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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0946.PDF
and a similar 'spotting' had been carried out in the Dardanelles. " 30. Kite Balloons of the Royal Naval Air Service, operating from ships, have also contributed to render naval gunnery effective in Gallipoli. " 4". The Cuxhaven raid was successfully carried out by seaplanes from a British flotilla. " 50. Projectiles dropped from seaplanes have sunk several Turkish ships in the Sea of Marmora. "6°. In anti-Zeppelin operations coastal patrols have given warnings of approaching raiders, and on various occasions have succeeded in driving off the invaders. "70. The Royal Naval Air Service detachment at Dunkirk :— " a. Destroyed at least six German airship sheds, two of these having airships inside; "3. Damaged one Zeppelin and destroyed another in the air; a& Destroyed another Zeppelin on the water which had previously been damaged by anti-aircraft guns ; "d. Damaged submarines in the Cockerill Yard, at Antwerp, and " e. Continuously worried submarines in Zeebrugge and Ghent harbours. "A submarine was also sunk by Naval Aircraft off Ostend. "8°. The Royal Naval Air Service Kite Balloon Sections in Flanders have been co-operating with artil lery with excellent results. "9°. Various naval airships and other aircraft have been doing most useful work, which cannot be detailed. " io°. It must be remembered that the only blow which has been struck up to the present by British forces on German territory in Europe has been struck by the Royal Naval Air Service at Dusseldorf, Cologne, Friedrichshaven, and Cuxhaven." Whilst fully realising that the Navy League is concerned only with the Naval side of air-work, we should have pre ferred to have seen No. 10 paragraph omitted from the claims. The air-work of the R.N. A.S. has been so splen did that the League could well have dispensed with this clause, having regard to the no less magnificent and strenuous work which has been so unflinchingly carried out by individual members of the Royal Flying Corps and by the work generally of the Corps as a complete unit. Beyond the short official communique's according praise in general terms to the R.F.C. little has been allowed to transpire of the main achievements of the R.F.C., and the possible pains and penalties at the hands of the Censor's department are sufficiently onerous to stop the publica tion of most of the facts as they come into our possession. Hence the meagreness of the records of the Army flying men, although, through despatches and in the case of individual awards, the curtain has now and again in a very small way been lifted. It looks as if we should have to wait, as in the case of the Army generally, for some time before full credit can be placed where it is due. When that time comes, although late in the day, it will not be too late, we hope, for a real big attempt to be made to push the Flying Services Fund into top speed for the six-figure mark. • • *. National Although the National Insurance scheme Insurance. js m fuU operation and has proved an An Asset immense success, it is evident that there I " °Wl*t ? St'" remams a considerable section of the tabi 1 y public which considers that damage from aircraft and bombardment should be a National liability NOVEMBER 26, 1915. and not a National asset, upon the lines as originally put forward by "FLIGHT" in October, 1914, a couple of months after war had broken out. In this connection we learn that the Committee on War Damage is present ing a memorial to the Prime Minister, in which they urge that the immense losses suffered in many districts should be borne by the nation. It is claimed that not withstanding that the withdrawal of the Government insurance scheme would involve a considerable expense in the first instance, it is highly desirable that all premiums received should be repaid, and, as trustees for the nation, the Government should proclaim their inten tion of giving fair compensation to the owners of property and goods that had already been, or might in future be, damaged or destroyed either by aircraft or bombardment. The municipal corporations of Abingdon, Barrow-in- Furness, Bromley (Kent), Chatham, Hertford, Gateshead, Ilkeston, Kidderminster, King's Lynn, New Romney, Shrewsbury and Wednesbury, also the Urban District Councils of Ashford (Kent), Clacton-on-Sea, Uford, Heston and Isleworth (Middlesex), and Seaham Har bour have agreed to join in the presentation of the memorial. Well, we wish them luck in their efforts to bring about the end which they seek, but we have little faith in a successful issue at this time of day. There are too many out looking after National economy just now, for a patient ear to be given to the turning of such a source of revenue into an outflowing stream for Government money. The efforts, as we have said time and again, should have been launched a year ago instead of now. Our sympathies are, nevertheless, very much with the aggrieved, and for that reason we reprint the following further " argument" in their behalf, which has been sent out to the press by Messrs. Mark H. Judge and Son, of 7, Pall Mall. This firm argue thusly :— " The Government insurance scheme which has made the in dividual citizen responsible for war damage is so manifestly unjust that we may reasonably hope that it will soon be abandoned. The Army and Navy are maintained for the defence of the citizens and their property. In so far as they fail to give complete protection, the community, as a whole, should compensate those who suffer damage, whether they be freeholders, leaseholders, householders or lodgers. Prior to the Government insurance scheme sufferers from air raids and bombardments on the East Coast were properly compensated out of national funds, on the same principle that residents of a police district are compensated for damages resulting from failure of the authorities to give complete protection in the case of riots. The Riot (Damages) Act, 1886 (49 and 50 Vic. c. 38), provides in section 2 as follows :— " ' Where a house, shop or building in any police district has been injured or destroyed, or the property therein has been injured, stolen or destroyed by any persons riotously and tumultuously assembled together, such compensation as hereinafter mentioned shall be paid out of the police rate of such district to any person who has sustained loss by such injury, stealing or destruction: but in fixing the amount of such compensation regard shall be had to the conduct of the said person, whether as respects the precautions taken by him or as respects his being a party or accessory to such riotous or tumultuous assembly, or as regards any provocation offered to the persons assembled or otherwise.' " This question of war damage seriously affects the whole com munity, and if not dealt with in an equitable manner will add to the necessary evils of the war, untold suffering on the part of those citizens who happen to be hit by the enemy in their attack on the nation. Once recognise that war damage is a national responsi bility, and it becomes clear that all insurance schemes are out of place, and that an Act should be passed for compensating all citizens injured in the person or estate by the enemy." The argument is distinctly sound, and as in good time the disturbers of the world's peace will be called upon to settle our Zeppelin victims' bill, the ultimate loss to the nation by any compensation paid should be represented by a minus quantity, O
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