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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0770.PDF
JULY 26, 1917. I f one is killed or injured in action with the enemy in England his name a p peats in the published list as killed (which means killed in action) or as w onnded. Mr. Billing : Are we to understand that the results of Coroners' inquests are necessary before it can be ascertained whether one of our pilots has been killed in action or died accidentally in engaging the enemy over this country ? Mr. Macpherson : The hou. member is to understand no such thing. As he knows very well, the law requires that if any man is found killed or has died in unknown circumstances the reason of his death has to be investigated. As I pointed out the other night to my hon. friend, the War Office always take care that if an R.F.C. man or any other soldier is killed in the service of his country in this country the fact is duly reported to the Coroner. Mr. Billing : Are we to understand that every soldier who is killed will have a Coroner's inquest ? Mr. Billing asked how many British pilots were killed or injured, and how many British machines were smashed either by the enemy or by forced landings, or otherwise, during the air raid throughout this country on July 7th ? Mr. Macpherson : Two pilots were killed in action, one pilot was wounded, one observer died of wounds. Two aeroplanes were destroyed by the enemy; two aeroplanse crashed from other causes. Tampering with Aircraft and Sheds. MR. G. FABER asked the Prime Minister what is the penalty in the case of German prisoners of war working in this country, enemy aliens, neutrals and British subjects respectively, who are proved to have tampered with air sheds, or aeroplanes in this country ? Mr. Macpherson : I am afraid that it is not possible for me to answer this qusetion. The punishment inflicted would, of course, depend upon the nature of the offence. Mr. Faber asked the prime Minister whether the Commander-in-Chief in this country, or who, is primarily responsible for the safeguarding from treacherous tampering by persons living in this country with military air sheds and aero- planes situated or operating here; and whether, in view of the ever-increasing importance of this branch of the Air Service, he will consider the desirability of some official or officer being forthwith appointed whose chief duty it should be to see that no possible precautions shall be omitted whereby such treachery can be guarded against ? , Mr. Macpherson: General Officers Commanding-in-Chief Commands are responsible under the direction of Field-Marshal, Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces. It is not considered necessary to make any alteration in the system such as my hon. friend suggests. Mr. Billing: Is the hon. gentleman aware that this is a very grave and serious matter, which has caused considerable dissatisfaction, and will he at least ask the Department to give it very serious consideration ? Mr. Macpherson: I can assure my hon. friend and the House that the War Cabinet and the Committee over which the Prime Minister presides will make the necessary enquiry. Mr. Faber: May we fed assured that the Report will come in time, and not too late ? Mr. Macpherson : I hope so. ' .' -.•.:•-••-•; - Protected Areas. ~- '-" " • " " MR. FABER asked the Prime Minister whether he will forthwith take steps to provide that aerodromes and air sheds in this country, not already situated within prohibited areas, shall themselves be constituted prohibited areas within prescribed limits ? Mr. Macpherson : The protection afforded to aeroplanes and air sheds in this country under military arrangements exceeds that which would result from constituting the site a prohibited area under the Aliens Restriction Order. If my hon. friend will supply particulars of any such site which appears to him to be ineffectually guarded, I shall be pleased to have the matter enquired into at once. Mr. Herbert Samuel: Are we to understand that the Committee just men- tioned by the Under-Secretary for War, and which is presided over by the Prime Minister, is a Committed which will enquire into the matters mentioned in this question, or is it the Committee already announced to the House that s to enquire into the air defences of London generally ? Mr. Macpherson: It is an enquiry into the defences of London, and, I under- stand, into such questions as are germane. • Mr. Faber: Are we to understand that enemy aliens, or even naturalised Germans, are allowed to live close to places where there are aerodromes and aircraft sheds ? Mr. Macpherson : My hon. friend knows that this is purely a question for the Home Office. Air. Faber: Oh, really ! Mr. Macpherson : This is purely a question of allowing enemy aliens in this country to live in one area or another, and that is purely a matter for the Home Office and not the War Office. If my hon. friend will put down a question to the Home Secretary he will give him the answer. Mr. Faber: Are we to be bandied or battered about from one Department to another ? Mr. Billing ; Is it not the fact that enemy aliens and unintemed Germans do visit these aerodromes ? — Sir John Simon : Is it the fact that all orders that individuals are not to reside in prohibited areas do not come from the Home Office, and is it not rather the fact that the orders come from the Officer Commanding the district ? Mr. Macpherson: I think that is so. Mr. Faber : Then why recommend me to go to the Home Office ? Why the Home Office, when it is the Officer Commanding the district who issues the orders ? Mr. Speaker : These supplementary questions are sprung-upon a very hard- worked Under-Secretary, and it is quite possible that he may have overlooked the fact that the original order comes from the Officer Commanding the district. If hon. members would put down their questions they would get considered answers. Mr. Faber : I should be the last to desire to press the hon. gentleman unduly. Mr. Billing : Will it be in order for the Under-Secretary to give us an assur- ance—[Hon. members : " Sit down ! allowed to visit British aerodromes ? -that in future no enemy aliens will be Aercplane Construction. - - MR. BILLING asked the Minister of Munitions if every available factory suitable for the construction of aeroplanes and not devoted to other war work is being employed to the utmost by the Ministry of Munitions ? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions (Sir L. Worthing- ton Evans) : The answer to this question is in the affimative. Mr. Billing : May we understand that any firm capable of building aero- planes, if not building them now, will receive orders at once ? May we under- stand that ? Ballot n Descent in London. MAJOR NEWMAN asked the Parliamentary Representative of the Air Board whether he is aware of the danger to property and obstruction to traffic caused by the descent of a non-dirigible balloon in Holbom on the nth inst.; are the frequent patrols of flights of non-dirigible balloons over the Metropolis made at the instance of the military authorities ; are the machines manned by members of the R.F.C. or other recognised corps of combatants ; and, if not, what will be their position if met by hostile machines in the course of their flights ? Mr. Macpherson: The danger to property and obstruction to traffic caused by the descent of a balloon in Holbora on the nth inst. are greatly regretted. The descent was due to the uncertain and erratic air currents which prevailed! on that day, and caused dropping of ballast and eventually forcing the ballooi> to land. This landing was successfully made without casualties through the- valuable assistance rendered by the police in handling the crowd. No damage was done except the breaking of five or six telephone wires, and within twenty minutes of the landing the road was clear for traffic. The answers to the second and third pafts of the question are in the affirmative. The last part of the question, therefore, dose not arise. R.N.A.S. and Raiders. SIR HENRY DALZIEL, on July 18th, asked whether members of the R.N.A:S. are allowed to go tip and attack enemy aeroplanes whilst flying over land or only over the sea ? Dr. Macnamara : The R.N.A.S. work in the closest co-operation with the- R.F.C. in regard to home defence, but invariably attack enemy aircraft when- ever and wherever seen. •• • . Sir. H. Dalziel: Does that answer my question? v " "... ":~7\ Dr. Macnamara : Certainly. ']- ~ J -c . ^ Sir H. Dalziel: They are allowed to attack-over land and sea ? , r ,- „ - •;-.-.- Dr. Macnamara : Certainly. •- Princess Mary's Visit to Soulhend. MR. LYNCH asked whether the aeroplanes that escorted Princess Mary on her journey to Southend-on-Sea were fighting aeroplanes ? The Under-Secretary of State for War (Mr. Macpherson) : I am informed that ^ Princess Mary was not escorted by any aeroplanes of the R.F.C. Mr. Lynch : Can the hon. gentleman account for the fact how all the London^ newspapers stated that she was ? Mr. Macpherson : I am responsible only for my own office. R.F.C. and Raiders. SIR H. DALZIEL asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether _ members of the R.F.C. are allowed to attack enemy aeroplanes whilst flying. • over the sea or only over the land ? Mr. Macpherson : The R.F.C. are allowed to attack hostile aircraft over land" ' or sea. Col. Claude Lowther: Is the hon. gentleman satisfied that there is sufficient - . cohesion between the naval and the land Air Services ? Mr. Macpherson: Yes, Sir. • . Aercplane Spare Parts. MAJOR KERR-SMILEV asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether ; a large number of aeroplanes have recently been out of action owing to the. lack of spare parts ; whether the manufacturers are instructed to supply * sufficient number of spare parts for every machine made ; and will he say who- is responsible for deciding that the proportion of spare parts is requisite and> "., for seeing that such a proportion is consistently maintained ? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Board (Major Baird): The answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards- the third part of the question, the proportion of spare parts per machine is- ;. decided by the two Services, who prepare the Schedule referred to. Additional: spares required for the further maintenance of machines beyond the original: spares are ordered by the Supply Department on receipt of requisitions from- the Services. Major Kerr-Smiley : Is it a fact that this shortage of spares is affecting the- ' training of our pilots, and also that several brand new machines, such as Spads,. have recently been dismantled in order to provide'requisite spares for similar machines ? Major Baird : Every effort is being made to effect a remedy, but the large number of new machines has overtaken the supply of spares, which were not available. Everything is being done, however, to ensure a supply. Mr. Watt : Does the hon. gentleman think there is sufficient cohesion between, the R.F.C. and the Royal Naval Flying Corps ? Major Baird : Yes, sir ; but that does not arise out of this question. Aeroplanes. SIR H. DALZIEL asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the need1 for more aeroplanes, he can give any reason why the workers in the aeroplane shops of certain large factories in Birmingham, Bolton and elsewhere are now on short time ? Major Baird: There are two contractors for aeroplanes in Birmingham* and both have a large number of aeroplanes on order. In BMton there are no aeroplane factories. As regards the rest of the country, there are a few cases where the work on certain components is ahead of the work on other components, and this unbalancing may cause some temporary diminution in the working hours on this particular operation or process. This is not singular to aeroplane factories, but occurs to a slight extent in all industries. Col. C. Lowther: Have the Government any idea of the output of aeroplanes in Germany ; if so, are they keeping pace with them ? Mr. Speaker : That question had better, I think, be put down. Air Raid Suflererr. Compensation Scheme. MR. ALLEN BAKER asked whether the Government are prepared to grant compensation to all sufferers from air raids irrespective of whether they are insured or otherwise ? Mr. Bonar Law : The Prime Minister recently received a deputation on this subject and arranged that, in communication with the representatives of the deputation, a scheme should be worked out. This will be done forth- with, but I am not in a position to anticipate the details, which require careful investigation by the departments concerned. Mr. P. A. Harris: Will there be no necessity, then, to insure against air raids ? Mr. Bonar Law : The hon. member must wait until the details are arranged. Peter Hock r and Company. MR. PRINGLE asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury have delayed giving their consent to the issue of shares in Peter Hooker and Co.; whether this issue was recommended by the Air Board and Ministry of Munitions ; whether Mitchelson and Co. have purchased these shares ; and whether it is in the public interest that departments have recommended that sanction should be given to the issue of shares which are to be purchased by a firm in which a Minister of the Crown is, or was lately, financially- interested and which will receive large orders from the Government ? Mr. Bonar Law : The answer to the first part is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the Air Board and the Ministry of Munitions recom- mended that the company should be given facilities for the increase of theii output, but made no recommendation on the financial aspect of the particular scheme submitted by Peter Hooker, Ltd. I am not aware whether Messrs. Mitchelson and Co. have purchased the shares. As regards the last part of the question, Lord Rhbndda relinquished his partnership in this firm as and from June 30th last, and has now no interest whatever, direct or indirect, in it. A public announcement to this effect has been made. A.I.D. Examiners. MR. MACVEAGH asked the Parliamentary Representative of the Air Board whether he can state in currency the total cost of inspection for the financial year 1916-17; whether he can state how many examiners, chief examiners and assistant examiners are now employed in addition to the 23 inspectors, and 104 assistant inspectors; and whether, as the previous occupation and 770
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