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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0778.PDF
OCTOBER 6, 1927 AIR COUNCIL SCHNEIDER LUNCHEON ON Tuesday, October 4, an official luncheon was given by the Air Council to the British Schneider Trophy team at the Savoy Hotel. Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for Air (in the chair), proposed the toast of " The British Schneider Cup Team and the Winning Pilot." He said that a year ago almost to a day they were gathered together to do honour to a British civilian pilot, Sir Alan Cobham, upon his return from a remarkable flight across the Empire. That day they were there to offer a hearty welcome and congratulations to a team of British service pilots who had won the blue ribbon of the air and brought back to England a trophy that was coveted by every great country of the world. In the toast of the team he included not only the com- manding officer, Air Vice-Marshal Scarlett, not only the winning pilot, Flight-Lieut. Webster, not only all the pilots and technical officers who have had a share in the enterprise, but all those in addition who had helped to make success possible—the designers of the machines and the engines, the men in the shops who worked upon them, the members of the Aero Club who co-operated with the Air Force, the officers and men of the Royal Navy who gave such valuable assistance, and last, though not least, the officials of his own department, the Air Ministrv, who from Sir John Higgins downwards set themselves the task of organising victory. From start to finish the work had been team work, the spirit that had inspired it had been the team spirit, the victory that had been achieved was a team victory. Long may that team spirit be maintained, whether it be in the field of inter- national rivalry or whether it be in the daily development of flying in this country ! In recent years, for one reason or another, we had not made a habit of winning international events. Whilst he was not one of those who regarded that failure as in any way evidence of the country's decadence, he could not disguise his delight now that victory had at last smiled upon us, after a period of long and sustained exertion, and after a contest with the most formidable, and at the same time the most sporting, team that other countries could produce. In the past there had been international competitions that had left behind them feelings of jealousy and bitterness. No shadow marred the bright picture of friendly rivalry. Not a single difference of opinion between the teams. He thanked our Italian friends not only for the splendid hospitality that they lavished upon their British guests, but also for the sportsmanship that they showed in every incident connected with the race. To Signor Mussolini and General Balbo, in particular, he offered most grateful thanks. To Signor Mussolini, the statesman who with an eagle eye long ago saw the future of the air, and to General Balbo, his brilliant lieutenant, who had set other Ministers an example difficult to follow, for he had added to the laurels of the politician the wings of the pilot. He was glad to say, in passing, that his expert advisers were unanimous in attaching great value to the lessons that we had learnt from the development of these racing machines. Two broad results, moreover, emerged from the contest that had taken place and from the record that had been achieved. Firstly, the races showed in a conclusive manner the great progress that had been made in the air during a very short space of time. A few years ago a speed of 45 miles an hour was sufficient to win the cup. This year the two winning machines reached more than six times that speed. Secondly, the victory also marked another stage in the triumph of the human hand and the human brain over the brute forces of nature. Many would have said that in this contest man would meet more than his match ; that the human frame could not stand the strain of a race like the Schneider Cup ; that the Napier " Lion " engines could not hold out ; that the Supermarine machines would break into pieces. Yet there today was the winning team, victorious over- their rivals, but victorious also over the formidable obstacles of nature, fit and well, with the three British machines as fit and well as themselves. The designers had gained another victory by increasing the strength and yet reducing the weight of their engines and machines. The pilots had shown that the young English- man, well trained in body and mind, as hard as nails, as steady as a rock, could achieve feats of skill and endurance that former generations would never have imagined possible. These young men were typical of the Service in which they are officers. Keen-minded, physically fit, ready for every emergency, playing together as a team, it was they and others like them who in the space of a few years had built up a great tradition and given the British Air Force its unrivalled position in the world. This room today was filled with officers possessing these qualities. Close by were not only the pilots of the winning team, but also those four officers— Carr, Gillman, Mackworth, and Dearth—who earlier in the year made a gallant attempt at another and no less difficult record. Through no fault of their own they failed. One of these days they will succeed and add another to the laurels of the Force. Today they welcomed the Schneider Cup team as the embodiment of the nerve and enterprise of the Force. Addressing Flight-Lieut. Webster, Sir Samuel said he had already a fine record in the Service and had already been decorated for conspicuous flying services. He was proud to be the mouthpiece of the nation in offering him and his brother officers these congratulations. He was even prouder to be the mouthpiece of His Majesty the King in informing him that he was instructed to convey to him by word of mouth His Majesty's congratulations already sent to him by tele- gram, and to say that as a mark of his appreciation of his achievement the King had approved a bar to the A.F.C. that he already held. He coupled the toast with the names of Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett and Flight-Lieut. S. N. Webster. Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett said how proud he was at the selection of the team which consisted of not only the pilots, but representatives of the Royal Aero Club, the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, etc. Perhaps some might say a cosmopolitan crew, but they all worked un- ceasingly in one team spirit without a word of grumble to bring back the Trophy—as a Team—and he felt that they could be satisfied that they did thereby contribute to winning the race. Squadron-Leader Slatter, who commanded the team, he specially commended, as although he was able to fly the machines as well as anyone he had to forgo the privilege as he—the speaker—selected him to take over the organisation so admirably perfect in its every detail, with the consequence that everything followed to victory without a hitch. Slatter was, in fact, to be condoled with because he was an organiser of a high order. His especial thanks were also due to Major Buchanan and Lt.-Col. Mervyn O'Gorman for their great assistance and advice in matters continually cropping up. It was a pleasure to work with them. In regard to our cornering in the race, this was a surprise for our opponents. On the- corners our machines simply shot ahead, and had our airmen been flying machines of the same speed as our oppo- nents, that cornering would have won us the race. Webster. Worsley and Kinkead proved themselves great pilots, the latter, under the circumstances of his flight, putting up a most extraordinary show. Flight.-Lieut. Webster, speaking on behalf of the Pilots— their team of four— said the victory was not an individual one—it was the Team that secured the Trophy—he hap- pened to be the pilot who was given the fastest machine and he did no more than anyone else would have done. The liaison between the contractor and the Service had been perfectly wonderful. He was sorry to have to come back from Italy leaving behind such good fellows as the mechanics. He would have liked to have them with the pilots when they arrived at Croydon. As to the Italian pilots, they were the finest sportsmen one could ever hope to meet. (Cheers). He thanked them very sincerely for the reception they had given them that day. Sir Samuel Hoare then said he had asked Signor Gl. Guidoni to convey to Signor Mussolini and Gen. Balbo the expression of appreciation and sportsmanship which had that day been given voice to by the gathering' The meeting closed with a vote of thanks, with three cheers, to the chairman, proposed by Maj.-Gcn. Seeley. Those who accepted invitations to be present included, besides the Chairman, The Rt. Hon. Sir Samuel Hoare, Bart., G.B.E., C.M.G., M.P., Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett, C.B., D.S.O., Air Vice-Marshal Sir John F. A. Higgins, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., A.F.C., Sqdn.-Ldr. L. H. Slatter, O.B.E., D.S.C., D.F.C., Fit-Lieut. S. N. Webster, A.F.C., Fit-Lieut. O. E. Worsley, Fit-Lieut. S. M. Kinkead, D.S.O., D.S.C., D.F.C, F/O. H. M. Schofield, His Grace the Duke of Sutherland, Sir Philip A. G. D. Sassoon, Bart., G.B.E., General Alessandro Guidoni, C.B.E., Maj.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. J. E. B. Seely, C.B., Air Marshal Sir John M. Salmond, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip W. Came, K.C.B., D.S.O., Sir Walter F. Nicholson, K.C.B., The Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Geddes, The Rt. Hon. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., Colonel J. T. C- 700
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