First published in Great Britain in 2013 by
Pen & Sword Aviation
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church S treet
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS
Copyright Leslie Dawson 2013
ISBN: 978 1 78159 109 3
PDF ISBN: 978 1 47382 930 5
EPUB ISBN: 978 1 47382 675 5
PRC ISBN: 978 1 47382 631 1
The right of Leslie Dawson to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
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Contents
To those whose lives and memories created this book .
| What is a flying boat? | An aeroplane supported by a hull on the water. |
| And a float plane? | An aeroplane fitted with floats |
| And a seaplane? | It can be either. |
| Isnt that confusing? | Possibly |
Acknowledgements
A s someone drawn to clear sparkling water and to the lure of a windsock beckoning from a summer green airstrip, I wanted to learn more about the pioneers, passengers and piloting experiences of a largely forgotten and unique form of flying that utilised the natural waters that separate the land masses and islands of our world. Many kindly gave of their time to portray events enacted a good fifty years before our meeting, a part of their youth, pride and a way of life, tempered by the times, while invention and controlling factors have inevitably combined to ensure the like will never come again.
I have attempted to keep a chronological list of the individuals and organisations that kindly aided my research and enquiries, frequently with personal anecdotes and treasured photographs, and though my appreciation would have been given at the time, I can only apologise for the oversight if your contribution does not appear amongst the following but here goes.
Michael Cobham sanctioned pictures of his parents, Sir Alan and Lady Cobham, and the refuelling trials, the Poole Plate and Aeromaritime poster were supplied by Katy Armstrong of Millers Antiques and Collectibles, the Museum of Transport and Technology (Auckland) sent photos of their model of Richard Pearse and his aeroplane and the restored Aranui , and Roy Tassell a nice shot of the Supermarine Sea Eagle.
I first learnt what it was like to fly a twenty ton flying boat at the harbour side home of Captain Tommy and Connie Rose, followed by a meeting with Captain Bob and Audrey Harwood. Their different entries into BOAC formed the basis of my first authorship on flying boats ( Wings Over Dorset , published by Dorset Publishing Company) and I thank Bernard Dyer (another former instructor with 622 Gliding School) for putting me in touch with Peter Rose who passed me on to brother Christopher in Australia, who very, very kindly perused his fathers log book in detail (particularly the remarks column) and then went through the photograph collection. I also have to thank Audrey for allowing me to collate Bobs log books and for her search for the missing one!
A drive to Orcheston in Wiltshire to meet Mrs Harman, former Woman Seaman Mollie Ann Skinner, revealed a box full of publicity pictures and a small, clandestine photo (cameras were not encouraged during the war) of Hailshams last landing at Poole. And she still had her woolly pully. Colleague Eileen Wigg wrote with details of her own service with the riggers launches and to let me know she was the tall one at the end of the line of girls pictured on the quayside. Perusal of former catering assistant Ivor Colemans ring-bound BOAC Brats Newsletters unearthed an unusual photo of the cycling flying boat captain and traffic assistant, while former water controller Peter Davidson explained in detail the alighting area activities and the night sortie of the Ploughman. He also sent me a letter from Stan Gibbs which recalled the radio room equipment installed at the Marine Terminal.
Lilliput resident Jeremy Waters contributed photos of the pre-war club at Salterns from his collection, while Beverley Helliwell Smith unearthed a fascinating framed aerial photo which showed the lower wing tip of the circling biplane. Specialist navigator Vic Pitcher kindly provided his log book and photos of his time aboard the giant Boeing Atlantic flights, supplemented with memories of the Lilliput Marine Terminal by Patricia, the former station assistant who had instantly claimed his heart.
Bob Does descent to Poole was related to me in person during our meetings at his West Surrey home during the course of my research for his biography, while the catching of the spy at Lulworth Cove formed part of a fascinating letter from Air Vice Marshal Birdie Bird-Wilson, another survivor of the Battle of Britain, who, having shot down six of the enemy before being himself shot down in flames, had recovered sufficiently to enjoy swimming with equally young WAAFs in a nearby stream after arriving at Warmwell in 1941!
Harry Pusey provided a rare insight to the largely forgotten pre-war presence of Imperial Airways at Poole, among his other experiences, while Bob and Margaret Rayner showed me the original photographs and letters concerning the activities of two generations of the family about the harbour. Mrs Margaret Lee also wrote to me from Bideford in Devon. Agnes and William Fyson sent me a superb snapshot of their trip in a Supermarine Channel flying boat at Bournemouth, while Doctor Nigel Pearce provided another unique pre-war snapshot taken by his father, a ships pilot, of Maia and Mercury moored off the Vickers factory.
Shorts Publicity Dept kindly sent data and photos, and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland the Golden Hind photo (Bombardier collection). Adrian Meredith sent a reflective shot of Centaurus , Philip Glover the cockpit detail of Hythe with his father and Joe Parker at the controls, and Dave Fagan a classic image of the Southampton terminal. Richard Tazwell offered his own research on wartime Poole and arranged a meeting with John Newall to view the photo shoot at Hamworthy, and Keith Hayward and Jim Davis (B.A.Heritage Centre) kindly confirmed events at Poole and Malta after descending two floors to peruse the relocated archives!
Martin Hayle, who foresaw the need to collate the history of the lesser known Royal Naval Air Stations at Sandbanks and Lawrenny Ferry, kindly sent a copy of his booklet on Daedalus 11, while a morning coffee spent in company of Peter Devlin revealed the initiative of a young naval cadet in wartime Britain. A visit to the home of Ivor and Norma Faulconer, combined memories of naval pilot training and catapult operations with those of the post-war Seaplane Club of Great Britain, together with framed photographs of pre-war pilots and aeroplanes and an unexpected collection of vintage model biplanes. June Topham (ne Bamford) topped off her experiences as a young wartime Wren posted out to Africa, with publicity shots of the bevy of lovelies positioned about the Walrus, during a sunny afternoon at her home opposite the former Royal Navy Air Station at Sandbanks.
