FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0247.PDF
APRIL 23, 1925 crew : C. B. Oliver, G. E. Long, L. H. Rowe, R. \V. Mayes, J. Walkinshaw, G. Watts, G. V. Bell, I.. A. Moncricff, R. \V. Dick, J. E. Scott, S. T. Keeley, G. N. Potter, S. E. Scott, N. G. Mann, L. H. King, W. R. Gent, Z. Little, and J. E. Rarp. The R.33, besides being moored to the mast, had additional ballast in the form of four heavy gun-carriage wheels. The mooring arm, on the mast, first broke, and then the nose oi the airship crashed down on to the top of the mast, which smashed the framework of the bows and punctured the first gas compartment. Narrowly missing hangars, buildings, etc., on the aerodrome, the R.33 was then blown stern first out towards the coast—with, incidentally, the gun-carriage wheel still hanging suspended from the hull. Within two minutes of the break-away Lieut. Booth had one of the engines going, and a few minutes later was in wire- less communication with Pulham. In half an hour the R.33 men and women—lent a hand in safely housing the truant,battered but triumphant. This, briefly, is the story of R.33's escapade. In The Times for April 20 Lieut. Boothtells his own story as follows :— " Believe me," he said, " apart from the wonderful triumphfor airship progress, the trip was only an incident in the life of an airship crew. When we broke away from the mast onThursday morning I was forward. We felt an unusual jolt, and the bow began to sink, while there was a distinct rise'aft.Instinctively I rushed to the control car and to my gratifica- tion found that all the crew had immediately taken theirposts. I heard Sergt. Hunt cry out that we had broken loose, though I felt and knew before he shouted that thiswas so. My first thoughts were to get up, for in the wind that was blowing at the time I knew it would be bare minutesbefore we reached the sheds. Before we were 100 yards from the mast the port engine was started and we released THE NOSE OF R.33 Photo: "Daily Minor" Illustrations Bureau. Among the wreckage may be seen the rope ladder which gave access to the airship, and the mooring cone which was torn off the mast. was passing over Lowestoft, and as she passed out to sea she dropped a signal light, whereupon the Lowestoft motor- lifeboat Agnes Cross and the North Sea fisheries gunboat Godetia put out to sea with a view to rendering assistance if need be. After leaving Lowestoft the R.33 was soon lost to sight in the clouds, only partly under control. During the day, however, she managed to keep in touch with Pulham by means of wireless. By 11 p.m., when off the Dutch coast, the reassuring message came through that she was well under control and, with the gale moderating, was making an attempt to return home. In the meanwhile preparations for an emergency landing had been arranged for at certain aero- dromes in Holland—the Dutch Government very sportingly offering every assistance in this respect. Then, in the early hours of April 17, the R.33 began her slow struggle homewards. She reappeared over Lowestoft about 1 p.m., and two hours later arrived back at Pulham, where several hundreds of willing enthusiastic volunteers— about two tons of ballast. This carried us just above the gasometer, and, rising steadily, we passed over the 140 ft. aerial of the wireless station. " We were drifting sternways, and after settling d^wn to our jobs I gave Keeley, our wireless operator, a message for Pulham. By the way, I think particular mention of any member of the crew invidious, but Keeley really did splen- didly. This message to Pulham asked for the weather report of the Humber district, and conveyed my intention of keep- ing to the north-east. We were on the coast at the time, and just after I investigated the damage to the bow more fully. This necessitated a trip on the roof of the ship. We made a bulkhead of the deflated No. 1 gas bag, and this prevented more damage by the gale. Just after 11 o'clock our position was 25 miles E.N.E. of Southwold, and at 12.20 we picked up news of the Godetia. She asked how we were getting on, and for our position. In reply we sent them word that our approximate position was 50 miles E.N.E. of Southwokl. with a drift of 70 deg. at 15 to 20 knots, and we were flying 247
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
