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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0746.PDF
OCTOBER 7, 1926 spirit or revive an old spirit, which, perhaps, was drooping— a spirit of unity, a conception of our destiny as a race, and our mission in the future. He was of the opinion that if they had an air route half-way round the world the aircraft industry in Great Britain would be one of the most flourishing of our industries. Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker, responding, remarked that he believed air transport was going to help the world in general, and the British Empire in particular. It still had its teething troubles. " Sometimes it is irregular. In some hands it is unsafe, but I am glad to say not in British hands," added Sir Sefton. " We have been a nation of seamen ; we can and must be a nation of airmen." Viscount Novar, a former Governor-General of Australia, proposed " Our Overseas Dominions," and said that Mr. Cobham by his flight had given them a new outlook on the relation of the Dominions to the Mother country. Australia was a land in which aviation had unlimited possibilities, and no greater service could be done to the Empire than to " speed up " communication between the Dominions and the mother- country. Maj.-Gen. Sir Neville Howse, V.C., the Minister for Defence for Australia, and Mr. J. G. Latham, Attorney-General, responded to the toast, the latter emphasising how speedy communications would further the knitting together of the Empire on the basis of self-government for each Dominion. Lord Riddell and Lord Dewar responded for " The Guests," and the toast of " The Chairman " was honoured on the proposal of the Spanish Ambassador, who referred to the work of the Royal Air Force in finding the Spanish airmen lost in the desert as an instance of how aviation helped to bind two nations together. TO MEET MR. ALAN J. COBHAM, A F.C" THUS ran the heading of the official invitation of The Air Council to those who were bidden to the luncheon at the Carlton Hotel, on Tuesday last, presided over by Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for Air, when later Sir Samuel made the announcement of the decision of His Majesty to confer upon Mr. Cobham the honour of Knight Commander of the British Empire, in recognition of the good work done by Mr. Cobham. Some 70 guests attended, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Cobham, Sergeant Ward, and Mr. C. S. Capel. Following the luncheon, Sir Samuel Hoare, in proposing the toast of " Our Guest," in which he included the names of Sergeant Ward and Mr. Capel, ?aid he hoped their guest would remember this luncheon as being unique. It was seldom that the British Government offered hospitality to a British subject, whatever it might do to foreign notabilities, and moreover, it was the first time on record that a lady had been so entertained, or rather two ladies, for Lady Cobham desired to have with her a companion of her own sex in the den of lions or of Daniels, from whichever point of view one regarded it. He wished to express the appreciation of the Air Council of the flight which was a very great event, and one likely to be a milestone in the history of aviation, it being the more worthy, inasmuch as it was entirely backed by- private assistance, a good omen, as it would be best for aviation not to be solely a Government affair. He wished to welcome Mr. Cobham, and was glad to think it was brought about by private enterprise, and he especially welcomed such help as given by Sir Charles Wakefield. There were two main reasons why the Air Ministry attached great importance to this flight. * Firstly, for the sake of Civil aviation, by means of which rapid communication would be developed between one part of the Empire and another. Mr. Cobham had by his work, given a conspicuous example of how this should be entered upon ; viz., by bringing London within a fortnight of the various parts of our vast Empire. Secondly, there was the military reason. He must have been able to impress that lesson more directly than ever done before, upon millions of citizens who gathered together under the most varied climes and conditions during the flight. He had made flight a veritable landmark throughout his journey, and demonstrated the immense mobility of the aeroplane. This time, a seaplane—although by being able to adapt it with wheels for duty as a land machine, he had pointed the way to*a solution of the most economic method of communication between the outlying points of the Empire. By changing the under-carriage from wheels to floats or from floats to wheels, such a machine could be equally available for flying for thousands of miles by land or sea. If they could so organise their air power as to move it easily from one part of the Empire to the other, over land and sea, they might find a way of making the Empire's defences more economical and efficient. The King had, Sir Samuel con- tinued, taken the greatest personal interest in this flight, and he (Sir Samuel) was pleased to say he had been entrusted to make the first announcement of His Majesty's decision that the King had been graciously pleased to appoint Mr. Alan Cobham a Knight Commander of the British Empire, to decorate Sergeant Ward with the A.F. Medal, and confer Membership of the Order of the British Empire upon Mr. Capel. which announcement was received with vociferous applause. Mr. L. S. Amery, M.P., Secretary for Dominion Affairs, supported the toast, and expressed his congratulations to Sir Alan, " an Apostle of Empire development," and Lady Cobham, upon the conclusion of what had been a great organisation of skill and endurance. A new chapter in the history of aviation had been opened, in which one single aeroplane and engine had achieved one long-distance flight after another. Further, the new chapter which was opening in the development of the British Empire, meant remedying our present means of communication, which were far too slow to get the leading men of the Empire together for taking counsel, if only once a year. The bringing together of those men for personal consultation could not be compared with any other form of intercommunication. The Empire existed by virtue of its communications ; it was the outcome of sea communications, and would always depend on sea communications and sea power for its defence and existence, but it would also depend in an ever-increasing measure on every form of communication which could bring its scattered parts more closely together. And towards that end, Sir Alan had blazed the trail, and what he had done had a far greater influence upon what a united Empire can do than many thousands of speeches. Lord Birkenhead, Secretary for India, who also supported, opened in a characteristically humorous vein, and continuing, said it was the occasion of high romance comparable with the days of Elizabethan daring and chivalry, with its reward. They would remember how the acolade of knighthood was conferred on Sir Francis Drake when he landed after a memorable voyage, and the announcement which the Secre- tary of State had made in regard to Mr. Cobham compared with that supreme and interesting moment. When they compared the achievements of the Elizabethan navigators and pirates—great as they were, with those they were celebrating that day they were not conscious of an inferiority. They paid tribute to a man who had shown as great endurance and courage as any of the great pioneers of the past. It was easy for us at home to congratulate Sir Alan, but he would hardly forget the many hazards and trying times that he had encountered and gone through. The achievement of the great flight was of the greatest importance to India, with its population of 300,000,000. Two hundred years ago it took seven months to reach India —seven months to send a message and seven months for a replv—and by that time the thing had happened. The position of the Governor of the Company was comparatively easy and everything worked for the best. Now all these new-fangled and ill-conceived things disturbed the tranquillity of the Minister. They were very tiresome. While they realised that these things were very embarrassing to those responsible, they must pay high tribute to a man who had shown as great a degree of courage as had been shown by any of the great pioneers of the past. He very much hoped that Lady Cobham would persuade her husband that there was a period when active flight might be abandoned to younger men. Sir Alan had played his part, and it might be that his future would be equally invaluable in the instruction of younger pilots. They should not forget those who designed the marvellous machines which enabled this triumph to be achieved. The Armstrong-Siddeley " Jaguar " engine, which had functioned so marvellously, alone was a triumph for this country. Finally, he congratulated Sir Alan upon the well deserved honour which had been conferred upon him. He felt he would be an honour to the Order. Sir Alan Cobham, in responding, said he felt overwhelmed by the honour done him. He was afraid he did not agree with Lord 662
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