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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0824.PDF
and went to the front at the beginning of this year. He was home on leave in the latter part of March, and was killed the day after he rejoined his squadron. His eldest brother, Lieut. Martyn Floyer Williams, R.F.A., was killed last August. The death has occurred in an aeroplane accident of Lieu- tenant GERALD C. N. COOKE, of the Canadian Army, the only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cooke, of Palace Road, Crouch End, N. The accident occurred on a trial trip which was to have preceded Lieutenant Cooke's transference to the R.F.C. He was born in 1887, and as a boy sang in St. Paul's Cathedral Choir. Afterwards he went to St. Mary's College, Harlow. In 1905 he proceeded to Canada, and was engaged in farming. Lieutenant Cooke joined the ranks in 1916, and refused a commission until he had earned it. His brother was killed at Ypres last year. Lieutenant IVAN BEACLERK HART-DAVIES, R.F.C., who was killed in an aeroplane accident in England, was the son of the late Rev. John Hart-Davies, of Southam Rectory, Warwickshire, and was 39 years of age. He was educated at a school at Maidenhead and at King's School, Canterbury, and began life as a schoolmaster at New Beacon, Sevenoaks. Afterwards, however, he worked up a wide life insurance and motor insurance business in the Midlands. He held the " end-to-end " " record " for motor-cycle and light cars, and in 1913, witb>frhree other motor cyclists, won the Murren Cup, though none of the four had done any bobsleighing before. He took to flying before the war as an amateur, but last year he obtained a commission in the R.F.C., and was on the eve of going to the front. Captain PERCIVAL FRANCA CROMMELIN D'ERF WHEELER, Dorset Regiment, attached R.F.C., who was killed on July 24th, was the eldest son of Captain d'Erf Wheeler, R.A.M.C, and Mrs. d'Erf Wheeler, a daughter of the late Bishop Blyth, AUGUST 9, 1917. of Jerusalem. He was born at Jerusalem in April, 1894, and was educated at Clare House, Beckenham, and Trent College. In August, 1913, he was gazetted to a commission, and in September, 1914, he was sent to France in charge of a draft, and a month later was severely wounded at La Bassee. This incapacitated him for active service for the next 14 months, but for the last six months he was able to do duty with the regiment at home. He was promoted captain in February, 1915, being then not yet 21, and in December of the same year he took a draft to Mesopotamia, where he served for eight months, at the end.of which illness compelled his removal to hospital at Bombay. When about to return to Mesopotamia he was recalled for training in the R.F.C., and he returned home last January. He had completed his course and was on the point of receiving his wings when he met his death while flying at an aerodrome in England. ••'•-.._. Married and to be Married. : 5' : The wedding took place at Datchet Parish Church oiv August 1st of Lieutenant T. L. COPE, R.N.A.S., son of the late Mr. Thomas Cope and Mrs. Gardiner, and the Hon. NORAH ROBINSON, eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Rosmead, of Westfields, Datchet. Lieutenant Cope was a member of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Expedition to the South Pole. On returning from the expedition, Mr. Cope at once got a com- mission in the R.N.A.S. The bride has only recently returned from working in a French hospital, and was back on short leave when the marriage was arranged. Her only brother, the Hon. Hercules Robinson, fell at Loos. The marriage of Captain JOHN MILNE, M.C., R.F.C., elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Milne, of The Brook House, Sutton Courtenay, Berks, to JOAN, younger daughter of Mr. THOMAS HANMER, took place at Sutton Courtenay on July 24th, the Rev. E. B. Mackay officiating. LEGAL INTELLIGENCE. Admiralty Contracts for Aircraft. *AT BOW Street Police Court on August 3rd, before Sir John Dickinson, Mr. W. A. Casson, of 8, Bedford Road, Chiswick, described as a barrister and retired Civil servant, surrendered to his bail (having been remanded on July 25 th), and Wing Commander John Cyril Porte, R.N.A.S., appeared in answer to a summons, the" charge against both defendants being that they unlawfully conspired together, anji with Lyman J. Seeley and other persons, to contravene and set at naught the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906, in respect of divers large sums of money, amounting to about /48,ooo, from time to time paid to and received by Porte, an agent of the Crown, in respect of certain contracts made between the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and the Cnrtiss Aeroplane Co. of New York. Both defendants occupied seats in front of the dock. The Attorney-General (Sir Frederick Smith, K.C.) and Sir Archibald Bodkin conducted the case for the Director of Public Prosecutions ; Mr. W. J. Svnnott appeared for Casson, and Sir George Lewis for Porte. In opening, the Attorney-General called attention to the terms of Section 1 of the Act under which the prosecution had been instituted, and said it was obviously directed against the system of secret gifts by which a principal was practically made to pay a commission to his own agent. The matters involved in this case were discovered in due course of an enquiry made by direction of the First Lord of the Admiralty, and presided over by Mr. Butcher, K.C., which had to do with transactions between the Admiralty and the Curtiss Aero- plane Company. The Attomev-General thpn outlined the history of Com- mander Porte's connection with aviation and his proposal to fly across the Atlantic. He said that Commander Porte had also made an agreement with the Curtiss Co. to act as their agent, and to receive a commission of 20 to 25 per cent, of the selling price. On the outbreak of war he came home and was given a commission in the R.N.A.S. He was also asked to get an estimate from the Curtiss Co. for two twin engine and other aeroplanes. The Attorney-General went on to say that Casson was a friend of Porte and knew of the favourable opinion the Admiralty had formed of the boats, but was also alive to the difficulties which might arise under the. 1st section of the Prevention of Corruption Act. An arrangement was made that Porte should ostensibly give up all his business connections and transfer to Casson all his interests in the Curtiss flying-boat under his agreement with Seeley, on condition that Casson should discharge all Porte's duties in connection with that matter, and proceed, when necessary, to America at his own expense. The real agreement between them was a verbal one, its nature being this, that Casson should be put forward as the person dealing with the Curtiss Company, that Porte's name should be kept out of it, and that all the profits—-20 or 25 per cent.—should be nominally received by Casson, but should be afterwards divided in the proportion of three-fourths to Porte and one-fourth to Casson. Needless to say nothing in regard to that secret arrangement was disclosed to the Admiralty. A number of orders were subsequently given by the latter to the Curtiss Company through Porte. At some time during the execution of these orders Seeley arrived in London, and made further arrangements with Casson about dividing commissions. The arrangement between Casson and Porte Was that of the 15 per cent, the former received from the Company 7J per cent, should go to Seeley, and that of the other moiety three-fourths should go to Porte and one-fourth to Casson. So large was the business done between the Admiralty and the Curtiss Company that in 1916 the orders placed with the latter amounted to $11,000,000, of Which $5,000,000 worth had been delivered and $6,000,000 worth paid for. Under the agreement already described the remittances from Seeley to Casson by way of commission seemed to have totalled some ^64,000, and of three-fourths of that sum Casson seemed to have regarded himself as the holder in trust for Porte, on whose behalf he had meanwhile made certain payments and some invest- ments, whilst he had retained about one-fourth, or ^16,000 odd, for his (Casson's) own benefit. Whether the prices paid by the Admiralty were reasonable or not had nothing to do with this matter of corrupt commissions. ' There was no doubt that these persons knew that the Admiralty Were paying enormous sums of money, some of which went to Casson for doing nothing. Porte was a very skilful man, and had placed his services at the disposal of the Government, but this, of course, was a matter that would have to be thoroughly enquired into. Casson was on the point of going to France When he Was arrested. It was not suggested that he was absconding. He had in his pocket a letter from Porte, in which he suggested that things were going to move. At this point Porte Was taken ill, and asked for permission to leave the Court. The Attorney-General said he had concluded his opening of the case. The hearing was adjourned until August 10th. Porte was allowed out on his own recognisances in ^2,000. Casson was admitted to the same bail as before. The magistrate stated that he would take the evidence in the case every Friday and Saturday morning until the end was reached. 824
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