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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0075.PDF
January \6th. 1947 The flight deck of H.M.SFurious at one stage dur- ing its conversion from abattle-cruiser to an air- craft carrier. The machineon deck appears to be a late model of the famousShort 225—the first air- craft to carry a torpedo was not exceptional in 1917. Quite a number of pilots in the 1914-18 war were flying on "ops" with less than 15 hours to their credit. Having qualified, Milne was posted first to South Carlton T.D.S., and later on to No. 1 frighting School at Turn- berry. Like most pilots posted to flying training schools during wartime, Robert was soon the 1918 equivalent of '' browned off '' with instructing and applied for posting to an active-ser- vice squadron. However, he was nearly cheated, because it was September, 1918, before he joined No. 28 Squadron in Italy and flew Sopwith Camels (200 h.p. Bentley Rotary and two Vickers .303 guns) on only a few escort and fighter patrols before the armistice in November, 1918. Back in England he put in another short spell of in- structing and then went on to Leuchars, where the newly formed Royal Air Force was asking for Camel pilots to take a Fleet Fighter course. It was while Milne was at Leuchars that he took part in the " flying-off" trials on H.M.S. Furious, which was then a battle cruiser and had not yet been converted to an aircraft carrier. The Camels had divided fuselages, and the two parts were hoisted on to the take-off platform over the forward gun by crane, and bolted together. The following account by a naval officer writing to Flight in 1919 describes a take-off. " The method of release is effected by a ' quick release.' When about-to fly-off, the ship steams into the wind. The clamps are taken off the ailerons, elevators and rudder, and the quick-release attached. The pilot then starts his en- gine, and gradually works up to the maximum revolutions. When he waves his hand, the men holding on to the lead- ing edge of the lower plane let go and stand clear, and at another signal, usually dropping a flag, given by the executive officer, the A.M. (air mechanic) pulls sharply on the quick-release and thus frees the machine, when the Milne flying the prototype Miles Hawk trainer in 1935. It was the forerunnerof the well-known Miles Magister. pilot runs along and takes off from the platform. All the time when the engine is running, the quick-release alone holds the machine. A tail guide of about 2ft length keeps the tail from dropping at the start. The greatest length of run for taking off is not more than 30ft." Our correspondent omitted one of the most exciting parts of a "fly-off," and that was the horrid sink, to within 10ft of the sea, after leaving the end of the plat- form, before gathering full flying speed. The old hands, of course, were not alarmed at this, but the new boys at the game, of which Milne at that time was one, were inclined to pull the nose up too soon, with the obvious results. Milne learnt his lesson after one such ducking— he was pulled out of the water almost immediately by the attendant destroyer. Another feature of such a sea im- mersion was that if the ship's helmsman was not very alert, one stood an excellent chance of being run over by the ship and coming up amongst the propellers. After flying-off, the Camels were flown to a shore station where they were taken apart and re-transported to the Furious. Sinking in the Ooze Having completed his course, Robert went on the Russian campaign against the Bolsheviks for the next eleven months. He went to Copenhagen in the Furious and there transferred to the Vindictive for service in the Baltic. On one of the many patrols which he flew he was shot down by a Russian cruiser and force- landed on a Finnish islet. Spotting a piece of turf which looked ideal from the air, Milne was more than surprised when it turned out to be a bog into which his wheels sank and the Camel turned completely over. During the impact he received a blow in the face and his Perrins life-belt became inflated. He found himself upside down with blood pouring from his face, unable to move because of the inflated life-belt, and the whole machine gradually sink- ing into the ooze. Fortunately he was released in time by the local farmer. A futile campaign at an end, the Vindictive returned to England just in time to pay-off for Christmas. After a good spell of leave, Milne was given a short-service commission and posted as an instructor for the first course to be held at Cranwell College. For this purpose he was re-categorised by C. F. S. (then at Upavon) and was given a second A.i certificate. Altogether he spent some five years
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