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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0623.PDF
JCNE 2 , 1917. One other point, and it is the most important of all. It is, if warnings weregiven, would they have the effect of saving life ? I am advised that they would not have that effect. Of course, I put the saving of life before every other con-sideration. Supposing we gave warnings by such means as loud-sounding hooters I am advised that sudden warnings in this way of impending air raids wouldhave the effect of overcrowding in the streets and trams, and people would suddenly crowd into the Tubes and other places, and this of itself might resultin a serious loss of life. When warned of an air raid, the impulse of many people would be not to run indoors, but out of doors. Most of us yesterday and to-day,when the news went round, saw people lea've their houses and shops and con- gregate in groups on the pavements watching for the machines in the air.Mr. MacVeagh : And on the Terrace of the House of Commons, Sir G. Cave : That is the effect of a public warning, and it is a danger againstwhich we all ought to guard. It is a-wise and prudent thing to go under cover, I do not mean to say that that is an absolute protection. It happened yesterday. that the persons who were killed and injured under cover were more numerous than those who were killed in the open. I attribute that to a great extenttothe fact that the police induced so many to go under cover. I know they did their best. I know of one well-known house where a number of employe'srushed out and the policeman exerted himself to drive them indoors, and he succeeded very well. Just afterwards a bomb exploded near to the house,and the lives of those people were saved. That is an instance where going under cover resulted in the saving of life.I cannot too strongly warn people that the wisest thing that they can do when an air raid occurs is to go under cover. The fact that they are behind a wallor under a solid floor of some kind is in itself almost *a certain protection against injury, and, if people would take the precaution of getting under cover,a great number of lives now lost would be saved. I do not at all close my mind upon the matter, but I wish to tell the House that the opinion of all the•experts and of all the business men whom we have consulted is that upon the whole we are wisest, both from the point of view of carrying on the war andfrom the point of view of protecting life and the safety of persons, in not giving a general public warning by hooter or some means of that kind.Mr. Joynson-Hicks: Could the right hon. gentleman at all events extend the warning to the hospitals ? The London Hospital which treated 190patients yesterday had no warning whatever, and had no time to prepare. Mr. Flavin : I was going to suggest that point. I think that public institu-tions, public schools where there are infants, and the hospitals, where there are wounded soldiers, ought to be given warning.Sir H. Dalziel: The Leader of the House informed us yesterday that one of the enemy raiders had been destroyed. Can the right hon. gentleman confirmthat or add any information as to whether any other machines were, brought down ?The Under-Secretary of State for War (Mr. Macpherson) : Perhaps the House will allow me, in a few words, to reassure my hon. friend the Member forBrentford (Mr. Joynson-Hicks) that everything that is possible has been done and is being done to ensure the best possible defence for this city. I may tellmy hon. friend, as I think he knows, that we have a good supply of the best available guns and the best available pilots who yesterday ascended themoment orders were given. As the House knows well, the raiders came across the Channel in about twelve minutes, and, as the Home Secretary has pointedout, on at least four or five occasions we were ready, and we never really know when they may come directly over London. With regard to the point raised bymy right hon. friend the member of Kirkcaldy (Sir H. Dalziel), so far as I know there is no further information wflh regard to the number of raiders broughtdown than that cbnveyed to the House last night by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.Sir H. Dalziel: One was brought down ? Mr. Macpherson : I understand that is true. I got definite informationyesterday that one was brought down in the eastern part of Essex near Shoeburyness. As far as I know—and I think I can assert definitely—no furtherraiders were brought down in the raid of last night. I am not going to enter into one of the points to which my hon. friend directed my attention—thepoint of reprisals. My hon. friend knows that is purely a question of policy for the Government, but we may assume that the raid which took placeyesterday on London was merely a reprisal on the part of the Germans for the very continuous and effective raids which we ourselves have taken the precau-tion of inflicting upon them, particularly round about the dangerous area of Zeebrugge. I have been in communication with the Home Defence authorities,and they tell me that they are satisfied with the home defence of London as it is at the present time, but they are now, particularly after yesterday, seeingwhether in any possible way that defence can be improved. As my hon. friend, who has just paid a visit to the Front, will realise, the amount of work whichis being done by our very best pilots and our very best guns at the Front may occasionally handicap the home defence. I can assure him upon this pointthat not only are we now satisfied that we have got the men, the aircraft guns and the machines at the Front suitable for very effective raiding and for very•effective defensive purposes along the Front and also in German territory, but we have at the present time a very good supply of pilots, men and machinesfor home defence. Mr. C. Rees : Has the Home Secretary any information with regard to anattempted air raid to-day ? Mr. Flavin : Can the right hon. gentleman give us any reply to the questionwhether the hospitals, Red Cross hospitals and public schools in which children are kept get proper notice or any notice if a raid is made ?Sir G. Cave : I believe it is the practice to warn hospitals. If, as the hon. member suggests, one was not warned yesterday, it must have been by some©mission. With regard to schools, I am rather doubtful whether it would be wise to give them warning, because the result would be that the children wouldI>e immediately asked to leave instead of being kept under shelter. Mr. Flavin : At a school I am acquainted with there are arrangements forthe children being taken away so as to save their lives if a bomb fell there. Mr. A. Samuels : I saw hundreds of young ladies in Government officesyesterday exposing themselves to very great danger. It would be worth while considering whether penalties should be imposed.Sir G. Cave : I believe orders are given in Government buildings that employes, especially women, shall seek safety. Undoubtedly there was awarning of an air raid yesterday, but fortunately I do not know yet exactly for what reason, the- raiders did not do more than approach the coast. Theydid not really make any serious attack. Mr. Samuels : I am not quite sure what buildings they were. They werebuildings across the road in the Park. Air Raid Warnings. MR. BILLING, on June 15th, asked whether it is proposed to introduce anysystematised form throughout the country, or whether it is proposed to allow the local organisations to make their own arrangements ? . Sir G. Cave : The arrangements are made under_the supreme direction of themilitary authorities. London being a special district, special arrangements are made, but this particular method of warning is not recommended as likely tosave life. Mr. Billing: Are we to understand that no method of warning is to beintroduced ? Sir G. Cave : There is a method of warning which is very effective, butthis particular method is thought likely to result, uot in the saving of life, but possibly in the loss of life. 1/licHfi Mr. Billing: Was ;the method which the right hon. gentleman suggests isso effective, employed on the occasion of the recent raid in London? Sir G. Cave : Yes, so far as time permitted. Captain Barnett: Has my right hon. friend's attention been drawn to thestatement of Lord Knutsford of the London Hospital on the subject ? Mr. Speaker: That also was discussed last night.SirC. Kinloch-Cooke asked the Under-Secretary of State for War why no warning was given of the approach of hostile aeroplanes on the occasion ofthe raid last Wednesday ? Mr. Macpherson : I have nothing to «dd to what was said by my right hon.friend the Home Secretary last night on the motion for the adjournment. Aeroplanes and Test Flights. MR. BILLING asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether firmswho deliver aeroplanes without having carried out the initial test flights are called upon to make any payment to the War Office for such relief ; and, if so,what is the amount of such payment, who receives the sum, and who is responsible for taking the additional risk of putting these machines through their initialflight tests ? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Board (Major Baird) : Departuresfrom the contract conditions governing delivery by manufacturers are met by corresponding abatements on contract prices. Machines which have beendelivered prior to the carrying out of their test flights are put through their tests by service pilots at the acceptance aerodrome. Owing to the thorough-ness of inspection during manufacture it is not considered that any special risk is involved. Mr. Billing : Is the hon. gentleman aware that an exceptionally high price ischarged by all private pilots to put these machines through their tests—it is about £10 a machine, which means a payment of about £10 an hour for thisbig risk—and is he aware that the Government at the present time are saving that £10 by taking it out of the manufacturer and subjecting the pilot to takingthese risks without any additional compensation or insurance Major Baird : All I can say is that no casualties have resulted.Mr. Billing : In the event of casualties resulting, do you propose to take any action ?. Mr. Speaker : That is a hypothetical question. Royal Flying Corps.MR. BILLING asked whether officers of the R.F.C. who failed to qualify as pilots, but who wish to continue in the flying service, are allowed to quality asobservers, or whether, under such circumstances, they are asked to resign their commissions and, that being done, are subject to conscription as privates ?Mr. Macpherson : If an officer fails to qualify as a pilot, and wishes to become an observer, he is accepted for training as an observer, if recommended. Ifnot recommended, an officer who belongs to another unit is returned to his unit as an officer. If not recommended as an observer, but recommended andapproved as suitable for another branch of the service, he resigns his com- mission and joins a cadet unit. If not recommended either as an observer,or as an officer in another branch of the service, he resigns his commission and becomes liable to conscription. sMr. Billing : Is the non. gentleman aware that numerous officers at the present time are being relieved of their commissions in the R.F.C. purely andsimply through friction arising with their commanding officers in France, although they are capable pilots, and in these circumstances is he prepared toset up a small court of inquiry, or some form of appeal for these officers, who at present have no form of appeal whatever ? Mr. Macpherson : I cannot accept the statement made by my hon. friend inthe first part of his question. Mr. Watt: Is the hon. gentleman aware of the great difficulties that exist ingetting out of the rank of observer into that of pilot ? Mr. Macpherson : I understand that is not true. I understand that observersvery frequently become pilots. Mr. Billing asked if an officer of the R.F.C. is permitted to engage the enemyon his own initiative if, being either flying or ready to take the air, he observes hostile aircraft operating over this country, and, if he is not permitted thusto engage the enemy, what action is he supposed to take ? Mr. Macpherson : This question must clearly be governed by the suitabilityof the aeroplane at the officer's disposal for the attack of hostile aircraft. ' Mr. Billing : Are we to understand that a pilot has to make up his mind,while in the air, as to whether or not his machine is suitable to engage ; and if he thinks it is suitable, is he entitled to engage .the enemy ; or, if he is standingby the machine with no senior officer near enough" to give him orders, is lie entitled to engage the enemy ?Mr. Macpherson : A good deal is left to the discretion of the individual officer. Mr. Billing : Is it not a fact that officers have been court-martialled for doingthat at Dover quite recently ? Mr. Macpherson : No, it is not. Leave. MR. BILLING asked what number of hours daily officers under instruction ataerodromes are expected to fly; whether the hours apply to Sundays as well as week-days ; and what time, if any, is allowed to such officers and theirinstructors for recreative and recuperative purposes ? Mr. Macpherson : The number of hours flying per diem depends on the weatherand the stage of training. Training in flying is carried out on Sundays as well as week-days. Leave is granted periodically both to instructors and to pupils.Mr. Billing : Are we to understand there is no regular leave allowed either for instructors or pupils, and that in the ordinary way they can be called uponto put in seven days a week training and instruction ? Mr. Macpherson : Leave, of course, depends upon military exigencies, whichare the controlling and determining factor. Administration. MR. BILLING asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the incom-patibility which is once again becoming accentuated in the combined_naval, military, and political administration of the Air Services ; and whether, in viewof the pending resignation of the chairman of the Air Board, he will consider the advisability of eliminating this friction and consequent official delays byvesting the supreme control of the naval and military aeronautical undertakings in the respective services in and reconstructing the Air Board under one Ministerof initiative imagination and experience, with powers to organise from the surplus of the naval and military requirements an air fleet to carry the air warinto th* enemy's country independent of our ordinary naval and military undertakings, thus expanding our aeronautical operations and at the sametime eliminating the present factions T Mr. Bonar Law : The answer is in the negative., Mr. Billing : Is any definite action at present under the consideration of the Government for instituting an offensive against the enemy in Germany fromthe air? Mr. Bonar Law : If it were, I do not think it would be vet)' likely that I shouldmake it known. . \Mr. Billing : Is the policy, of the Government going to be altered in viewof the question of their refusal to take reprisals for the raids we have experienced ? Officers under Arrest. • • . - ~~*GENERAL CROFT asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that on thejoccasion of a recent air raid 623
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