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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1240.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 27, 1981 of horsemen carrying tom-toms. The Sheikh of Bornu and his Council were grouped in a tent bedecked with gay colours and rich carpets, while the British people were in a second tent near by. The Bornu people seem to be very wealthy compared to other people in West Africa ; but they are unspoiled by civili- sation. It is the custom for them to salute a British person by sit- ting an their haunches, with their heads bowed to the ground. We once delivered the Sheikh of Bornu from a tyrannous over- lord, and he and his people are grateful. The next stop was Kano, which was reached on October 23. A track which can be used by cars in the dry weather leads through the jungle from Maidugari to Kano, and this is followed by aeroplanes also. Kano was the terminus of the first flight to West Africa, and the aerodrome there is now well established. It can be seen clearly in the photo- graph which we reproduce. Kano is the most important town in Northern Nigeria, and there, too, a great welcome always awaits the annual flight of R.A.F. air- craft. It is, for the natives at least, and probably for the Euro- peans, too, the great event of the year The flight spent a week there: Probably there was some overhauling to be done, and there were certainly many dinners to be eaten. No doubt sport of some sort was enjoyed, perhaps polo, perhaps shooting, or both. The Emir of Kano rules a population of some 3,000,000 souls. On November 1 the flight pro- ceeded to Katsina, in the extreme north-west of Kano province, and right on the border of French territority. The Emir of Katsina gained his present dignified posi- tion by his business enterprise. Sqd. Ldr. Howard-Williams tells story as follows. " Manythe MAIDUGARI: A town in Northern Nigeria where the annual flight of the R.A.F. is always given a great reception. The natives of this part are very prosperous and their bright clothes and their horse-drummers make a brave show.(Crown Copyright Photo.) years ago a company of soldiers was ambushed at Sokoto, would have been well worth while if it had been possible ana was told to retire on Katsina. Two days out the to get through to Gambia and Sierra Leone. Presumably company was ordered back, and arrived at Sokoto to find the Gold Coast was now out of the question in any case, toat the barracks had been looted and partly destroyed. as Ouagadougou was the junction aerodrome from which ine commander decided that another fort was essential. the flight was to have turned south for Accra. The ques- ts ?HK to&ether the Emir and the chiefs, only to be tion about this Timbuctu route was whether sufficient told that they did not think they could get enough men, petrol and oil would be available along it, and these doubts nor could they build the fort within a reasonable time. proved to have been well founded. While at Sokoto it h tu council was over a third and rather junior was definitely ascertained that fuel was not available on sheikh came in to say that he would promise six thousand the alternative route, and so, with the greatest reluctance, men and would build the fort in five days, on the condi- the Air Commodore had to decide to cancel the flight, tion that he and his men should be allowed to live inside He knew that the people in the other three colonies for fear of reprisals. He carried out his promise, and would be grievously disappointed, and the great demon- later Decamp th« F.mir «f !*%,+=;„., " stration of linking up all the colonies by air must be left for a future occasion. None the less, from Sokoto three of the four Faireys flew on to Niamey up the Niger River, in French territory. Possibly this was a personal visit became e Emi o Katsina. On November 3 the flight left Katsina for Sokoto, capital city of a district of the same name, which is the most north-westerly district in Nigeria. There all the ambitious plans of this expedition had to be altered. It by the Air Commodore to a French Governor, and the was while the flight was at Kano that bad news was re- " r ' " ' " " " '""'" J: ' '"" "~:~~ ceived from the Governor General of Senegal at Dakar, reporting that the flight would be unable to land at question of fuel may have been finally discussed with him. The three machines then returned to Sokoto, and on November 6 the whole four flew back to Kano. On the Ouagadougou, in the province of Upper Volta, owing to a 8th they reached Maidugari, on the 11th Fort Lamy and recent outbreak of yellow fever. Air Commodore Peel ' " ^ : -- iL- "^ ™ ------ —J — Ross at once informed the Air Ministry of this. The route planned had been from Sokoto to Niamey, Ouaga- dougou, then south through Tamule to Accra, in Gold Coast ; then back to Ouagadougou, and through Bamako and Kankan to Freetown ; then north to Tamba Counda and down to Bathurst in Gambia. He applied to the French authorities for permission to follow an alternative route through Gao, Timbuctu, and Segou. This would have meant a very long detour to the north, but that Ati, on the 12th Geneina, on the 14th El Fasher, and on the 15th El Obeid and Khartum. From there the route back down the Nile is so well known that no further reference to it is necessary. From the technical flying point of view, this flight can be accounted a success. No. 45 (Bomber) Squadron may be congratulated on their feat, and so may the Fairey and Napier firms for their share in it. Next year we look forward to hearing that the full programme of visiting Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and Gambia has been successfully carried out. 1170
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