as-1840
1912-1913: Original and unique British army airships flight reports
[J.N. Fletcher, Edward M. Maitland, Clive Maitland Waterlow] :
Flight trial reports of the British Army Airships Gamma and Delta.
1912-1913.
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9 original typescript and manuscript flight reports of the British Army Airships "Gamma" and Delta", based at Farnborough, in 1912 and 1913. Unpublished.
These flights were under the command of or crewed by, variously, three of Britain's pioneer aviation and airship pioneers - J.N. Fletcher, Edward M. Maitland, and Clive Maitland Waterlow.
The reports are laid down on thick album leaves in an exquisite early (probably 1920s) morocco-bound album, 12 inches x 10 inches (30 cms x 25 cms), all edges gilt, initialled "V.G.M." on the top cover, modern leather spine label lettered in gilt.
The reports cover such details as mechanical malfunctions, leakages, difficulties in handling, and the success or otherwise of corrections in ballasting and trim.
The nine flights are:
Detailed report on a trip from Larkhill to Farnborough [in the airship Gamma], 12th August 1912
6 typescript pages, 4 pen-and-ink sketches with coloured wash, in text. Signed in ink by the course-keeper Lieut J.N. Fletcher. Other crew members mentioned in the report are Pilot Lieut Usborne, R.N.; Steersman Sgt. McGrane, R.F.C.; Mechanic: Sgt. Collin, R.F.C. Preliminary research shows Lieut Usborne to have been Lieut Neville Florian Usborne (1883-1916) and Sgt. McGrane to have been Sgt. Hugh McGrane, both of whom are recorded as having airship experience with this unit.
Little is known of J.N. Fletcher's career beyond his involvement in this intensive programme of airship development. However, he later rose to the rank of Wing-Commander and in 1918 was lecturing in Cranwell on the constructional methods of airships and balloons.
Record of Events and Report on Performance of Gamma, during Army Manoeuvres, 13th-20th September 1912
5 typescript pages, unsigned, of some six or seven separate flights by the Gamma and Beta during the seven day period. The Gamma was under the command of Major Maitland (see notes on Major Maitland lower down this page).
Mention is also made of a "Captain Brabazon" having steering difficulties after the port engine crankshaft broke. This is almost certainly the later Lord Brabazon of Tara (1884-1964) who is known to have had early airship and ballooning experience.
Lieut. Hetherington was the Pilot on at least one of the trips; other crew personnel mentioned being Col. Enerett, Lieut. Fitzmaurice and Lieut (later Commander) Boothby. All of these names and those mentioned earlier are worthy of further research in connection with airships.
Mr. McWade is also mentioned as being on board on a couple of the later flights. Mr. F.M. McWade, Resident Inspector, Aeronautical Inspection Department at the Royal Airship Works, was born at Glasgow in 1872. He was trained at the School of Military Engineering and joined the School of Ballooning, Royal Engineers, in 1895. He took part in the building of the airship "Nulli Secundus" in 1903 and also assisted in later vears in the construction of airships Beta, Gamma, Delta and Eta. From 1915 to 1918 he was engaged at Kingsnorth Airship Station on the building of non-rigids and from 1920 to 1924 was an A.I.D. Officer at the experimental seaplane stations at Isle of Grain and Felixstowe. From 1924 onwards he was resident inspector at the Royal Airship Works and was responsible for the close inspection of the airship R.101 during her erection.
In 1930, Inspector McWade refused to issue a Certificate of Airworthiness to the R.101. The Air Council, which had no members with any experience of airships, asked Cardington, the Royal Airship Works and builders of the R.101 about these matters and received an emollient reply. Despite Inspector McWade's objections, and following political pressure to allow the R.101 to make a flight to India, a Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on 2 October 1930. Inspector McWade's objections were vindicated when the R.101 crashed at Beauvais two days later, with the loss of 48 lives, most likely as a result of the handling and structural defects to which McWade had drawn attention. Inspector McWade gave evidence at the subsequent enquiry.
Edward Maitland Maitland (1880-1921), the Commander of Gamma during these September 1912 flights, took up ballooning in 1908 and on 18 November 1908, together with Mr. C C Turner and Prof. A E Gaudron, flew in the Mammoth from Crystal Palace to Meeki Derevi in Russia a distance of 1,117 miles in 36.5 hours. In 1909 and 1910 he was attached to the Balloon School and whilst here he also undertook experiments with powered aircraft but following a bad crash, decided to concentrate on airships. On one occasion, he took a couple of young ladies aloft in a balloon, only to come down on the rooftops of Kensington necessitating rescue by the fire brigade. In 1913 he undertook the first parachute descent from the airship Delta. He continued to experiment with parachutes, which he considered to be a vital adjunct to the airship. In 1919 he was involved in the first transatlantic crossing aboard the R34, for which he received the AFC.
On 24 August 1921 Air Commodore Maitland was aboard the Airship R38 (US designation ZR-2) when it broke up in mid-air over the Humber close to Hull during handover trials to the US navy killing 44 of the 49 occupants aboard. This tragedy effectively brought an end in Britain to the development of airships for military purposes.
Report on Third and Fourth Trial Flights in H.M.A. Delta, 23rd and 24th April, 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Clive Maitland Waterlow (the "Maitland" name he shared with Edward Maitland Maitland, mentioned above, is apparently co-incidental), 1886-1917, was one of the most enthusiastic and active airship pioneers in Great Britain. Born in 1886, he was the only son of David Sydney Waterlow, formerly M.P. for Islington. He entered the service at Woolwich and passed into the Royal Engineers at Chatham from which he went on to the balloon factory at Farnborough. He held the third airship pilot's certificate issued by the Royal Aero Club, which he obtained on Feb. 14th, 1911. He made a long study of the airship and its possibilities as a military weapon, and was on the airship squadron of the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps, transferring to the Naval Wing in January, 1914.
Wing Commander Waterlow, Commanding Officer of the Airship Training Wing, was killed in an accident at the Royal Naval Air Service Training Establishment at Cranwell on the 20th July 1917 while assisting to moor naval airship SS39, falling to his death from a height of 800 feet.
Report on the Fifth Flight with Delta, 30th April, 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Report on the Seventh Flight with H.M.A. Delta, 3rd May, 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Report on the Eighth Flight with H.M.A. Delta, 14th May, 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Report on H.M.A. Delta, First Flight after 3rd Inflation, 12th June 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Report on H.M.A. Delta, Third Flight after 3rd Inflation, 19th June 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
Report on 5th Flight with H.M.A. Delta (3rd Inflation), 30th June 1913
Single typescript page, signed in ink C.M. Waterlow, Capt. R.F.C.
The album also contains 6 contemporary photographs of airships
We do not know the identity of the person whose initials V.G.M. appear on the top cover of the album.
However, the general tone of the reports from Lieut C.M. Waterlow suggest that they are being addressed to his commanding officer, Major (later Air Commodore) Maitland. In view of the final M of the initials, it therefore may not be too fanciful to suggest that this historic archive of early airship flight reports was assembled by a member of Air Commodore Maitland's family from his personal effects following his death in 1921 in the R38 disaster.
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