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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0401.PDF
JULY 19, 1923 R.A.F. MEMORIAL : Unveiling on Monday by the Prince of Wales. Left, H.R.H., with the Duke of York(President of the R.A.F. M.F.), inspecting the R.A.F. Guard of Honour. Right, the Prince of Walesjat^the , moment of unveiling the memorial. thoughts of pride and sorrow when they recalled the brave men it commemorated ; it would bring to mind many pleasant reminiscences, as well as heroic memories. With their sorrow" would be mingled pride and gratitude for what had been done by those gallant men who had passed away, and it was proper that their memory should be perpetuated in the more enduring medium of bronze and stone with fitting beauty and dignity of form. The Prince of Wales said :—" This monument, erected by the Royal Air Force Fund, which I am about to unveil will stand as a lasting tribute in the heart of this great city to the memory of all ranks of the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, and every other air force who played their part in the War, braving with high spirit the unknown dangers of warfare in a new element and dying to give us the final victory. Their exploits and undoubted courage have established a tradition for the new service which our cloud armies of the future, whether in peace or war, will, I feel sure, follow with devoted pride ; and the nation, on whose behalf I am asked to accept this memorial, and to whom I am to dedicate it, will ever thankfully remember the gallant lives and great deeds it commemorates." The Rev. H. D. L. Viener (Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force) then dedicated the memorial and offered prayer ; and the Prince of Wales released the cords which kept the covering Union Jack in place. Then followed, after a muffled roll of the drums, the " Last Post " sounded by the R.A.F. trumpeters, and then, after a final roll on the drums, came the resounding notes of the Reveille. Within a few minutes of the Prince's departure the base of the memorial was almost hidden with wreaths and bunches of flowers which were deposited by the public and friends of the. fallen. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN AIRWAYS, LTD. FROM a correspondent in Perth, W.A., under date June 1, we have received the following interesting communication regarding the work of the Company in Australia :— There is in regular operation in Western Australia an aerial mail and passenger service linking up all important ports on the north-west coast between Perth and Geraldton and Derby. The Western Australian Airways, Ltd., is a company that was formed in August, 1921, to carry out the Government mail contract embodying the flying of 2,390 miles per week between Geraldton and Derby and return, calling at Carnarvon, Onslow, Roebourne, Port Hedland and Broome. Since its inauguration in December, 1921, the company's machines have flown close on 200,000 miles. The majority of flying has been carried out to schedule time, and the degree of efficiency obtained has been commented upon from all quarters. Apart from carrying mails and passengers between ports on the route, a very great amount of useful work has been accom- plished in cases of emergency, sickness, etc., and by the calling of machines at out-back stations, lives have been saved and comfort secured for the settlers. Surgeons and medical men have been flown to urgent cases, while sick people have been brought to hospitals. As this portion of Australia has been rather badly served by other means of transport, the aeroplane has filled a much- needed requirement. The technical administration of the company is in the hands of Major N. Brearley, who will be remembered in England at Gosport and Lilbourne Schools of Special Flying, and he has associated with him as leading pilots, Messrs. C. E. Kingsford- Smith, M.C., K. V. Anderson, and B. Heath, while the chief mechanic is Mr. H. P. Hansen, late Chief Master Mechanic, Australian Flying Corps. During the greater portion of the year ideal flying conditions prevail all along the length of the route, but during the storm season, from December to March, very severe conditions are liable to be met with, and storms, known locally as " Willy- Willys," which prove a menace to shipping, burst on the coast and travel down the coast, causing great havoc in the track :-• they follow. On these occasions the sky becomes very dark, ; with winds of high velocity, making it practically impossible % for an aeroplane to live, but before these disturbances arrive ,• a few days' warning is given by the rapid falling of the baro- ^ meter, and the company takes precautions by stopping the ; service and securing its machines in their hangars until conditions again become reasonable. ,.r The average speed maintained for the flying so far accom- -•• plished is between 80 and 85 miles per hour, but the machines are capable of a top speed of 110 miles per hour. Six machines of the Bristol tourer coupe type are used, and these are fitted . with six-cylinder Puma engines of 240 horse-power. Having :; an ample reserve of power, great satisfaction has resulted from the use of these machines, and interruptions to the service through mechanical troubles are practically unknown. The usefulness of the service is evidenced by the fact that the mail carried has steadily grown from a mere handful of f letters until the machines' capacity is very often taxed, while on many occasions so many enquiries are received from pas- sengers anxious to book seats, that it would be necessary to have machines of very much larger capacity to meet the demand. The service is operated by relays of machines and pilots, and is carried out in three sections. The machines circulate round the route, and every three weeks reach their main depot at Geraldton, where they are subjected to a thorough examina- tion and overhaul, and by this system the regular operation of the mail has been simplified. The company is self-contained in practically every way, as the various members of its staff are capable of handling all the various problems that enter into the running of the service, and the maintenance and construction of the machines, and it is anticipated that with the development of both large and small machines and the experience gained from the lengthy operations carried out in Western Australia, the company will be in the unique position to handle aviation matters in the most up-to-date and rehable fashion over future years. 401 ; "' F
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