle, some hundreds of people were on the platform when the -train steamed in, and Harry and Grieve met with a great reception. -The Lord Mayor and Sheriff (Mr. Cole), who were accompanied by other -members of the Corporation, and Mr. Herbert Shaw, representing the -Chamber of Commerce, congratulated them on their escape and wished them -better luck next time. The Lord Mayor presented each of them with a -volume of views of Newcastle and a case of cigarettes as a souvenir of -the occasion. - -After thanking the Lord Mayor, Harry held a miniature reception by -shaking hands with some hundreds of people who passed in front of his -carriage door. - -In acknowledgement of their great welcome to him, Harry addressed the -following message to Scotsmen, through the medium of the Press: - - “I am deeply touched by all the marks of respect that have been - shown to me, and particularly by the kindness and sympathy displayed - towards my wife during a week that must have been a severe trial to - her. Only the kindness shown to her could have enabled her to get - through that trial. - - “As for myself, I am simply overwhelmed by the warmth of the - greeting showered on me everywhere since first I touched British soil - on Sunday last. I shall remember it to my dying day. It almost makes - me feel that it was worth while failing to have such an ovation as has - been accorded to us. Certainly I am convinced that the public display - of appreciation more than repays me for anything I have gone through, - and convinces me that the attempt to cross the Atlantic was well worth - while. - - “I am not discouraged in the least by what has taken place, and - I have not abandoned the idea of crossing the Atlantic. What I shall - do is a matter for discussion with my friends and backers, but I am - far from being out of the race. - - “I have nothing to say about the criticisms of those who think - the attempt under the conditions then prevailing was foolhardy, save - to say that I do not regret anything I have done, and that under - similar circumstances I should act in the same way. The attempt was - well worth making, and it had to be made, for there was a danger of - the honour of being first across the Atlantic being wrested from the - old country. Someone else may succeed where I failed, but I hope that, - whoever does succeed, the honour will rest with Britain. - - “I may say I have been loyally backed up by my wife; and when - a man embarks on an adventure of this kind the spirit in which it - is taken by his wife counts for a great deal. She has been splendid - through it all, and what credit there is for what has been achieved is - hers as much as mine.” - -Commander Grieve’s message ran: - - “I can only say ‘ditto’ to Harry Hawker. I have - been deeply touched indeed by the kindly interest taken in our flight - and the disappointment of failure is easily forgotten in the warmth - of the welcome given us. It was a fine stunt, well worth attempting, - and, like Hawker, I have no regrets. I am more than ever convinced - that the Atlantic can be crossed, and I am ready to try again when - circumstances permit of the battle being renewed under more favourable - conditions. Next time we ought to succeed, but if somebody gets in - before us we can only say ‘Good luck to you.’ Everybody - has been splendid in connection with our flight.” - -[Illustration: A SOUVENIR OF THE FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC AIR MAIL. - - [_Facing p. 264._ -] - -At Darlington the welcome was magnificent. Hundreds of people -were congregated on the platform, and as the train—15 minutes -overdue—steamed in, loud cheers were raised and cries of welcome -greeted them. Harry came to the carriage door, and his bronzed face -was the signal for renewed hurrahs. The crowd surged round the door to -shake Harry by the hand. Smilingly he responded by gripping as many -hands as possible. As the train left the station cheers were renewed, -rattles sounded, and hooters and whistles were blown. - -At York, the Scotch express was twenty minutes behind time, and for -over half-an-hour before the scheduled time a crowd had been steadily -assembling on the platform. Lord Knaresborough (Chairman of the -North-Eastern Railway) was among those present, and he subsequently -travelled on the train to London.The Sheriff of York (Alderman C. W. -Shipley) was also present. - -When the train ultimately drew up at York station, shortly after three -o’clock, a rousing cheer went up. The police found it impossible -to restrain the crowds from surging up to the fore part of the train -where Harry and Grieve occupied a first-class compartment. They -swarmed round the door, crowded on the footboards and on the coaches, -and cheered themselves hoarse. Aided by the railway police, Mr. T. -C. Humphries, the station-master, was able to reach Harry’s -compartment and hand in some telegrams, including the Royal Command to -Buckingham Palace. For some minutes Grieve held the door while Harry -was busy with replies to telegrams; then he, too, appeared. There was -a fresh outburst of cheers. Describing the scene, the _Yorkshire Post_ -said: - - “... He looked well-bronzed, wonderfully fit, and smiled - genially in acknowledgment of a fresh outburst of cheers. For the - convenience of a group of photographers, who were poised on a pile of - baggage, Mr. Hawker pleasantly raised his head and leaned forward. The - cheering was continuous, and both Mr. Hawker and his navigator seemed - particularly interested in a portion of the crowd who, failing to see - from the platform, had climbed to the roof of a train on an adjoining - platform, swarmed over the tender and cab, and along the footplate - of a locomotive, while the more nimble juniors had clambered to the - under-girders and lattice-bracing of the station roof. - - “Mr. Hawker did not attempt to make a speech, though encouraged - by the crowd to do so. He was also appealed to by autograph hunters, - several of whom vainly waved their albums from the densest part of the - crowd. Some Australian soldiers, not to be denied, forced their way - through the crowd and grasped the hand of their fellow-countryman, - congratulating him with characteristic warmth and vigour. When the - train, after ten minutes’ stay, was restarted, a perfect - forest of hands was thrust towards the carriage, and as his coach - slowly passed forward Mr. Hawker grasped such as were within reach. - It was a royal reception from a crowd moved to the highest pitch of - enthusiasm, and their deafening cheers completely drowned the noise - of the escaping steam as the powerful train moved on its southbound - journey.” - -Harry’s next stop would be at Grantham, where he expected to meet -me. - -At last the train came in, and there seemed to be an awful scuttle -outside. Then Harry literally fell into the little room where I -was waiting. He just said the sweetest and most wonderful thing I -could ever hear, and added, just as the people started to crush in, -“Don’t cry.” - -Then we went back to the waiting train. Standing in the doorway of the -little room, we were faced by a veritable sea of cameras, which I tried -to count but could not. - -We got into our carriage in comfort—the last comfort of the day—and -with an aeroplane as escort overhead, Harry and Grieve triumphantly -proceeded to King’s Cross, where a terrific reception awaited -them. As the train drew up at the platform, part of the enormous crowd -surged into our compartment. How they knew which one was hard to tell. -The civic reception party who were on the platform to give official -welcome to the heroes were completely shattered, and I believe it must -have been wonderful tactics which allowed the official Mace-bearer -to retain the mace in the face of 300 or so Australian soldiers who -thought they needed it. Anyway, the two adventurers were just carried -out of the train and placed in Harry’s big Sunbeam, which a few -hundred Australians, not content with towing, began to carry! - -Harry, by then worried as to what would happen to his car, with about -forty people up, and carried by hands which caught hold of anything -which projected, decided, in consideration of the welfare of the car, -to leave it, and he began literally to crawl out over the heads of the -people. Eventually he was saved through the offer of a ride _in tandem_ -on a police officer’s horse. Later, this officer relinquished -the animal for Harry, who arrived at the Royal Aero Club in Clifford -Street in triumph and to receive more welcomes. Arrived there, and -once inside, Harry and Grieve had to stay. The crowds outside grew -bigger and denser instead of the reverse. Mr. Sopwith and others, from -the balcony, tried to persuade them to disperse by telling them that -further jubilation was not desirable and the aviators wanted rest -badly. But these efforts were of no, avail, probably because owing to -the tumult below the words passed unheard rather than unheeded. - -However, a little strategy, a side door, and about ten mounted police -who kept close to the car until it had gathered up enough speed to keep -people from jumping on, combined to facilitate an escape, and, having -parted from Grieve at the Club, we were speeding off for Kingston. - -The employees of the Sopwith firm had organised a special entertainment -in the grounds of the Ham works, and Harry had promised to be there. -But when he arrived all seemed to be in a state of chaos. A singer -stopped singing in the middle of a word, and the whole audience rose -as one man and seemed to engulf Harry. It must be a very strange and -wonderful experience, even although it last but a few days, to be -continually the centre of a demonstrative crowd. Crowds waiting to see -you leave your house; more crowds waiting at your destination. It can -only be the very few who remain unspoiled by such ovations. - -After having thoroughly broken up the proceedings at Ham, for which all -the artistes who had not yet appeared were probably thankful, our party -proceeded to Kingston in the car of honour, towed at a run for about -two miles by the Sopwith people. At Kingston an impromptu supper was -given to all and sundry by Mr. and Mrs. Sopwith. - -At about 11.45 we all left for Hook, as I had promised the people in -the village they should get their welcome in some time during the -evening. Although it was about midnight when we reached our home, the -crowds around were far more than the population of which Hook could -boast. Here, as our car turned into the gate, Harry was greeted by a -fine set-piece which emblazoned the words, “Welcome Home!”; -and this was followed by a long and wonderful display of fireworks, -arranged by the men at the Sopwith Works and executed by Messrs. Brock. - -More speeches and thanks returned and then to bed, after what must have -been a day which few men have experienced; especially as I know all -the welcomes and demonstrations were unexpected by Harry, who, having -failed to do what he set out to do, had thought of creeping home and -getting to work on another machine as quickly and with as little fuss -as possible, with a view to making a fresh start. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -AFTER THE ATLANTIC ATTEMPT - - Harry and Grieve Receive a Royal Command—The King and Queen and - Prince Albert Hear their Story—The Air Force Cross—Comedy of a - Silk Hat—A Cheque for £5,000—Is Nearly Lost—The _Daily Mail_ - Luncheon—General Seely Delivers Official Congratulations—Harry - Replies—And Grieve—Tributes to Lord Northcliffe—Another Luncheon, - also at the Savoy, on the Following Day—Royal Aero Club as Host—An - Appropriate Menu—The Derelict _Atlantic_ is Recovered—Harry is - Pleased. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -The vigorous expressions of public joy and enthusiasm evinced on -Harry’s arrival in London on Tuesday evening had by no means -abated by the following morning, when Harry and Grieve were to attend -at Buckingham Palace in response to a command telegram from the King. -The appointed hour was 10.30, and before that time many hundreds were -gathered near the gates, around the Victoria Memorial, and in the Mall. -A _Times_ correspondent’s account read: - - “Most of the crowd clustered round the main gates to the Palace. - They were expecting the visitors to enter that way, and were looking - for two young men dressed in the easy garb which had proved singularly - appropriate for arrival at King’s Cross. Under this delusion - they paid no attention to two solemn men who drove up in a Rolls-Royce - car about 10.20 through the other gateway and were admitted into the - Palace. The solemn man in morning coat and silk hat was Mr. Hawker, - and his equally solemn companion in naval uniform was Commander Grieve. - - “The error had been realised when the airmen left the Palace - about an hour later, and the crowd, now to be numbered in thousands, - seemed resolved to make up for lost time. Without his hat, as he - first appeared, Mr. Hawker was quickly recognised, and the cheers - rang out in a moment. There was a rush to approach nearer the - gates, but mounted policemen kept back the crowd. Girls waved their - handkerchiefs, men their hats, and all shouted as loudly as they - could.” - -It was shortly before 10.30 when Harry and Grieve arrived at -Buckingham Palace in response to the Royal telegram which had reached -them during their southward journey of the previous day. They were -received by the King, who in congratulating them and bestowing upon -them the Air Force Cross, spoke in high terms of their attempt to make -the crossing when the weather conditions were not entirely favourable. -A few moments later the Queen and Prince Albert joined His Majesty -to listen to Harry’s and Grieve’s accounts of their -experiences. The conversation was informal, and Harry and Grieve were -entirely at ease. The King asked many questions about the flight, and -was particularly interested in Commander Grieve’s methods of -navigating when among the clouds. Harry said afterwards, “The -King was as much interested in the scientific attainments of the flight -as in anything concerning the adventure. He also questioned us closely -upon the personal aspect of the trip, and was deeply interested in the -description of our experiences and impressions. We were with Their -Majesties about twenty minutes, and when we left, the King and Queen -again shook hands most cordially with us.” - -On May 29th, after the visit to Buckingham Palace, Harry and Grieve -were entertained to luncheon by the _Daily Mail_ at the Savoy Hotel. -Outside the hotel crowds of enthusiasts cheered them in appreciation of -the high honours conferred at Buckingham Palace by the King earlier in -the day. - -In the absence of Viscount Northcliffe, who was unable to be present -owing to an impending operation on his throat, Mr. Marlowe, chairman -of the Associated Newspapers, Ltd., and Editor of the _Daily Mail_, -received the large and distinguished company of guests. - -Harry sat on the right of Mr. Marlowe, on whose left was Grieve, while -the only lady present, myself, was honoured by the presence of the Lord -Chancellor on my left and the Air Minister on my right. Among others -present were: - -Lord Inverclyde, Lord Morris, Lord Londonderry, Major-General -Sir F. Sykes, Admiral Sir Edward Seymour, Mr. Cecil Harmsworth -(Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs), Mr. Andrew Fisher, Sir W. A. -Robinson, Sir Edgar Bowring, Sir Joseph Cook, Mr. John Walter, Sheriff -Banister Fletcher, Sir Arthur Stanley, Sir George Sutton, Sir Campbell -Stuart, Sir Marcus Samuel, Sir William Sutherland, Sir Howard Frank, -Sir Jesse Boot, Sir Thomas Roydon, Sir George Frampton, Sir Squire -Bancroft, Sir Thomas Devitt, Sir Herbert Morgan, Sir Robert Hudson, -Brig.-General Sir Capel Holden, Sir Trevor Dawson, Sir Henry Dalziel, -Sir Edward Hulton, Sir George Watson, Sir Samuel Waring, Sir Charles -Wakefield, Sir William Treloar, Sir Harry Brittain, Sir J. Masterman -Smith, Sir Frank Newnes, Sir E. Mountain, Major-Gen. Sir Sefton -Brancker, Major-Gen. R. M. Ruck, Commander Perrin, Colonel F. K. -Maclean, Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, Mr. Handley Page, Mr. Claude Johnstone, -Colonel T. O’B. Hubbard, Mr. Max Pemberton, Mr. Charles E. Hands, -Mr. Howard Corbett, Mr. W. Lints-Smith, Mr. H. W. Wilson, Mr. James -Douglas, Col. G. B. Cockburn, Mr. A. V. Roe, Mr. A. H. Fenn, Mr. Holt -Thomas, Mr. Harry Preston, Mr. Gerald du Maurier, Mr. C. B. Cochran, -Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, Mr. C. R. Fairey, Mr. Hamilton Fulton, Mr. R. O. -Cary, Mr. C. Grahame-White, Major F. C. Buck, Major Heckstall-Smith, -Mr. Sidney Pickles. - -The chief table was surmounted by a floral model of a Sopwith biplane, -and graceful floral propellers were suspended from the electroliers. - -Following the Royal Toast, the Chairman read messages of regret from -many distinguished people unable to be present. - - * * * * * - -The Duke of Connaught wired: - - “I much appreciate having been asked to luncheon to-morrow to - meet Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, and regret that I am unable to - do so. With every Englishman I rejoice that these two distinguished - airmen have been saved after their splendid endeavour to fly the - Atlantic.” - -The Lord Mayor of London wrote: - - “The City of London is immensely delighted that Hawker and - Grieve were saved, and joins in the welcome you are offering - them.” - -The Duke of Atholl wired: - - “Much regret, owing to my being High Commissioner in Scotland - representing His Majesty at General Assembly, it is impossible for me - to attend the luncheon to Hawker and Grieve. I cannot say how proud - we all are in Scotland of their performance, and congratulate them on - their safe return.” - -From Paris, Mr. Hughes, Prime Minister of Australia, wired: - - “I greatly regret that Fate denies me the opportunity of paying - my tribute to one of Australia’s most noble sons and his - estimable navigator.” - -Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, First Sea Lord, telegraphed from a place -which, as Mr. Marlowe said, was significantly indicated by a blank -space: - - “I regret that, owing to my having a Service engagement, I am - unable to accept your kind invitation for to-morrow. I shall be glad - if you will inform Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve how sorry I am - that I am prevented from joining in your welcome to them after their - gallant attempt to fly the Atlantic.” - -Lord Weir, the late Secretary of State for Air, wiring from Glasgow, -said: - - “I sincerely regret that, owing to my departure for the United - States, I am unable to accept your kind invitation to the welcome - luncheon to Hawker and Grieve to-morrow. In affording this opportunity - to two gallant airmen, the _Daily Mail_ has shown the same spirit of - enterprise which has always characterised its efforts on behalf of - aviation.” - -Lord Northcliffe, who, as I have already stated, could not be present -owing to illness, wrote: - - “I regret that my physicians forbid my taking part in any public - functions just now. Had I been present to-day I should have liked to - elaborate a few outstanding facts connected with this occasion. - - “The war has shown us that the courage of the sister nations - of Australasia, Canada, South Africa, and Newfoundland is every whit - equal to that of the small Motherland from which they sprang. The - partnership of Hawker—the Australian flier—and Grieve, of the Royal - Navy, has proved what can be achieved by unity of members of our - British Commonwealth. - - “Their flight is as great a step forward in the march of - science as was the first important but unsuccessful attempt to lay - the Atlantic cable, and it will so rank in history. The lessons they - have learned will help forward the time when a direct Atlantic flight - will be almost as easy as, and even more useful than, that across the - English Channel. - - “As remarkable as the exploits of our two heroes is the - immutable confidence in Divine Providence of Muriel Hawker, who not - for one instant faltered in her absolute belief that her husband would - be restored to her. - - “Were I present I should like to raise a glass in congratulation - of our American friends on their careful and characteristic - preparations for their fine record-breaking flight to the Azores and - Lisbon. They have still left to us the problem of a direct flight - from America to Europe. Personally I have no doubt but that, with the - lessons and experience gained by Hawker and Grieve, a direct flight - will soon be accomplished, and that by a British ’plane, with a - British motor, manned by Britons.” - -Mr. Marlowe, in proposing the health of Harry and Grieve, said they -were thankful that day to be able to welcome them back to London and -back to life. When the master of the steamship _Mary_ last Sunday -answered “Yes” to the enquiry of that excellent signalman -at the Butt of Lewis, he lifted a burden of apprehension from many -minds. “We have not all been able to share the serene confidence -of Mrs. Hawker.” - - * * * * * - -“When the two airmen started, weather conditions were not -favourable, and if it had been a matter merely of winning the _Daily -Mail_ £10,000 prize the day would not have been selected; if that were -all, Mr. Hawker could have waited for better weather, but he felt that -for the honour of the British Empire he was no longer free to choose -his time. The United States seaplanes were at the Azores, and Mr. -Hawker decided to risk all, even defeat and death, rather than give -up the palm without a struggle. That was the spirit of Australia, the -glorious spirit of Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, which had touched -the hearts of the people of this country. - -“As Britons,” continued Mr. Marlowe, “we give -sincere congratulations to the United States airmen on their flight -to Lisbon, completed on Tuesday. It was an historic performance and -earned respectful admiration. But this afternoon we cannot refrain from -congratulating Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, who, after all, in one -way or another, got across the Atlantic first. In the present stage of -flying there is no such word as ‘failure.’ Every effort -leads directly to accomplishment, and the flight of Mr. Hawker and -Commander Grieve will teach other airmen. It was not a failure: it was -a great effort which contained the seeds of success.” - -The toast of “two very gallant gentlemen” was then honoured -with enthusiasm. - -General Seely, who next spoke, said: - - “Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Hawker, My Lord Chancellor, My Lords and - Gentlemen,—I think, my Lord Chancellor, you will allow that I put the - precedence right just for once, for you take precedence on all other - occasions in a gathering of His Majesty’s subjects—I have been - asked to present to Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve the cheque for - £5,000 provided by Lord Northcliffe and the great journals with which - he is associated. - - “First of all, on behalf not only of the Air Ministry but of His - Majesty’s Government as a whole, and I know one may say of the - whole of the people of Britain and the Empire, we rejoice to see you - both safe and sound. It is a good thing that you have done. It has - not been a useless thing. Apart from your start against adverse wind, - not for the money, but for the honour of Britain, valuable lessons - were learned. The lesson that Commander Grieve taught us is that in an - aeroplane 15,000 feet up above the clouds you can, if you have got a - cool head and steady brain, take accurate observations from the stars - with a cloud horizon. - - “There is another good thing, that there was no tinge of - jealousy of our Anglo-Saxon brethren, the Americans. They were more - anxious, I think, even than we were—and I cannot put it higher—for - your safety when the news came that it was probable that you were - missing. The American Ambassador told me last night that he believed - there was more concern in the belief that you two brave men were lost - than over almost anything else that had happened in America in his - recollection. Of course, it was not an angry race—it was a generous - emulation. Just as in the field for many months British and American - soldiers vied with one another and finally succeeded in overcoming the - foe, so we vie to see who will overcome the difficulties and dangers - of the Atlantic crossing. - - “Still less is there jealousy on the part of the Royal Air - Force, for whom I am entitled to speak to-day. The presence of - General Sykes, fresh from injuries sustained in a landing a little - less fortunate than yours, though not so far from safety, testifies - to one side of our organisation. General Trenchard, whom you know as - Chief of the Air Staff, but better still, perhaps, as Commander of - the Independent Air Force, to whom we owe so much for the victory - we gained, asked me to say on his behalf, and on behalf of the Royal - Air Force, that he hoped you, Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, would - accept a message from him—a characteristic, simple message: - - General Seely continued: “On behalf of every officer in the - Royal Air Force, I can say they are proud of your achievement, and - that they rejoice that His Majesty the King was pleased to-day to - give to each of you the Royal Air Force Cross for distinct acts of - gallantry in the air. - - “I think I disclose no secret when I say that it was due to His - Majesty’s direct intervention that all difficulties as to time - and precise statutes and other difficulties and red tape were swept - away in order that he, the head of the State, the head of our great - Empire, might to-day present to you this coveted distinction for acts - of gallantry. - - “These are two good men we are honouring to-day. Mr. Hawker, - as I was told by one best qualified to know, by his technical and - practical knowledge, by his nerve, skill, and gallantry in deciding - every type of new invention during the war, contributed in the first - degree to produce those wonderful machines which helped us to gain - supremacy over the enemy. He may well be proud of that war record. - Then there is Commander Grieve, of the ‘Silent Service,’ - who served with his comrades in the Royal Navy, and always with - distinction. - - “They have rightly had a welcome; they filled our hearts with - joy because there was a happy ending to this glorious adventure with - such possibilities in the future. They dared and did a great thing, - but in the hearts of us all we rejoice, Mrs. Hawker, that your husband - was brought back to you from the jaws of death. - - “On behalf of the Air Ministry I am privileged to hand you this - scrap of paper. It is a very real scrap of paper. It contains not - only a generous gift from a man to whom the whole of aviation owes so - much—and whom we hope shortly to see restored to health—but it is - also an emblem of the thoughts of your country for a gallant deed done - for the honour of your country. I congratulate you, Mr. Hawker and - Commander Grieve.” - - * * * * * - - Amid loud and prolonged cheers, General Seely then handed The _Daily - Mail_ cheque for £5,000 to Harry and Grieve. The cheque was the joke - of the luncheon, for when it was all over Harry and Grieve were so - busy signing autographs that they forgot all about it, until General - Seely cried out, “What about this scrap of paper?” - - Harry had an enthusiastic reception. Blushing and stammering slightly, - he expressed his thanks for the handsome gift, and caused great - amusement by alluding to his feat as a feeble effort which any one of - the company would have performed in the same circumstances. - - “When the Americans started,” he said, “Raynham - and I determined to proceed by way of the Azores also, as the wind - was in favour of a journey by that route. But on Sunday week there - was a change in the conditions, and I set off by the direct route. - Unfortunately Raynham was unable to rise. - - “We could not have wished for better assistance than we had - from the Air Ministry. The non-success of the wireless was not due to - the wireless itself but to our fittings. As to the reports of ships, - I think that if we had had ships every twenty yards apart you people - would have looked on it as a joke and not a serious attempt to fly - the Atlantic. If you are going to fly the Atlantic you have to weigh - it up in your mind whether it is a serious proposition or a do-or-die - effort, as the Americans like to call it. - - “We weighed it up perfectly well, and it was a perfectly serious - attempt in every way, and with the ordinary means and the ordinary - amount of luck that you get in a machine there is no reason why you - should not fly the distance to-morrow. You would think nothing of it - overland. If you put a ship every fifty miles apart it only shows that - you have no faith in your motor or in your machine.” - -Commander Grieve, also received with loud and prolonged cheers, said: - - “When I left St. Johns I did not know how things would pan out. - The sun was shining and there were clouds below. I said, ‘Here - are clouds, here is the sea, navigate as on the sea and use the clouds - as your horizon’—with certain technical differences. This went - on very well for four hours, until the middle of the night, when the - clouds got up higher than ourselves at a time when they were most - required. I got no sights for about four or five hours, until the moon - came up and the clouds flattened themselves out a bit, and I managed - to get a sight of our position. - - “This only shows that navigation in aircraft is quite possible. - Wireless is a valuable adjunct, the position of ships is valuable as - a check, but unfortunately our wireless went wrong through lack of - trial. We only got our fittings out just before we left. In every way, - I think the navigation on the whole was a success, so far as it got. - - “In conclusion, I would like, on behalf of my parents, to thank - the _Daily Mail_ for the sympathy shown and for the way they kept them - informed of events.” - -The health of Mr. Marlowe, the Chairman of the gathering, was proposed -by the Right Hon. Andrew Fisher. Mr. Marlowe, in reply, said he could -not help wishing that his chief, Lord Northcliffe, had been able to -be present. All the great flying prizes which the _Daily Mail_ had -offered—the £10,000 prize for the flight from London to Manchester, -another for a flight round England, the seaplane prize, in which Mr. -Hawker played a very gallant part, and many others—all owed their -origin to the personal initiative and action of Lord Northcliffe, -who was, in his opinion, the first Englishman to foresee the great -importance of aviation to the people of our islands, and to grasp, -with that practical imagination which is one of his richest gifts, the -developments of which it had shown itself to be capable. - - * * * * * - -On the morning of May 30th Harry, Grieve, and myself had the honour of -being received by Queen Alexandra, who was greatly interested in the -story of their rescue by Captain Duhn. - -Later Harry and Grieve were the guests of the Royal Aero Club at a -luncheon in their honour at the Savoy. The menu was: - - Barquettes Hawker. - Suprème de Sole Atlantique. - Poulet Reine Sopwith. - Salade Southern Cross. - Timbale de Fraises Northcliffe. - Gâteau Danois. - Café. - -In proposing the toast of “The King,” the Chairman of the -gathering, Brigadier-General Sir Capel Holden, paid a tribute to His -Majesty’s intense interest in aviation. His Majesty had, he said, -acted according to the old motto, “He gives twice who gives -quickly,” by his having “done away with red-tape” in -promptly decorating their two guests. - -The Chairman also mentioned that in 1913 Harry was congratulated -on having been nearly successful in flying round Great Britain in a -Sopwith seaplane for the _Daily Mail_ £5,000 prize; and it was again -owing to the foresight and generosity of Lord Northcliffe that the -attempt to cross the Atlantic was due. - -Mr. Thomas Marlowe said that Harry had given him to understand that -if he and Grieve had not found the steamship _Mary_ they would have -found another in an hour or two, and that in any case there was no -danger whatever—a statement which provoked considerable amusement. Mr. -Marlowe paid a tribute to the very great assistance rendered by the -Royal Aero Club, and in particular by the secretary, Commander Perrin, -in the making of arrangements in connection with the flight. - -[Illustration: TRANS-ATLANTIC AVIATORS’ REUNION DINNER. THE LATE -SIR JOHN ALCOCK IS ON THE EXTREME LEFT; MR. F. P. RAYNHAM ON THE RIGHT -(NEAREST THE CAMERA); SIR ARTHUR WHITTEN-BROWN IN UNIFORM (OPPOSITE -THE CAMERA); AND ON HIS LEFT LIEUT.-COMDR. K. MACKENZIE-GRIEVE, A.F.C. -HARRY IS THIRD FROM THE LEFT OF THE PICTURE. - - [_Facing p. 282._ -] - -Colonel F. K. Maclean, introduced as “the father of British -aviation,” said he remembered how in navigation the compass -had a habit of turning round and round somewhat faster than the -machine. He had flown without a compass, but he thought that to get -one’s position in mid-Atlantic, even with a compass, was the most -extraordinary thing of which he had heard. - -When the toast of Harry and Grieve was being drunk, an extra special -cheer was given for me, and someone added, “And for the little -Hawker!”—and so Pam was toasted too. - -Harry was relieved of most of the onus of replying by Mr. Sopwith, who -mentioned that he and Grieve had arranged to share the £10,000 prize if -they won it in proportions of 70 and 30 per cent. Harry had, however, -insisted that they should halve Lord Northcliffe’s prize of -£5,000, because they had both suffered equal risks. Mr. Sopwith also -paid a warm tribute to the generosity of Lord Northcliffe and to his -staunch belief in aviation, and concluded by saying that Harry had told -him that if he made another Atlantic flight he would have nobody else -to navigate but Grieve. - -Grieve said he was much amused to see himself referred to as an aviator -in certain papers. “I’m not an aviator, and never will be. -But it has been a great source of pride to me to be associated with the -Royal Aero Club.” - -On Friday, May 21st, the American steamer _Lake Charlotteville_, bound -from Montreal for Danzig, with 3,500 tons of flour and 500 tons of -coal, sighted the derelict Sopwith aeroplane at longitude 49° 40´ N., -latitude 29° 7´ W. at 2 p.m., on her starboard beam. The machine was -considerably more submerged than when it was abandoned by the aviators, -and only the remains of the tail and the rear part of the fuselage -remained above water, projecting vertically. The steamer arrived at -Falmouth at 4 p.m. on the following Wednesday afternoon with the -remains of the aeroplane lashed on deck in her forepart, looking at -a distance like a broken perambulator. Although the engines did not -appear to have suffered a great deal from the effects of the immersion, -the aluminium was noticeably corroded with brine. The propeller was of -course smashed and splintered, as also was the timber structure of the -machine. There was a mass of twisted wires among the fractured wings -and soaked canvas. - -There was a heavy swell running when the captain of the _Lake -Charlotteville_ bore down on the derelict and, not knowing that the -airmen had been rescued, searched for survivors. As a matter of fact, -the machine was not so damaged when picked up as when it reached -Falmouth. It was hoisted on board by winches, and later the sea swept -the deck and caused further damage. - -Harry was delighted when he heard that the machine had been salved. -“Its recovery will be of the greatest value,” he said, -“for on it are many records which will be of great assistance -to the future science of aviation. In addition there are a number of -mails on the machine, which happily will not be very much damaged by -the water, as they are in waterproof casings. Some of the appliances -of most delicate construction and adjustment, too, are attached to the -machine, and these, we hope, will give first-class information for -future flights.” - -The undercarriage, which Harry had released before passing beyond the -Newfoundland coast, was subsequently found and now reposes in the -museum at St. Johns. - -After all the necessary festivities were over we decided to leave -London for a little while. - -We went to stay at a little seaside place in Norfolk where, for -the first evening at least, Harry was quite unknown. It was a very -enjoyable rest, but the next day, returning to lunch after a long walk -along the coast, we were met with many interested glances, and at lunch -a small child appeared with an autograph book. This spoilt everything, -and by tea-time the whole village had brought their books for -signatures. We hastily arranged to leave the place. We had not used the -Sunbeam, since it might have been conspicuous, but this had evidently -been the tell-tale, and we left for Cromer. Harry’s popularity at -this time must have been enormous, for the crowd that assembled round -the hotel when it was known he was staying there was quite a terrifying -spectacle, and again we left. We went for a short tour then, staying -one night in each place, and then went back, Harry being anxious to -superintend the construction of the new Schneider Cup machine. - -Towards the end of August the machine was ready, and we went down to -Southampton for a week or two before the race, which was to be held -on September 10th at Bournemouth. Harry sent his racing motor-boat -down with the machine and used this boat as a conveyance between -Southampton, where we stayed, and Hythe, where the machine was housed. -A very serious accident was only just averted on the machine’s -maiden trip. The machine was small, fitted with a 450 h.p. Cosmos -Jupiter engine, fitted with special floats made to Harry’s -design. After starting up the engine, however, prior to her first -flight, and opening out to get away, instead of speeding across the -water the machine gave a lurch and dug her nose into the water, the -tail coming up until it was almost perpendicular. The cockpit of the -machine was very small, in fact so small that only a tight-fitting -sweater could be worn in it, so it was not the quickest thing to get -out of in the case of emergency. However, it was not many seconds -before Harry appeared out of the cockpit, from which he hopped with -agility, shouting to the mechanics on the slipway to hang on to the -tail to prevent the machine sinking. They successfully beached the -machine, and it was discovered that the floats, by some error in the -drawings, had been fitted too far back. The machine was packed up under -Harry’s supervision with extraordinary haste and was ready on -the lorry to return to London. The lorry was then found unfit for the -journey, something having happened to it on its journey up. Harry, -nothing daunted, had decided that the machine was to go to London that -night, and so it did. He got his Sunbeam from Southampton, to which he -securely fastened the loaded lorry and towed it, at a speed that must -have made the lorry’s hair stand on end, to London that night. -There are occasions when the very high-power car has its uses which the -smaller car could not carry out. - -Within two days the machine was back, and it exceeded expectations in -the form of speed, attaining at one time a speed of 180 miles per hour. - -Four British entries for the Jacques Schneider International Seaplane -Race, necessitated eliminating trials being arranged on September -3rd at Cowes. At the time of the start only three of these turned -up—_Supermarine_ (450 h.p. Napier Lion, piloted by Squad.-Com. B. D. -Hobbs, D.S.O., D.F.O), the _Fairey_ (450 h.p. Napier Lion, piloted by -Lieut.-Col. Vincent Nicholl, D.S.O.), and Harry, so the eliminating -trial was unnecessary, the Avro being held as reserve. This was very -lucky for Harry, as on alighting on the water he was seen to be sinking -rapidly, and only succeeded in getting to land with the aid of a -rowing-boat, which was put under a float. It appeared that a large part -of the under-surface of the float had been torn away by some floating -object on landing and so it would have been necessary to get new floats -before another flight was made. - -Harry had the broken floats removed and put on _Kangaroo_ II, his own -motor-boat, for removal back to Hythe. This hydroplane was designed -to carry two people at speed, and not as a useful conveyance for -friends and baggage, so it was with feelings of qualm that I took -my seat beside Harry, my sister on my knee, two floats securely tied -on the bows, and two men at the stern. Heading towards the Solent it -did not take much movement of a limb to list the boat, and Harry was -continually singing out, “Trim the boat!” However, in -rounding the bend out of the harbour into the open sea the _Kangaroo_ -decided it was over-worked, and thereupon turned over completely, -pitching all and sundry on the waters. Only one of the party could not -swim, and he luckily found a float at hand to which he desperately -clung. - -It is no joke to be suddenly put in the sea clothed in thick coats and -furs. The first few minutes one swims with much gusto, but things get -very heavy after a little while and a kind of effort is required to -keep up. - -Harry bobbed up somewhere near me and started a sort of roll-call. -Meanwhile a rowing-boat had put out from the shore and come alongside -my sister and I. We had just about had enough of floating about, -although I do not suppose it was really so long as it seemed, and -thankful enough for the boat; but suddenly one of the two Australian -soldiers, who had pushed out the first boat they could find, found -it was sinking, and unceremoniously left for the shore alone. They -had forgotten to put the bung in! However a launch soon came up and -we were safely “beached.” Harry towed the _Kangaroo_ to -shore, where he found the magneto had suffered badly by its immersion -in water, and proceeded to dismantle it. By about nine o’clock -he was ready to start back with it, this time without the floats. It -was quite dark, and little more than half-way across the Solent the -magneto gave out again. They moored behind an anchored vessel and in -the dark Harry had no little job in getting things right. He eventually -arrived back at the hotel at about eleven o’clock, still in -his wet clothes. As for my sister and myself, Mr. Smith, who was one -of the victims, took us back by the Southampton steamboat, in which -the captain, hearing of our plight, kindly allowed us the use of the -engine-room as a drying-ground, and for the journey of just over an -hour we steamed away merrily. - -The new floats were procured, but the actual race itself was a fiasco. - -There were three French and one Italian competitor beside the English, -and on September 10th, the day of the race, the weather was good and -everyone had arrived. Just at the hour arranged for the start a thick -fog descended, completely blotting out the points to which the machines -had to fly. - -Harry, who had again damaged his racing floats on landing at -Bournemouth from Hythe, only just managed to get off the water with -one float nearly submerged. In the compulsory landing after one lap he -landed near the shore, the machine being pulled on to the beach by the -mechanics before it had time to sink. - -The fog had not lifted, and as it was impossible to find the boundary -buoys everyone gave it up, with the exception of the Italian -competitor, who did round after round at a terrific speed, but it was -very doubtful if the actual round was flown each time, as the outpost -people could not distinguish the passing of any machine. - -In fairness to the Italian competitor, it must be said that nearly all -the French and English competitors had had float trouble, and it was -doubtful if, had the weather been good, he would have had many rivals. -There was a good deal of controversy afterwards as to whether the Cup -should be awarded; ultimately it was agreed that the race should be run -the following year in Italy, but the 1919 race was to be considered as -null. - -After this race Harry and I had arranged to go to Scotland on a visit -to Mr. Sopwith, there to enjoy a stag-shoot. Harry was an exceptional -shot, and the previous autumn had had the unique experience of shooting -two royal stags in one day. This year, however, the railway strike -prevented our going, which naturally was a great disappointment to -Harry. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -MOTOR RACING - - Harry Turns to Motor-racing—Successful Début at Brooklands—Why - I Stayed at Home—The 250 h.p. Sunbeam Touring Car Takes Second - Place—When the 450 h.p. Racer Comes on the Scene—Harry Drives - the Largest Car in the World—A Terrible Crash—Without Serious - Consequences—Back to the Air—The R.A.F. Tournament—Reunion of - Pioneer Aviators—Eleventh-Hour Entry for the Aerial Derby—Second - Place, but Disqualified—A Very Busy Month—Aeroplane Trials at - Martlesham—British International Motor-boat Trophy at Cowes—More - Motor-racing at Brooklands—His Aeroplane Enables Harry to be - (nearly) in Three Places at Once—Harry “Brings Home” - a £3,000 Prize for the Sopwith Company at Martlesham—I Decide - that Motor-racing is Too Risky—And Fate Deprives Harry of a - Race—Motor-boat Racing—Racing an A.C. Light Car—And a D.F.P.—The - Gordon-Bennett Air Race of 1920—Bad Luck—The 450 h.p. Sunbeam Again. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -During the winter of 1919-20 there was little to be done in the way -of flying and the prospects of it recovering its pre-war popularity -not very hopeful. Harry looked round for other fields of achievement -to fill in the spare time he now had on his hands. Always keen on the -possibilities of the racing car, it was with great enthusiasm that he -accepted the offer from Mr. Coatalen to drive the new 6-cylinder racing -car which Sunbeam’s had built for the meeting at Indianapolis -and wished to put through its paces at the first post-war Brooklands -meeting on Whit-Monday, 1920. Harry went down to Wolverhampton to see -the car, and was amazed at the care with which the racing cars are -produced, and to quote his own expression, “The Sunbeam people -do the whole thing properly.” A day or so before the meeting the -car was brought down by road from Wolverhampton, and the trial runs -on the track proved more than satisfactory. The race-meeting itself -was a record one, and the scene, even for Brooklands, a memorable one. -“From the bottom of the Test Hill to the entrance to the course -the track was lined on both sides with packed masses of cars, while the -Hill was crowded with people breathlessly following the fortunes of -their favourites as the burnished bonnets of the great cars glittered -like shooting stars round the great track,” to quote from a -current issue of the daily Press. - -Judging by his reception and the notices which appeared on Tuesday, -Harry was the popular figure of the day. In the first of the two races -in which he was to drive the Sunbeam six, the Short Lightning Handicap, -he won the race from scratch, overhauling his most formidable opponent, -Mr. Kilburn’s Vauxhall, just as they were entering the finishing -straight, when his average speed from start to finish was 98½ miles -per hour. Harry’s victory in this, and again in his second race, -the Long Lightning Handicap, where after an exciting race he was first -home by about a length, brought him a tremendous reception from the -delighted crowd. His best lap for the day was at the speed of 106·65 -miles per hour. - -It is interesting to note that in passing the Opel, another competitor -in the first race, at a very bumpy part of the track the gear lever of -the Sunbeam jumped out of gear, and in attempting to replace it Harry -accidentally put it into second gear. The car continued to gain on -the Opel, and before changing up into top while running at 100 miles -per hour the revolution counter showed the extraordinary turnover of -5,700 revolutions per minute. Afterwards the motor was dismantled, but -no damage of any description had been incurred by this exceptional -achievement. - -This was Harry’s début as a motor-racer, and it was the first day -of complete success he had ever had. I well remember him saying that -now he felt his luck had changed and he was finished with failures, -glorious or otherwise. - -It was a great disappointment to me not to have seen his first -attempt at motor-racing, but Mary, who was born on the anniversary -of Harry’s start to fly the Atlantic, and named after the boat -which subsequently saved him, being a few days old, I was reluctantly -compelled to stay at home and be contented with watching them set out -in the car in the morning, receiving my reward when just after tea they -all returned home bubbling with pride. - -This new form of speed had got well hold of Harry, and he filled in -the time before the next meeting, at which he was to drive the new -450 h.p. Sunbeam racer, the largest car in the world, by tuning up -his own 12-cylinder Sunbeam. Stripping the car of all unnecessary -equipment—lamps, mudguards, wind-screens, etc.—he attained, after -much “changing of jets” and general tuning, a speed of 107 -miles per hour with a four-seater touring body. Shedding about half -the rubber off a front tyre, high on the banking at nearly 100 miles -per hour, causing a series of tremendous skids out of which it did not -seem possible to straighten successfully, did not deter him, for he -seriously contemplated having the car properly streamlined. Luckily -the 450 h.p. Sunbeam got down to Brooklands, and after a run on her -Harry brought our Sunbeam home, spent an evening tightening up the -body everywhere and replacing all the impedimenta. He also ordered new -tyres, saying that, after all, a car only capable of under 110 miles -per hour was only fit for a touring car, and so ended its racing career. - -On June 26th, the B.A.R.C. held their Midsummer Meeting, at which the -450 h.p. Sunbeam was to make its début. - -The car not having arrived down from Wolverhampton until late in -the week, Harry decided to give it a lap or two on the morning -of the meeting. Accordingly he set out early on his Ford, and I -was to follow later with the Sunbeam. We arrived at the gate and, -the congestion being so great, we were held up for some time in -the “queue.” During the wait someone coming on foot -from the paddock shouted across to some people in a car near us, -“Hawker’s crashed on the Sunbeam in practise!” What -one does on these occasions is generally hard to remember, but I know -I got out of the stationary car and walked on to the paddock, almost -dazed, to find out what had happened. Arriving at the gate, the sight -of Harry standing there was such a relief that instead of hurrying -to tell him of the great anxiety of the last few moments I could say -nothing. He was surprised to see me walking in, and asked where the car -was. “You don’t generally walk to Brooklands.” - -“And you don’t generally wait patiently just at the gate -for me to come.” - -“No,” he replied, “but I have just blown a tyre off -the Sunbeam and shan’t be able to race to-day, so I’ve -nothing on earth to do.” - -So much for coming off the banking at the fastest part of the track -with a flat tyre at something over 110 miles per hour, crashing -through a fence and jumping a ditch the other side. A Press account of -the accident taken from Harry’s own description of the incident -shows how a terrible disaster was only just averted. - - “Hawker had the car out on just an ordinary race-meeting - practise run. On the banking under the Members’ Bridge the car - was doing 125 miles per hour beautifully, with plenty of power and - speed in hand, a black-snouted, white-bodied speed monster, hurtling - round in the fresh morning air, well up the banking, when—the Fates - being liverish—the front offside tyre burst. A swerve, a struggle - with the wheel, utter disaster averted, and with the front axle - chattering uncushioned on the concrete the car plunged on under its - momentum down the railway straight. Try as he will, Hawker cannot get - the car to answer to the wheel and bear left. The drag of the erring - tyre holds it to the right of the track. Careering almost parallel - with the fence which runs alongside the straight for a quarter of - a mile, the car at last digs its forepart into the corrugated iron - sheets, still doing over 80 miles per hour, rips them apart for eleven - or twelve yards, gambols obliquely down a four-feet drop, and finishes - up on all fours, right side uppermost a paling immovably jammed in one - of the front wheels, but otherwise unhurt. Mr. Hawker, too, seemed - but little shaken by his experience and far more interested in the - glorious running of his mount before taking the toss than in the - accident itself.” - -On the same day during a race the 6-cylinder Sunbeam, the car which -Harry had handled at the previous meeting, came to grief. What actually -happened was not definitely known, but the car was seen to swerve -at almost the same part of the track that Harry had his trouble, -and, after coming down the railway straight, left the track for the -Sewage Farm, where it turned two complete somersaults, the driver, -Captain Geach, miraculously escaping any serious injury. Perhaps it -was the penalty of fame or a proof of popularity that in the next -morning’s papers there were lurid accounts of Hawker’s -escape from death, one heading reading, “Hawker, the man who -won’t be killed!” while little comment was made on Captain -Geach’s more serious accident. - -A few days later, July 3rd, saw him in the air again, at the Royal -Air Force Tournament at Hendon, where a huge crowd had assembled to -witness what proved to be the finest exhibition of all kinds of flying -ever seen in one afternoon. Here Harry, on his Swallow monoplane, went -through a series of stunts which he loved so well, and according to a -current flying paper, “executed many extraordinary evolutions -which seemed quite different to those just witnessed.” - -Perhaps it would have been more extraordinary still to all those -watching him had they known he was undergoing certain treatment for -his back at this time that caused him great pain and sleepless nights. -During the time that he was receiving this drastic treatment he was -hardly fit to be walking about, and certainly not to be flying and -racing, but with that indomitable courage and determination to go on as -usual, he refused to give up any part of his work. - -On July 12th he was present among numbers of well-known airmen at the -dinner given at the Connaught Rooms to the survivors of the first -hundred British aviators. Forty-eight of that number were present, -including two women, Miss Bacon and Mrs. Hewlett. The Duke of York, who -was present, replied to the toast of the Royal Family, in which speech -he modestly referred to himself as an indifferent pilot. - -The Aerial Derby for 1920 was arranged for July 24th, but Harry not -having a machine which could put up a good enough “show” -decided not to compete, but agreed to come over to Hendon during -the afternoon on the Swallow and help to amuse the crowd during the -somewhat tedious wait from the start of the last competitor to the -return of the first. About a day before the race, gripped by the -lure of the contest, he decided to fly the Sopwith Rainbow and take -a sporting chance. Immediately his entry was received the papers -announced Hawker’s mount as the “dark horse” of the -race, and consequently he became favourite, with three machines faster -than his as competitors. - -However, they say the public backs the pilot, as though by some -extraordinary prowess the popular favourite can produce an extra ten -miles per hour from his mount. - -The Rainbow was the Schneider Cup machine of 1919 with the floats -replaced by a land chassis and the Cosmos Jupiter engine substituted by -an A.B.C. Dragonfly engine. - -In a field of sixteen competitors Harry was No. 13 to start, having -1½ minutes’ start on the Bristol Jupiter, eight minutes on the -Martinsyde Semiquaver with 300 h.p. Hispano Suiza, and 9 minutes on the -Nieuport Goshawk with 320 h.p. A.B.C. engine. - -Harry made a very spectacular get-away at 3.47 and was soon out of -sight in his attempt to catch up the twelve other competitors, the -first of which had started just over one hour and a half before. He -flew high, as he always did, and was back again at Hendon, having -completed the first of the two laps of 100 miles in 41 minutes 31 -seconds. The Nieuport Goshawk, the fastest machine in the race, having -landed at Brooklands, and Harry having passed the Bristol Bullet during -the lap, the Martinsyde Semiquaver was the only fast machine to be -overtaken. - -The last machine to finish the first of the two circuits to be flown -was the Martinsyde F4, which arrived at 4.40, and fourteen minutes -later Captain Hammersley arrived on his Baby Avro (30 h.p. Green -engine), having completed his second lap, and was thus winner of the -Handicap. - -The winner was closely followed by Hinckler on an identical machine, -and ten minutes later Harry appeared at speed, having picked up -nearly 1½ hours on these two machines, when, except for finishing -incorrectly, he would have taken second place in the Aerial Derby and -third in the Handicap. He was unfortunately ruled out of the race, as -he finished by flying straight across the centre of the aerodrome, -as in previous years, instead of making a circuit of the pylons. The -Semiquaver then appeared, having finished the whole of the course of -205 miles in 1 hour 18 mins. as against Harry’s 1 hour 23 mins., -and so won the Aerial Derby. Unfortunately, in landing, the Semiquaver -overturned, but the pilot, Mr. Courtenay, who had at the last moment -taken Mr. Raynham’s place, was uninjured. - -The next month was a very busy one for Harry, as during one week his -presence was required in three different places each day as far apart -as Cowes, Brooklands, and Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, and he was only -enabled to do this by the use of his monoplane. - -The first fortnight in August he was due at Martlesham Heath, to fly -the Sopwith Antelope through the Air Ministry Competition. - -On August 4th, 10th, and 11th, he was to steer _Maple Leaf V._ in the -British International Trophy at Cowes, and on August 2nd he was to -drive the 12-cylinder Sunbeam racing car at the Brooklands Meeting. - -As it was necessary to spend a good deal of time in practise and trial -before each of these events, some idea of the effort required to carry -them through may be gathered. - -The Air Ministry had offered prizes of £64,000 for speed and -reliability of the various types of aircraft, and the Sopwith Aviation -Company entered the Antelope, fitted with a Wolseley Viper engine, to -compete in the small type of machines. This machine had an enclosed -saloon for its two passengers, fitted with two comfortable armchairs, -sliding windows, a sliding panel in the roof, by which when sitting -in the raised chair one could have the benefit of an open machine -if required. A hot and cold air regulator was fitted and also a -speaking-tube to the pilot in front. - -The tests consisted of slow flying, speed, economy (a comparison -between useful load carried, in pounds, not including weight of pilot, -oil, and petrol, and the amount of fuel and lubricant consumed), -landing and getting-off tests, and self-controlled flights. - -In the slow flying test the Antelope got down to 43 miles per hour, -the lowest recorded, and in speed attained 110·35 miles per hour, -the second best performance. It also put up a good performance in the -landing tests in which the machine had to land in a given circle over a -row of balloons tethered 50 feet from the ground by means of threads. -The Antelope, in landing in 187·7 yards, beat all the others by a good -margin, the second being the Westland Napier, taking 235 yards. - -In economy the Antelope took second place, and also in the getting-off -test, taking 23 feet as against the Westland’s 22·75 feet. - -Harry arrived from Cowes on the monoplane and was soon up with -the Antelope on the reliability tests, which consisted of two -three-and-a-half-hour periods at a speed of not less than 80 miles per -hour and at above 3,000 feet up. Harry took Mr. Sopwith as passenger -and carried out both periods himself, although a different pilot was -allowed for the second three-and-a-half-hour test. - -In the uncontrolled test the Antelope flew for five minutes by itself. - -The result of these competitions was very hard to judge, the Sopwith -and the Westland running very close together, but the official result -showed the Westland first, thus winning the prize of £10,000, and the -Sopwith gaining the second prize of £3,000. - -During this time Harry had been officially living at Martlesham, flying -down to Cowes almost daily on the monoplane to watch the progress of -the Saunders boat which he was to steer in the British International -Trophy. - -On August 2nd, Harry was to drive the 450 h.p. Sunbeam at Brooklands. -The narrow escape which he had with this car at its first public -appearance on the track perhaps accounted for the unsportsmanlike -attitude I took up on the occasion of its second. - -While Harry was staying at the aerodrome at Martlesham I was at -Bournemouth with the babies, and on the Friday before the race-meeting -on Monday, Harry came down for the week-end. On Saturday he went over -to Cowes to see how the Saunders boat was progressing for the coming -race, and returned to London on Sunday. Perhaps it was continually -hearing from people who knew, or should know, that the wonderful new -Sunbeam car was too fast for the track, and catching stray sentences, -as one does in the paddock, I could not rest. On the Friday he came -down I tried to persuade him to give up the racing on Monday, but -I only succeeded in thoroughly upsetting him, as I did not see the -position I was putting him in, and that he had no excuse for cancelling -his arrangements for the track at the eleventh hour. I expect the -unusualness of my attitude worried him, since it was the first time I -had tried to deter him from any of his precarious activities. On Monday -morning I decided to go to town, praying that something might happen to -prevent his driving the car. Arriving at Surbiton, I found the only car -in the garage was the racing A.C. before it had come into fame, which -I managed to start, and arrived at Brooklands past the time of the -Sunbeam’s first race. - -I found Harry and Mr. Coatalen beside the car, which had not been out, -as its first race had been passed over through wetness of the track. - -Surprised at seeing me, Harry told me to cheer up—he had had some laps -in the morning and she was running beautifully. - -The time approached for the second and last race, and, the track having -dried, the meeting was resumed, and the huge 450 h.p. car roared out of -its “stall” and slowly made its way to the starting-line. - -Having by this time worked myself into a perfect example of the panicky -old woman, and with the words “too fast for the track” -always tingling in my ears, I longed for anything to happen to stop -its racing, quite regardless of any possible damage to the reputation -of both driver and maker in the fear of the awful something that might -happen. I watched all the competitors start one by one, as of course -the Sunbeam was scratch, and when, as it was standing roaring on the -line, the flag fell for it to start, there was a jerk and a silence. -Harry had stopped the motor on the line, and the Sunbeam was not to be -seen at speed at that meeting. Such carelessness, accident though it -was, and so unlike Harry in any of his efforts, especially when I knew -his heart was set on doing well with the car, was hard to understand. I -knew that, although I had got what I prayed for, I had failed him, and -his disappointment afterwards was my punishment. He said very little -about it afterwards, just called it “damn bad luck”; but -then he was always the real kind of sportsman—a good loser. - -He took me to the station next morning on my return to Bournemouth, and -saying “Good-bye,” added, “See you at Cowes to-morrow -for the B.I.T.; it will sure to be some fun,” and the whole -incident was forgotten. - -[Illustration: HARRY ON BOARD A YACHT DURING ONE OF THE PERIODS WHICH -HE DEVOTED TO MOTOR-BOAT RACING. - [_Facing p. 300._ -] - -[Illustration: PAMELA SETS THE PACE ON THE LAWN AT HOOK. - - [_Facing p. 300._ -] - -The next day, August 4th, he was out on _Maple Leaf V._, in practise -for the eliminating trials which were to be run off during the day. - -_Maple Leaf V._, entered by Sir E. Mackay Edgar, Bart., was 39 feet -in length, equipped with four 12-cylinder Sunbeam engines of 400 -h.p., making a total of 1,600 h.p. The hull was built of the famous -“Consuta” wood, which looked, but was not too fragile to -bear the weight of those four enormous engines. - -_Maple Leaf VI._, steered by Lieut.-Col. A. W. Tate, D.S.O., was of -similar construction, fitted with two Rolls-Royce engines together -supplying 1,100 h.p. - -There were six British entries for this Trophy and eliminating trials -were to be held to find the three best boats. - -The 900 h.p. Sunbeam-engined _Despujols II._ shipped water just before -the start, and all efforts to start her up failed. - -Bad luck was also experienced by _Miranda V._, a 33-feet Thornycroft -boat equipped with an engine of 475 h.p. of the same name, which, -although first over the line at the start, had to give up hurriedly in -the first round, making for shore with a hole in her stern by which she -filled rapidly, and finally sank in shallow waters near the shore. - -The remaining four boats consisted of _Maple Leaf VI._; a 39-feet -Saunders boat fitted with two Rolls-Royce engines of 1,100 h.p. -complete; the 8-_metre_, 450 h.p. Sunbeam-engined _Despujols_; and -_Tireless V._, a Cox and King boat fitted with Green engine of 900 h.p. - -The results of the trials were _Maple Leaf V._, _Despujols_, _Maple -Leaf VI._, and lastly _Tireless V._ The time results were very -disappointing, the winning boat having averaged little over 30 knots. - -America had sent over three representatives in the form of _Miss -Detroit_, of 38 feet length, and _Miss America_, of 26 feet, both -fitted with 800 h.p. Smith Marine Twin motors, which were rebuilt -Liberty aeroplane installations of two V-type engines of 400 h.p. each. -The third boat was _Whip-po’-Will_, which during a preliminary -run a few days earlier had burst into flame and sunk, and was a -complete loss. - -The total course of the race was 33 nautical miles, broken up into five -rounds. - -At the start of the first race on August 10th there was some dexterous -manœuvring for the advantage of being first to get away, the boats -circling round a space before the starting-line while three-minute -signals were given. Harry managed to get _Maple Leaf V._ over the -line first in great style, 12 seconds after the gun had fired. He -was followed after an interval of 8 seconds by _Miss Detroit_, _Miss -America_ following but 1 second behind. - -_Maple Leaf VI._, steered by Lieut.-Col. A. W. Tate, D.S.O., soon -followed, and _Despujols_, steered by Sir A. G. Guiness, Bart., brought -up the rear 33 seconds after the gun. At the end of the first round -_Miss America_ showed her superiority, leaving _Maple Leaf V._ to set -the pace to _Miss Detroit_; _Maple Leaf VI._ throwing up spray and -seeming to proceed by means of hops, gaining for herself the name of -_The Kangaroo_, passed the line fourth, and _Despujols_ last. The same -order held for the second round, while in the third round Harry’s -boat was seen to be in trouble, and in the fourth round seemed almost -to stop. He managed, however, to complete the course well within the -time limit on one engine, thereby qualifying for the second race. The -race had been easily won by _Miss America_, followed by _Maple Leaf -VI._ _Miss Detroit_ had engine trouble, but finished the course. - -The next day the weather proved good, the sea being quite calm—too -calm for the British boats, who hoped for a choppy sea—and there was -hardly a breath of wind blowing in Osborne Bay. - -The start this time was a good one, _Maple Leaf VI._ being over the -line first 7 seconds after the gun, the last man away being within -20 seconds. When the boats got thoroughly going the order was _Miss -America_, _Miss Detroit_, _Maple Leaf V._, _Maple Leaf VI._, and -_Despujols_. This order was maintained till the finish, _Miss America_ -winning easily. The actual times over the whole course of 33 miles were: - - _Miss America_ 37 min. 9⅕ sec. - _Miss Detroit_ 37 min. 43⅘ sec. - _Maple Leaf V._ 37 min. 59 sec. - _Maple Leaf VI._ 40 min. 59⅕ sec. - _Despujols_ 41 min. 5⅕ sec. - -The average speed of the winner over the whole course was slightly -faster than in the first race, _Miss America’s_ speed being 53·42 -miles per hour as against her speed the day before of 51·45 miles per -hour. - -The American boats were conspicuous by the manner in which they -skimmed over the water, which they hardly seemed to displace, and very -little white spray ever appeared. It was quite easy to distinguish -the various boats at a distance by the amount of foam. _Maple Leaf -VI._ could easily be found by the periodic banks of spray as she -“hopped” along, and _Maple Leaf V._ seemed to proceed -through two walls of water. And so the British International Trophy -went to America for the fifth time since 1903. - -On September 4th, the date of the Junior Car Club’s Autumn -Meeting, Harry, in entering an A.C. car which he had lately acquired, -was to have made his first attempt at light car racing. - -His entry was received and accepted, and it was not until the cars were -lined up in the paddock prior to entering the track that the gods that -be decided not to permit him to race as the car was not standard. - -The car was a new 4-cylinder overhead valve model which the A.C. -Company had made with a view to a fast standard sports model -production, and the race was for standard cars only. But the word -“standard” involuntarily brings a smile when applied to any -of the veterans’ mounts. And also being a handicap race, there -is always the energetic handicapper at work at Brooklands who has a -wonderful knack of letting the light in on dark horses. However, if the -mount had been a Mr. Brown’s entry it would probably have been -allowed to race, and possibly even spoilt the reputation and interest -it gained that day, but the speeds put up by the rest of the standard -cars must have brought complaints from many a disappointed owner, who, -trading on his all too standard production to little effect, wondered -if personal training would produce the missing 20 or so miles an hour. - -On September 25th, at the last B.A.R.C. Meeting of the year, Harry, -having formed a company in Australia with an agency for D.F.P. cars -decided to enter a perfectly ordinary 4-cylinder D.F.P. car. - -The handicapper notes H. G. Hawker’s entry of a D.F.P., gives him -plenty of time at the starting-line to study the various “get-aways” of -the other competitors, and has the satisfaction of seeing him coming up -the finishing straight as the cars for the next race were proceeding to -the starting-line, having been “all out” the whole race. So much for a -name. - -Harry’s next activity was to have been, with any sort of luck, -as one of the three representatives for the Gordon-Bennett Air Race -of 1920, to be held at Etampes, France, on September 28th, the other -two entries being Raynham on the Martinsyde Semiquaver which had won -the Aerial Derby, and Tait Cox on the Nieuport Goshawk, which had also -flown in the Aerial Derby. Fear was expressed as to the possibility of -the latter’s entry owing to the closing of the Nieuport firm, but -although the entry was satisfactorily arranged, it was not among the -starters in the race, as it had not arrived at Etampes early enough the -previous day to comply with the rules. - -Neither was Harry’s ill-luck at rest, as a week or so before -the race it was found necessary to withdraw the machine, the Rainbow, -fitted now with the Bristol Jupiter engine in place of the A.B.C., -owing to the liquidation of the Sopwith Aviation Company. These were -the beginning of the very lean days which do not seem to fatten -even yet, and England was left with the Semiquaver as its only -representative. - -There were three American and three French entries, which latter -country had but to win the race this time to gain the Cup right out, -having won the two immediately preceding competitions. - -Any competitor could fly the course any time after 7 a.m. during the -day, and times were compared afterwards to ascertain the winner. - -Raynham was the last of all the competitors to start, and it was a -very melancholy moment for England when, with Tait Cox standing by -his disqualified machine, and Harry, hands in pocket and no machine, -Raynham was seen to descend after the first lap owing to oil trouble. - -Harry and Raynham, staunch friends and rivals since the days of the -Michelin Cup incident in 1912, consoled each other, bemoaning their -“same old rotten luck as usual.” And who had attempted -more, from the days when flying was a very risky hobby, and failed so -often, than these two sportsmen? The Trophy was won outright by the -French. - -Early in December it was arranged that Harry should attempt to break -world’s records for short distances with the 450 h.p. Sunbeam. -A day was chosen and the track booked for the event. A very large -gathering of the Press sat down to an excellent luncheon, but the -weather clerk did not approve of the proceedings, as rain fell heavily -all the morning. Hopes were entertained of the track drying after -lunch, as the rain had ceased, but these hopes were not fulfilled. -However, during the afternoon Harry took the car round for a few laps, -but although a speed of nearly 125 m.p.h. was attained, it was not -a fair test of the car, as owing to the wet and greasy state of the -track the wheels failed to grip and most of the power was lost. The -revolution counter showed a speed of 140 miles per hour had the wheels -gripped the track. - -It was disappointing to the many people present, but one cannot back -the English weather in December, and it was visibly unsafe to attempt -anything further on such a wet day. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -MOTOR ENGINEERING AND RACING - - Formation of the Hawker Engineering Company—The Racing - A.C.—Amusing Experiences—Remarkable Performances Due to Efficient - Streamlining—Several Records Broken—An Accident—The Hawker - Two-stroke Motor-cycle. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - -Immediately after the war efforts were made by the Sopwith Aviation and -Engineering Company to turn out domestic utensils from aluminium. Mr. -Sigrist tells the tale of Harry walking into his office one morning -after discovering the new object the firm was to produce, and sitting -down, said: “Well, Fred, what do you think of it! Saucepans! -Where do I come in? I never thought I should live to find myself in a -job that Mrs. Beeton could do better than I.” - -I believe a good many saucepans were made, which, according to a -contributor to a flying paper, “involved strenuous work on the -firm’s chief tester,” and also a certain wooden toy was -turned out in good numbers; but the firm commenced real post-war work -in the production of the A.B.C. motor-bicycle. - -The company continued with the production of this cycle for some time, -but was eventually unable to weather the slump of 1920, and in the -September of that year the Sopwith Aviation and Engineering Company -closed down. - -In November a new company was founded by Messrs. Sopwith and Sigrist -and Harry, known as the H. G. Hawker Engineering Company, which started -in the production of a 2-stroke motor-cycle and also special aluminium -body-work. After the appearance of Harry’s streamlined A.C. a -considerable demand for like racing bodies appeared, until most of the -best known racing light cars became furnished with Hawker streamline -bodies. - -In the meantime Harry had been working hard at every spare moment on -his A.C., the acquisition of which is very interesting. One day in -the summer Harry went for a short run with one of the directors of -Messrs. A.C. in a new model fitted with an overhead valve engine. It -was purely an experimental production, and after the run Harry wanted -to see the drawings. He immediately saw possibilities as a racing car, -and then and there wanted to buy it. He did buy it, and then followed -months of real hard work, bringing in its wake alternate successes and -disappointments. From the moment he brought the car home there was -little rest for all concerned with it, his own energy and enthusiasm -being enormous. The engine was hurried into a standard sports chassis -and headed for Brooklands in a remarkably short space of time, to be -back again for modification almost as quickly. Many dark days followed. -Troubles that would have broken the heart of some men followed in -what seemed like endless succession. In one day he had six gaskets -“blow” before he found the right means and material to -withstand the tremendous pressures involved. It does not take much -experience to know what this means in terms of work, as the gaskets -were all hand made, and the “head,” complete with pipe -systems, connections, etc., had to come off each time. - -This trouble over, and a set of pistons with decidedly ambitious tops -having been designed and fitted, he proceeded to lap at what were -then remarkable speeds indeed, and in spite of the fact that the very -necessary parts frequently fell either in or out of the engine, he -never lost faith in it. I remember, towing him home for it seemed -the hundredth time, saying with a lack of his optimistic patience: -“Let’s burn the thing and buy a motor-car!” but his -cheery reply was: “Never mind, we’re really beginning -to go now!” and proceeded to take the motor down prior to an -all-night sitting. Coffee and cakes figured at intervals in these -“all-night jobs,” and I expect the neighbours wondered if -he ever slept. - -On one occasion he walked into the office of Mr. Weller, the designer -of the engine, at the A.C. Works and, laying a mutilated mass of metal -down on the desk, exclaimed: “Here you are. How’s this -for an A.C. con.-rod? How soon can I have another?” One had -to be produced, and off down to the track again. He fitted stiffer -valve-springs and reconsidered the “cam contours,” with the -result that the speed kept creeping up and curious rumours regarding -some kind of forced induction floated round the paddock, much to his -amusement. - -Mr. Weller tells of a very funny incident. When everything had been -looking promising, one afternoon Harry, smiling as usual, came into the -office and called him down to the yard. “Come and have a look at -the engine,” he said. “I’ve got something to show -you.” And he had. Mr. Weller found the remains of the precious -engine strapped to the back of Harry’s Rolls-Royce, the body of -which he had recently discarded, and in the interval of the fitting of -the new body ran it for “use,” as he called it. - -A gaping hole was in the crank-case of the engine big enough to put a -boot in. Harry then produced a tangled remnant which had once done duty -as a connecting-rod, saying: “It shot clean across the track! I -walked back and found it lying on the grass; it was still warm when I -picked it up.” It was quite true he found it in the exact spot he -shed it, but while the design was almost identical, on close inspection -the stamping number proved conclusively that it was not an A.C. rod at -all, but some other unfortunate who must have gone round just before. -As far as I know, the proper remains were never found. - -Even this disaster failed to deter Harry. Although the cross-shaft was -smashed and A.C.’s had no spare crank-case available, he very -quickly improvised a bracket and remounted the magneto in front of the -engine, where, driven by a chain, it operated very well. A patch was -welded on the crank-case and the engine was soon running again with as -much “pep” as ever. - -With the advent of high and sustained speeds the exhaust valves -commenced to give trouble. The valve-heads could usually be found -reposing on the bottom of the sump, but on one occasion, after a -fruitless three-hour search, Harry discovered the valve-head must have -gone out through the exhaust-pipe! - -Once, as the car was coming off the Byfleet banking on the track, -after a lap or two at speed, unmistakable sounds proclaimed that the -“umpteenth” valve-head had broken. It being the day before -it was to race at a meeting, it was a very serious matter, but Harry, -nothing daunted, mechanically began to tie the rope attaching the A.C. -on to the Minerva, saying: “We’ll be with them when the -flag falls.” That his confidence was justified is now a matter -of light-car history. The Minerva I have just mentioned was my car, -which Harry had had fitted with an enclosed body upholstered in Bedford -cord for comfortable winter motoring. It degenerated into a travelling -workshop for the A.C., which little car I always followed proudly to -Brooklands, complete with tow-rope and spares, and nearly always, less -proudly, preceded it home, connected by the rope. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Temple Press, Ltd._ - -THE 12-CYLINDER RACING SUNBEAM AFTER HARRY’S SMASH AT BROOKLANDS, -WHEN SEVERAL YARDS OF CORRUGATED IRON FENCING WERE TORN DOWN. - [_Facing p. 312._ -] - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Temple Press, Ltd._ - -MR. T. O. M. SOPWITH, C.B.E., AND HARRY, WITH THE HAWKER TWO-STROKE -MOTORCYCLE—A POST-WAR ENTERPRISE OF THE HAWKER ENGINEERING COMPANY. - - [_Facing p. 312._ -] - -Soon the A.C. started to reach the 90 miles per hour mark, and it was -then that the single-seater streamline chassis was made in which Mr. -Weller gave great care to questions of weight distribution as well as -the elimination of any external details which might cause resistance. -To this chassis Harry designed and built in his works his now famous -streamlined body, and in his able hands the success of the combination -exceeded everyone’s expectations from the start, and at its début -created a sensation in racing circles. - -The car made its first public appearance in its streamlined form at -the Easter Meeting of the B.A.R.C., where it caused a great deal of -enthusiasm, it being the first really streamlined racing car ever -seen at Brooklands. But it was not the first time it had actually -been on the track, so although “terrificly fast for a 1½-litre -car,” as one current motor paper had it, it was handicapped out -of any hope of winning either of the races entered, but succeeded -in taking second place in both. In the second race he made a very -spectacular run through the whole field, with the exception of the -limit man who won the race. - -After winning the 1,500 cc. Scratch Race at the Junior Car Club Meeting -and also the very interesting short sprint of 250 yards against Captain -Fraser Nash’s famous G.N. named _Mowgli_, he began to really -“tune up” for records. He was very anxious for his A.C. -to be the first 1,500 cc. car to attain 100 miles an hour, and on -June 3rd he gained the coveted distinction on his A.C. under official -observation. He attacked the flying and standing half-mile records, -which stood to the credit of the G.N., and established world’s -light car records by achieving the speed of 105·15 miles per hour for -the flying and 61·43 miles per hour for the standing starts. Those -records caused a great sensation in the motor world, and even the lay -Press showed some sort of enthusiasm for the latest achievement of the -world whose efforts are generally ignored. - -Harry received many letters of congratulation from the people -interested in the first “100 miles an hour light car,” and -I think the real sporting atmosphere of Brooklands was conveyed in a -genial letter of congratulation from Mr. Lionel Martin, who was not too -proud to say he had coveted the distinction for the Aston-Martin car, -which I know Harry appreciated very much, as also the hearty grip of -Captain Nash who, till then, had swept the board at Brooklands with his -G.N., but who now realised he had met his match in the A.C. - -In practising for the Midsummer Meeting of the B.A.R.C. on June 25th, -he had a very narrow escape from disaster. I was timing his lap speed -from the stand, when, as he was about to enter the railway straight -at about 100 miles per hour, he suddenly appeared to slide down the -banking, and a huge cloud of dust concealed him from view. A man -immediately behind me, who had been watching the A.C., exclaimed: -“Hawker’s off the track! He’ll need his luck now!” Running down the -steps of the stand, the first person I saw in the paddock was Mr. -Coatalen just getting into his car. He took me round to the spot, -where, as one would quite expect, Harry was standing up by the side -of the track, waving his hands to denote his complete fitness. His -appearance, however, was terrible, as his whole face was covered with -blood, but, rubbing it with his handkerchief, asked for volunteers to -help him out with the car, which could not at first be seen. It had -completely hopped the three-feet concrete parapet that surrounds the -track, and was reposing, right way up, in the long grass. - -Remonstrances to him to leave the getting up of the machine to the many -willing volunteers who had arrived on the scene were of no avail; he -hated any sort of fuss, and only left for the paddock when the car was -on the track again. It appeared the cause of the accident was the side -of the bonnet, over which there was no strap, coming loose and hitting -Harry on his forehead, dazing him for the minute. Later, holding out -his goggles, complete, but splintered in a thousand pieces and covered -with blood, Harry said: “Hang it all, these are my favourite -goggles! Just fitted me before; only fit for Triplex display window -now!” - -We towed the A.C. home, very little damaged considering the jar it must -have received in negotiating the parapet, and the whole of that night -was spent in taking the body off and looking for any possible trouble. -New wheels were substituted for the two completely buckled ones, and -Harry raced the car the next day at the B.A.R.C. Meeting, where, -unfortunately, engine trouble prevented him winning any races. - -After the sprint records he had put up, Harry’s intention was to -go for sustained and still greater speeds with the object of attacking -world’s records irrespective of size before the end of the year, -but he was only destined to live three more weeks, leaving the car, his -loved car on which he had spent so much of his interest and time during -the last six months, at the height of its fame, for others to carry on -to the 120 miles per hour goal. - -During this time, Harry and Sopwith displayed much enthusiasm in their -two-stroke motor-cycle production, and they entered and themselves rode -machines in many competitions and trials, with a good amount of success. - -Harry designed and made in the works a special racing two-stroke cycle, -but although he had it out on the road on its maiden trip, he was never -to have it out on the track, and after his death the work on this cycle -was not continued. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE PASSING OF A BRAVE AVIATOR - - “_One moment stood he ... high in the stainless eminence of air. - The next he was not._” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - -Harry had elected to pilot a Nieuport Goshawk biplane in the Aerial -Derby on Saturday, July 16th, 1921. Another pilot had already attained -a speed of 166 miles per hour on this machine, and Harry hoped to -maintain British prestige in competition with the principal French -champions, or “Aces,” who were coming over with machines on -which they had exceeded that speed. In short, Harry would get the best -possible performance out of the aeroplane. - - * * * * * - - “Hawker, Ennadale, Hook Rd., Surbiton.—Machine ready for flying - Tuesday afternoon.—FOLLAND. ” - -So reads the telegram which Harry received on Saturday, July 9th, -intimating that on the following Tuesday the machine would be ready for -him to test. - - * * * * * - -Those who closely followed aviation during the late spring and early -summer of 1921 will remember that there was a striking coincidence -between a spell of exceptionally hot weather and an unusually large -number of flying accidents (although not all fatal). - - * * * * * - -Exactly what happened or what was the cause will never be known, but -it seems probable that something serious, which, Harry realised, might -cause a fire, occurred while he was fairly high over Burnt Oak, Hendon; -and it was evident that he proceeded to land, but was unable to do so -before the machine took fire. As the aeroplane struck the ground the -petrol tank exploded. That Harry died instantaneously there is no -doubt, for his body, terribly fractured, was found some 200 yards away. - - * * * * * - - HARRY GEORGE HAWKER. - AGED 31. - DIED, JULY 12, 1921. - - * * * * * - -I have said enough: but let the tributes which more learned judges have -paid to the father of my Pamela and Mary be widely known. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: - - _Photo by_] [_Daily Sketch._ - -FLORAL TRIBUTES BEING TAKEN TO HARRY’S GRAVE, AT HOOK, SURREY, ON -THE 225 H.P. SUNBEAM, BY MY BROTHER, CAPTAIN L. PEATY. - - [_Facing p. 318._ -] - -“Hawker’s one ambition was to get more from an internal -combustion engine of given size than anyone else had succeeded in -getting, and his perpetual success became a byword.... It was in this -particular that Hawker shone most brilliantly, and never an engine -passed through his hands but it showed an increased power capacity -of from 20 per cent. to 100 per cent. when he had finished with it. -The same applied to his work in aeroplane and motor-car design. He -began where others had left off, and carried what they considered the -final stage of development to a point that they had either not dreamed -of or had definitely decided to be impossible of achievement.... No -one but Hawker could have avoided death at the end of that skid. It -took place on a car which, originally capable of some sixty miles an -hour, regularly accomplished, when he had finished with it, over a -hundred.” - - * * * * * - -“If ever there was a trier, Hawker was one. Once he made up his -mind to do a thing, he would try, and try, and try again until he -succeeded. Failures served to spur him on to new effort.... He loved -to do things that were worth while, and did them for the sake of doing -them, not with any sort of gain in view.” - - * * * * * - -“The nation has lost one of it most distinguished airmen, who by -his skill and daring has contributed so much to the success of British -aviation.”—H.M. KING GEORGE V. - - * * * * * - -“The nation is the poorer for the loss of one who always -displayed such splendid courage and determination. To such pioneers we -owed our supremacy of the air during the war.”—RT. HON. D. LLOYD -GEORGE. - - * * * * * - -“No man has done more to further the march of modern practical -science than has Mr. Harry Hawker. A man of deeds and few words, his -name will go down in the annals of history as a pioneer airman and -motorist. The development of the aeroplane as an arm of warfare owes -much to his skill and bravery—skill that was not only shown in his -handling of experimental machines in the air, but also in the way -he applied his remarkable fund of practical technical knowledge to -eliminating faults and improving existing designs. His war record as -test pilot of Sopwith machines is unmatched.... Mr. Harry G. Hawker, -A.F.C., will ever be remembered as one to whom the word fear was -absolutely unknown.” - - * * * * * - -“Harry Hawker was stamped with genuineness. He was a simple, -clean, straight-souled man. He was bred and born to do things. He did -them; he did them thoroughly, deep-bitten. He made and left his mark. -But in all that he did he worked so simply, so single-mindedly, that in -his passing the world of actualities loses not merely a fine airman and -a cunning handler of motor-cars.” - - * * * * * - -“The world of aviation has lost a champion; his wife, near -relatives and friends have lost something which is quite irreparable, -but in our sorrow let us be comforted by the thought that Harry Hawker -died as he had lived, doing the work he loved.” - - -THE END - -PRINTED BY THE ANCHOR PRESS, LTD. TIPTREE ESSEX, ENGLAND. - - -Transcriber’s Notes - -Page xv — Ascent changed to Asçent. -Page xxii — Capain changed to Captain. -Page 79 — nseo changed to nose. -Page 83 — seal changed to sea. -Page 87 — 3.2 changed to 3.20. -Page 94 — 8.8 am changed to 8.08 am. -Page 139 & Page 140 — Denham changed to Denman. -Page 146 — experiened changed to experienced. -Page 146 — manœurve changed to manœuvre. -Page 191 — Mercedes changed to Mercèdes. - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK H. G. HAWKER, AIRMAN: HIS LIFE AND -WORK *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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