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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0870.PDF
NOVEMBER 25, 1926 FELIXSTOWE CONSTRUCTORS' DINNER FROM the enthusiasm displayed at the first Annual Con- Mr. Cowlin, in supporting the CO. in the toast of " The structors' Dinner, arranged by Wing Commander R. B. Guests," said he hoped the precedent set by that meeting Maycock. O.B.E., and the officers, Royal Air Force, Felix- might be continued annually for years and years, the toast stowe, last week, there can be little doubt that the first gathering is not likely to be the last, and that the second and followers are more likely to outgrow the capacity of Felixstowe Messroom. Originality was the order of the day in several directions, although possibly some of the ragging during thy evening was arepetition and elaboration of past being received with musical honours. Mr. Fairey, in opening the responses, expressed on behalf of the guests their appreciation and gratitude for all that Felixstowc Air Station was doing for aviation in general and the constructors. The constructors were a very much misunderstood class. As a fact, they were all working f.ir the customs and experiences. The Messroom was cleverly arranged benefit of aviation and its future without a tinge of jealousy in the guise of an old English Tavern, even down to the sawdust " sanded " floor, the menu being in keeping, and the guests found set out round the board a " double-headed " table planned in the form of a dumb-bell, with an ominous array of tankards, besides old English wine glasses, which gave a hint of what was later expected of those partaking of the generous hospitality of the station. There was the roast beef of old England, home-brewed ale, and what not, besides the wines of France and Portugal, and as a finishing touch with the latter, follow- ing honour to the King, a batch of real churchwarden pipes and tobacco jars- amply filled—were quietly placed alongside guests and hosts. " Carving hosts " were distributed at intervals round the table, each with his quota of " guests," and so the old-style idea was further exemplified. During the dinner music, appro- priate and in keeping (and otherwise) to the idea of the ancient hostelry, discoursed by an entirely voluntary R.A.F. band, tried ineffec- tually to drown the heartily expressed enjoyment of all those present. But with the entrance with the coffee of the pipers, who circled the dining room several times, even the most stentorious of talkers had to cry a tem- porary halt. Irrespective of the exhilarating effect, this little interlude more than served its purpose dur- ing the evening by giving opportunity for humorous reference to several speakers who voiced their appreciation of this ancient instrument in varying degrees. During the dinner itself an unbroken running fire of hilarious fun was the order of the " day," the spontaneous effect of a camaraderie which was delightful to witness. With the hosts, from the CO. downwards, there was but one thought, the enjoyment of their guests. Possibly the only inhospitable action was the insistence upon the poor press representatives taking their turn in a round robin of 5-minute speeches. CO. Wing Commander R. B. Maycock opened the after- dinner proceedings by giving a hearty welcome for the first time in their own'" Home " to all their old friends. It was the first occasion, he said, the unit had launched out in a gathering of this sort—possibly because at Felixstowe they had hitherto felt a little out of the limelight, but now, through the advent of the seaplane, they had come right into the picture, which he thought would justify this departure. THE FELIXSTOWE CONSTRUCTORS' DINNER: The Menu Card between each other. After the war they had all had a dis- astrous and strenuous time to keep going at all, but most of those who were real constructors had by one means or another managed to exist by taking on temporarily any odd job that might nil the gap for keep- ing their works going until better times and apprecia- tion of aviation came along —which reminded him of an inquiry as to what one firm was rilling up with, and when told they were making coffins, the further query was " what engine art- they putting in ? " Mr. Handley Page humorously filled up his five minutes, and seriously con- sidered that aviation had now entered into the ordinary uses of life. Following Mr. Oswald Short, Commander Bird proposed the toast of " The President and Officers of R.A.F., Felixstowe Sta- tion," which was, needless to say, musically honoured, and amongst others who more or less respected their respective 5 minutes' speech limit were Major Buchanan, Mr. Parnall, Mr. Robert Blackburn, Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Folland, Mr. J. Lord, Mr. Winter and Mr. Frank Courtney. An adjournment was then made to the anterooms, where further pleasantries were indulged in, whilst, appropriate to the old-time atmosphere of the evening,, steaming bowls of punch appeared upon the scene about midnight. Altogether, Mr. President,. Vice-President and gentle- men, a grand evening. Guests and hosts present included Sqdn.-Ldr. Wood- house, Sqdn.-Ldr. M. Wright, Sqdn.-Ldr. Rea, Sqdn.-Ldr. Slatter, Flight-Lieuts. Sawyer, Gray, Staton, Massey, Wilkin- son, Crimper, Chick, Hunter, Hackney, Hatcher, Brook, Courtney, Cross, Flying Officers Stocken, Wardle, Usher, Stafford, Goadsby, Clemens, Dipple, Martin, Ballantyne, Worsley, Soper, Horwood, P. O. Amy. Commander J. Bird, Major J. S. Buchanan, Major Bumpus, Capt. Norman McMillan, Capt. C. E. Nightingale, Capt. Bennett Baggs, Capt. C. W. Lamb, Messrs. A. J. A. Wallace Barr, H. Biard, R. Blackburn, H. Bolas, L. P. Coombes, F. E. Cowlin, C. R. Fairey, H. P. Folland, C. G. Grey, W. L. Jackson, W. Lanachberry, W. Lappin, John Lord, R. J. Mitchell, W. Nickolson, C. E. R. Osman, F. Handley Page, W, L. Parker, George Parnall, J. D. Rennie, Oswald Short, Stanley Spooner, G. G. H. Winter. No. 3 Squadron, R.F.C., and No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, R.A.F., Annual Reunion Dinner THE third reunion dinner of the above will be held at the Trocadero on Wednesday, December 1 next, at 7.45 p.m. for 8 p.m. Air Marshal Sir J. M. Salmond, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., A.D.C., in the chair. Tickets 12s. 6d., obtainable at the dinner. Royal Air Force Flying Accident THE Air Ministry regrets to announce that as the result of an accident at Kenley, Surrey, to a D.H.9A., of No. 24 Squadron, Kenley, on November 22, Flight-Lieut. Felix St. John Woollard, A.F.C., the pilot of the aircraft, was killed, and Flying Officer Frederic Laing Collison was seriously injured and died shortly afterwards. 770
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