FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1917
1917 - 1255.PDF
NOVEMBER 29, 1917. ALTHOUGH, speaking generally, the appointment of Lord Rothermere as the first President of the Air Council has come as a surprise, for several days before the official notifica- tion of the fact on Monday, it was evident what was " in the wind " from the work which the new P.A.C., with his pro- verbial energy and thoroughness, was putting in in connection with the new Air Force Department. From his preliminary survey the new Secretary of State must have already acutely realised that his office is not likely to be a sinecure. Fortunately Lord Rothermere has a very sound reputation for setting about having things done, the moment he has decided matters are not what they should be and he is likely to bring into his new sphere those " clearance " tactics which in his highly successful business career have proved so effective and have placed him at the head of huge interests in, comparatively, a fraction of a man's active life-time. There will be no waiting as (with ordinary luck) the Bill should be through the Lords and have received the Royal Assent this week. As the brother of Lord Northcliffe—who has received the well-deserved dignity of a Viscounty of the United Kingdom —Lord Rothermere's interest in aviation must necessarily have been more than casual in the past years of the develop- ment of the Science. IT is significant that Sir Alfred Mond, the First Commissioner of Works, has already scheduled a floor of the Strand Palace Hotel for Government requirements. This may well bs the thin end of the wedge towards the entire structure in behalf of the Air Council and its ever-expanding requirements. MORE and more are the King and Queen encouraging the aviation side of the war. Hardly a day passes but this Royal interest crops out in one direction or another. On Monday a very full programme was gone through, following a special visit on Saturday afternoon to the Royal Flying Corps Hospital at 82, Eaton Square. Particularly full of interest was the tour by King George of the extensive works of Messrs,'GWynnesLtd., where on all sides was evidence of the very old standing of this now modernised firm. It was a remarkable tribute tothe adaptability of the expert workman to find men who had been with the house for 60 years or more, doing their sharetowards the equipment of so newly born a science as aviation.' Yet this phenomenon was to bs seen, whilst there was quite anumber of these who had been in the one employ for over 30 years, away up to 47 or more years. ANOTHER sign of the democratic and patriotic trend of the day was to be found in another section of the works. Here the King recognised a woman worker, Lady Victoria Bentinck, daughter of the Duke of Portland, who was busily employed side by side with Lady Sibell Pierrepont, Mrs. Brownlow, an ex-professor at Girton College, Miss Katherine Gwynne and Miss Mary Gwynne, daughters of the principal of the firm. It was quite apparent that these patriotic women were not there for sport or recreation ; it was just full time as with the rest of the women employees, their meals being taken in the canteen and all the regular routine duties gone through in the ordinary course. Such examples may well set many a one thinking as to what they are doing personally to help to - victory those on the other side who have the brunt of the war upon their shoulders. Mr. N. Gwynne, the Managing Director, who received the King should be well pleased with the result of the firm's efforts towards that end. NEXT followed an inspection of the remarkable •works ofMessrs. D. Napier and Sons, Ltd., Acton way, where a guard of honour, formed by workmen of the establishment, waslined up for the King's visit, the royal party being also received there by the managing director, Mr. H. T. Vane, C.B.E.,and other members of the firm. Again quite a unique incident varied the ordinary routine of the tour, when Corporal Jarvis,of the Royal Engineers, one of the men who the King noticed was wearing the V.C., was greeted by the royal visitorjwith THE HANDLEY-PAGE BOMBER FLIGHT TO CONSTANTINOPLE.—On left : Flight-CommanderSavory, D.S.O. and bar, who took part in this raid, with his greyhound mascot. On the right: Squadron-Commander Smyth-Piggot, D.S.O., with his mascot. . ." . :••-•-; \ - •:- ' 1255 -
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
