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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0047.PDF
JANUARY 15, 1915. A WELCOME visitor to Hendon last week was Flight Sergeant A. E. Barrs, returned from France, where, as a result of his accident a little while back, he has been in hospital for some considerable time. Aided by a couple of struts, fitted with T pieces at the top, otherwise known as crutches, he now manages to do a straight from his " digs." in Collindale Avenue to the aerodrome in quite fair time, and the landing chassis with which nature endowed him will, it is hoped, soon be in running trim again. The accident does not appear to have detracted from his liking for the higher strata of the air, for A. E. B. is contemplating a passenger trip to Farnborough as soon as an opportunity presents itself. During a chat at Hendon on Saturday last, Barrs related how he came to be temporarily hors de combat. He and another pilot, both on Bleriots, were starting out for a reconnaissance. While waiting for his companion to get ready Barrs had his engine going several times, and when at last a start was made, the engine appeared to be pulling badly as soon as the machine rose from the ground, although it ran quite well before getting off. Thinking that the mixture might be at fault, he tried to adjust it, forcing the machine to climb all the while. Finding himself at a height of about 150 ft. heading towards a row of houses with the engine still refractory, he decided to turn before getting over the houses, but in the manoeuvre the machine over- banked and did a side-slip, leading to a nose dive to the ground. Another ten feet would have enabled Barrs to make a safe landing, but, as he himself says, they weren't there. The petrol became ignited, and on attempting to extricate himself from the wreck Barrs found that one of his legs refused to support him, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that he managed to pull himself up by hanging on to the pylon, and then, by rolling down one of the wings, to get out of reach of the flames. He promptly received first aid, and an improvised splint was made by binding a rifle tightly to the injured leg. Owing to the fact that it was not realised that the leg was broken, the temporary bandage did not improve matters, but fortunately, as I have said, Barrs is now home and well on the way to recovery. XXX The enviable reputation established by the Aircraft Manufacturing Co. at Hendon for delivering machines in all sorts of weather, when M. Verrier was their pilot, is being worthily upheld by his successor, Mr. Birchenough, who takes the new Henrys and Maurices across to Farn borough with the regularity of a train service. That this entails some, at times, rather trying trips goes without saying, and it was therefore not considered anything out of the usual the other day—Friday of last week, to be exact—when the journey to Farnborough took Birch- enough a matter of two hours and ten minutes. He was piloting one of the new Maurices accompanied by a passenger. Whilst Birchenough regards a trip of this sort as being all in the day's work, his passenger is said to have been extremely bored looking down into the same chimneys for several minutes at a stretch. On Saturday last a Henry Farman was to have been delivered, but, on making a preliminary flight to test the air, it was found that the wind was so strong that the machine could make no headway at the altitude at which it would have been safe to attempt the journey, so Birchenough had to reluctantly abandon the trip and be content with giving some demonstrations of his excellent handling of his mount. In spite of the high wind blowing, he put the [/JJGHT] machine through a number of steeply-banked turns, which recalled to mind the evolutions of Messrs. Chevillard and Verrier, in the " piping times of peace.'" XXX When glancing in some of the sheds up at Hendon one or two old acquaintances which have, since the beginning of the war, been stationed elsewhere were easily recognised. Among the latest arrivals are the Pemberton-Billing Scout, otherwise known as the seven- day 'bus, from the rapidity with which it was designed, built and flown ; also the little 45 h.p. Anzani-engined Perry-Beadle biplane formerly quartered at Brooklands. XXX When the full story of this war comes to be told there is no doubt that the role played by aircraft will prove to have been of even greater importance than the most optimistic of us have ever anticipated. The excellent work done on aeroplanes in obtaining information regarding the movements of troops, &c, is by now universally recognised, as well as many other helpful pur poses to which aeroplanes have been put. From pilots and others returning from the Front it is possible now and again to form some idea of the " inner " efficiency of our air services, although it is not politic to give details of some of the work. It is more and more evident, however, that the success which is now being achieved by the Allies' heavy artillery is to a very marked degree due to the invaluable service rendered by flying officers in directing gun fire. Some of the results have been marvellous, buildings being simply blown to pieces at the third shot, it being had in mind that the target is not so much as seen by the gunner. Flight Sergeant A. E. Barrs, who fs now recuperating at Hendon after his unfortunate accident while on active service in France. 47
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