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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0002.PDF
be to show that aviation need not be the highly costly pastime, which at present most people insist upon attributing to it. There is no reason why in the years to come the utilisation of the freedom of the air should not be as popular and as widespread as automobilism has become. The period of ridicule of the motor car in its earlier stages was much more extended than has been the case with the aero plane. But then the European hostilities have forced facts upon the world and broken down prejudices and indifference which would otherwise have taken almost decades to bring to the same point of view. And thereby hangs a tale. In some quarters prejudice is so ingrained that fifty years of rubbing in actualities, such as have been brought to light in favour of the extension of aviation for naval and military purposes, would hardly be sufficient to elicit a growl of grudged praise and approval. These folk who insist upon seeing nothing worthy of notice in anything that has not been as an axiom during their time of service, are the real drags upon progress and expansion. It is to be hoped that a much more spirited policy will be encouraged in the immediate future, so that the full weight of the power of aircraft in this war may be apparent. Fortunately the growth of the Air Service cannot be stopped, whatever clogs are put into its way. It can only be retarded. That this should be so just now, however, is very unfortunate, as if ever there were a time for a more broadened conception of the power lying latent in aircraft to shorten the war, that time is surely now. It requires bold and drastic measures and energy of a supreme character to bring the full possibilities of air-war to fruition, but if an effective combination of all efforts could be brought about, the results we believe would be epoch-making. Q$ ® THE ROLL THE Secretary of the Admiralty announces the following casualties:— Under date December 28th : Slightly Wounded. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Richard B. Munday, R.N. Under date December 29th : Slightly Injured. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Cicel R. Terraneau, R.N. The following casualties in the Expeditionary Force have been reported from General Headquarters :— Under date December 23rd : Wounded. •1845 Sergeant G. J. Lusted, Royal Flying Corps. Under date December 24th : Wounded. Second Lieutenant L. Moss, A.S.C. and R.F.C. 5266 2nd Class Air-Mechanic A. Wright, Royal Flying Corps. Under date December 28th : Wounded. Second Lieutenant G. Alchin, R.F.A., attached R.F.C. JANUARY 6, 1916. Nineteen-sixteen will, we believe, lay the founda tion stone for a British Air Service, a service which shall years hence become greater even than our all- powerful Navy. For the moment this attempt at looking into the future may appear to be fantastic, but we believe most earnestly that we are in no way over estimating the pinnacle to which the navigation of the air will attain. It will, of course, mean the establish ment of the Third Service, which, however, by force of its superior power to strike a vital blow at any moment, will presently claim its position as being the First Service in the defense and in offense on behalf of our Empire. That such expansion means money and plenty of it goes without saying, but the time is not so very far distant when the grant to the British Air Service will not be thought of, as it was in the past, in six-figure driblets, but in millions and in millions ranging in due course into the nine-figure column. Let our powers that be see to it that they are not forestalled in this connection. Britain is an inviting spot for spreading disaster from the air. As yet we are in a position far short of anything like security from an offensive on a grand scale, and the sooner this weakness in our armour can be adjusted and we can be also assured of being able to make the grand offensive ourselves the easier will be the minds of those who have visions of things. Such are the thoughts which force themselves upon us as we now enter upon 1916, with the warring of the nations still at its zenith and with our enemies being persistently forced to look for new outlets for their diabolical ingenuity for the purpose of overcoming the strangling pressure which is month by month firmly growing more insistent. Relief from this tension may come via the air. It is our earnest hope that the initiative of that relief will be from the side of Britain and her Allies. ® ® OF HONOUR. Missing. Captain G. T. Porter, R.F.A. and R.F.C. Under date December 29th : Second Lieutenant M. Head, Royal Flying Corps. Second Lieutenant G. L. Pitt, Royal Flying Corps. Undated: Previously reported Missing, now reported Prisoners of War. Lieutenant D. W. Grinnell-Milne, R. Fus. and R.F.C. Lieutenant V. M. Grantham, Royal Flying Corps. Captain C. C. Strong, London R. (T.F.), 13th Bn. (Princess Louise's Kensington). The following casualties in the Indian Forces have have been officially reported from General Headquarters of the Expeditionary Force :— Undated: Missing. Second Lieutenant D. F. Cunningham-Reid, Indian Army Reserve of Officers, attached R.F.C. Lieutenant E. J. Strover, 3rd Brahmins, attached R.F.C. 2
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