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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0555.PDF
0' JUNE 29, 1916. officer who was taken from the Army, and who qualified as a nilor at the Central Flymg School just prior to the war. He went out to France as an observer, and, Mr. Billing understood, never flew as 1 pilot. He returned to England at the end of September 101/ and at that time was a captain in his own regiment In October he became a flight-commander, in November a squadron commander, and five weeks later a wing-commander, the equivalent of a lieutenant-colonel. Within (2 months he was made a brigadier general. From the time that this officer returned from France to the time he was made a general he was at the Central- Flvinc School, but so far as Mr. Billing had heard he had not had an opportunity of proving himself in any great degree. This rapid promotion had caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among officers in the Service and in the Royal Flying Corps. Mr. Billing handed up the name of the officer in question. Mr. Billing's next example of rapid promotion was the case of an officer who had about 15 or 20 hours' flying on school machines and had never flown during the war. He qualified as a pilot at the Central Flying School in January, 1913, and went to the Flying Corps Reserve. Soon after the war broke out he received a staff appointment, and rejoined the Flying Corps in November, 1914. In August, 1915, [he was sent to France as a wing-commander, although he had never held the ranks of flight or squadron- commander. About four months later he was made a brigadier- general. Mr. Billing added that he had no comments to make on the ability of these officers except in so far as they reflect the general dissatisfaction and lack of efficiency in the Flying Corps. Mr. Bright: What do you mean by general dissatisfaction ? Mr. Billing: The undercurrent of jealousy and intrigue through out a very considerable part of the Service. The Chairman : I can understand dissatisfaction about promotion, but not what that has got to do with the efficiency of machines. Mr. Billing contended that improper promotion had a tendency to bring into high places officers who were not efficient in the particular work for which high-placed officers were responsible. If there were five brigadier-generals in France at present, four could well be removed to more useful work without interfering with the efficiency of the Flying Corps. He went on to read a letter from an officer complaining of the unsatisfactory system of promotion. One of these, from an officer of the Royal Naval Air Service, contained a suggestion that the Royal Flying Corps was promoting as many men from that corps as possible because they desired to have all the higher billets when the inevitable amalgamation of the Royal Fly ing Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service came about. Another letter from an officer of the Royal Naval Air Service was read by Mr. Billing, in which reference was made to his efforts to convince the Committee by arguments on technical points. The Chairman : Will you read that part which really matters ? Mr. Billing : I must ask you to allow me to go on with my evidence. I am doing this purely as an act of grace, of patriotism, and I must ask you to be reasonable in allowing me to present my evidence in the way that is most facile for me. Proceeding with the reading of the letter, which referred to the state of things that existed being due to " the blind and unreasoning faith of the Chief of the Royal Flying Corps in the R.A.F. and its administration generally," he said he had written to the writer for permission to mention his name. Later in the proceedings Mr. Billing received a telegram from the writer as follows:—" Certainly; will attend, subject to my superior's consent.—THUKSTON." 4 .. The witness next turned his attention to a report which he said had been prepared about March by certain squadron commanders in the interests of the corps. It had been given to another member of Parliament, who found it too technical for him to deal with. It had therefore been handed to Mr. Billing. He was not in a position to give the names of the writers. The report dealt with matters prior to January, 1916. While commenting upon it, Mr. Billing, referring to a suggestion that aerodromes required improve ments for landing at night, said that there were thousands ot men of the Flying Corps who might be much more profitably employed in working to this end than in the work in which they were engaged as mechanics. The size of a night landing ground should not oe less than one-third of a mile square. In his opinion not one pilot in four made a good night pilot. Every night flying man should oe specially chosen and trained.and he understood such was the case now. It required skill and not " mere pluck " to engage a Zeppelin at night. He understood * special training was now being &vf&gt; D « this had not been the case until recently. The authorities should consider and choose the one and best machine for night nying whether it should be a tractor or a pusher. Witness Feared a tractor, but believed in a pusher-admittedly a very fine **»«?»• He would not send up anyone at night unless he were on more than equal terms with the enemy. IfiJCHT] not equal to the work, wdl you tell us about that ? Alter a discussion on certain types of machine, Mr. Billing Mud W^T ^ necessit>' for GTe*t" «»EiMtp««J « nigh. a£K *i?CS; ^C "m*™M °f "**£" ffying at n,gh. should zlii He°'l h,,"?* useless •end»B UP « »««o»h.*« «l • ^-ppe in. He should have something to explode, or to shoot the Zeppelin down. Mr. Billing proceeded to deal with what he considered should be tne armament of machines for night attack. . Sir D. Henderson : The question of armaments should 1* gone into in private. Mr. Billing: "Certainly." The Chairman : You have practically concluded your evidence in public? Mr. Billing : No, I don't think it will he concluded for tome time yet. The Chairman : Well, take your own time. Please don't hurry, t, neLl rceferr<:d l0 a SP"*11 hc w*4e in the House of Commons on March 28th, m which, referring to the necessity of fitting dual contro , he spoke of an observer whose pilot was thot and he WM left helpless at a high altitude. General Henderson was seen to smile, whereupon Mr. Billing exclaimed: General Henderson thinks this is a suhjer! for mirth. He is responsible for sending up these men in these conditions, and it is a terrible thing for an observer to find a machine at a hci| 11,000 ft, diving down, with the pilot out of action behind, ft was a terrible thing, and it was not to l>e wondered at that when mm got lack alive they felt bitter about these things. "May I say," remarked Sir David 1 li-ndcrson, "that what amused mc was the omission Mr. Pcmbcrton Hilling made, no: tin speech." "The omission was because I had no wish to touch anything with a dramatic note," replied Mr. Penibertoii Billing. " It) actual statement (in the speech) was that the man turns around, hearing a cry, and sees the pilot dead behind him." Ouite recently, he added, a death was due to inexpericner of dual control. An inquiry was held, but on the authorities suggesting that the finding was not what it ought to be another was heldT He understood, however, that they came to the same conclusion. The authorities were of opinion that the passenger helped to bring about the accident. It was the case of the son of the Under- Secretary for War. Lieutenant Tennant was the pilot, and the observer was Captain Jones. Mr. Butcher: Do you wish us to decide whether dual control It right or not?—No j but I think a recommendation from you that this question should lie considered by the Air Board should IJC made, and a conference of pilots would also be useful. The Chairman : Surely that is not a question for us to consider. Mr. Billing next read a "report" MM to him respecting a proposed air raid in France. The men were told to fly to a certain rendezvous, but there were clouds at 3,000 ft., whieh were 3,000 It. in thickne s; the 30 odd raiders got lost, and each, thinking he Ml alone, started dropping his bombs. One pilot who thought be was over a German town dropped his bombs on the Belgian bead quarters. Eleven or thirteen landed at Dunkirk, and one landed in England. It was reported that in the taut ca*»~hea*id to an ofn< • " I will give myself up." Another who landed on the sands at Dunkirk, thinking he was on the enemy's tenitory, was about to burn hh machine when he was stopped. The Chairman asked for the date of this occurrence, but on Mr. Billing saving he was not in a position to give it at the moment, though it might easily be verified, the Chairman said he could not admit it at this stage. Resuming, Mr. Billing read a letter from a second lieutenant ol the 9th Somersets, who was prepared to give evidence. He stated that he had had only one hour and twenty minutes in the air Irefore he flew "solo." He had learnt to fly with a quite unneceiMfjr amount of danger, and had had no instruction in the engine. Owing to engine trouble he came down on an old Maurice Farman, against which he had been warned, with a great smaah. When bis com manding officer saw it, hc remarked, "Thank God, that's »> machine." Next day he was told that his services were no longer required, and he was given sick leave. The lieutenant also enclosed a further statement, in which he spoke of " eyewash," and said that when General Henderson came to inspect them tbey were all busy cleaning their machines, but as soon as he had gone they were all dismissed. ... , . .« ,, „• The rest of the proceedings consisted m the reading by Mr. Billing, with explanatory comments, of the report by squadron commanders. It dealt with the early output of the Royal Aircraft Factory in the matter of airships. The small airship* of the factory were treated with derision by the Royal Flying Corp*. Had the capacity »« build a large one existed no doubl. a large one would have been built. 555
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