H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work

by Muriel Hawker

H. G. HAWKER

AIRMAN:

HIS LIFE AND WORK

HARRY GEORGE HAWKER, A.F.C.

Photo by]

[Swaine.

H. G. HAWKER, AIRMAN:

HIS LIFE AND WORK

By

MURIEL HAWKER

WITH A FOREWORD BY

Lt.-Col. J. T. C. MOORE-BRABAZON, M.C., M.P.

WITH FRONTISPIECE AND 24 ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON:

HUTCHINSON & CO.

PATERNOSTER ROW

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FOREWORD

By Lt.-Col. J. T. C. MOORE-BRABAZON, M.C., M.P.

I have been shown the great honour by Mrs. Hawker of being asked to write a Foreword to this book about her late husband. I can do nothing better than give the advice to all to read it, because, if they have followed aviation for some time back, they will live over again that heroic epoch when flight was really being made possible and will appreciate some of the difficulties and many of the successes that make the early days of aviation such a fascinating story; and if, on the other hand, they have only taken an interest in aviation lately, they will get conveyed to them from this book the atmosphere that pervaded the little community of enthusiasts who existed in the early days.

The figure of Hawker looms up large in the early days of aviation, and such was the man, that even after the war, with the hundreds of thousands of people that came into the movement, he still stood out a noteworthy figure.

His name will go down for all time coupled with others who gave their lives for the cause, such as Rolls, Grace, Cody.

It does indeed show a singular change in the mentality of the nation that the most popular sporting figures of recent times have been men whose prowess has been associated with their domination over machinery rather than animals. The bicycle was the instrument that first compelled the attention of all to a knowledge of mechanics, the motor-car demanded further knowledge on the subject, but it was not until the advent of the aeroplane that the imagination of the youth of this country was fired to appreciate the necessity for knowledge of mechanics.

Hawker, thirty years ago, was an impossibility, but when he died he was the idealised sportsman of the youth of the country, and it was rightly so. Modest in triumph, hard-working, a tremendous “sticker,” yet possessed of that vision without which no man can succeed, he stands out a figure whose loss we mourn even to-day, but whose life and career will serve as an example for others to attempt to follow.

J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon

July 4, 1922.

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PREFACE

With his words still fresh in my memory, that, should anything ever happen to him, the one thing to do was to get work which would occupy my mind, I took upon myself the task of writing my husband’s life. I have been encouraged by many letters from people suggesting my undertaking this work, and, thus encouraged, I present this book.

I make no apologies for the errors of style, the technicalities of which I know nothing, but I have tried in simple language to convey some idea of the great work and spirit of one who attempted much, and, although crowned by few successes, was never for one moment discouraged as a loser.

I leave others to judge the merits of his works, but I leave to no one but myself the disclosure of the real goodness of his nature. This book being, more or less, a record of his achievements, it has been difficult to convey any idea of his true worth, which did not stand in anything he did, but in the firmness with which he held to what he considered was right. This sense of honour, not cultivated but innate, kept the fame, which he earned, from detracting in any way from the integrity of his character, and he always remained to the end his cheery, unaffected self.

His buoyant nature did not admit of defeat. I have never seen him disheartened and never has he given in. He always did his very best, and was ever ready to try again when that best was not good enough.

At the height of his popularity he declined good financial offers for lecturing tours in England and the States, which would have kept him for the rest of his life. Money could not divert him from his calling.

His goodness of heart would never let him turn away anyone in distress, and, in this, lack of discrimination played a big part.

Many people came to the house after his attempt to fly the Atlantic, with pitiful tales of woe. One, a musician, who said he had fallen on bad times, wanted a loan of £10, stating that he was a member of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra, in which he played a mandoline. He got his £10, but I do not believe the mandoline has ever figured amongst the instruments in the Queen’s Hall Orchestra.

A few days later another musician, very probably a friend of the first, arrived, but Harry said he would not see him. However, he was so persistent that Harry saw him at last, and heard his tale, which was to the effect that unless he could get a certain sum of money he would be sold up the next day, and, rather than that, he intended taking his life that night, although he had a wife and child. With tears, he asked if his life was not worth the few pounds, which he would surely return within a month. He received his cheque, left some of his own compositions for me to try, which he said he would call for when he repaid his debt, and was never seen again.

It would seem that Harry’s perfections have been exploited and his imperfections ignored, but I find the first so easy, my pen willingly covering many pages, and the second, not irksome, since his very imperfections were interesting, but hard to define.

Before our marriage he warned me of his terrible temper, which, he said, appeared at intervals, making him for a short time an unapproachable individual, and advised me that on such occasions I should leave him completely alone. I never witnessed one of these outbreaks and doubt if they ever occurred. Fits of irritability would seize him, sometimes for little or no apparent cause, and at others under great provocation, and while they lasted he was a very trying companion. But he would not be irritated for long; and these, I think, must have been his fits of terrible temper.

If neglect of his financial responsibilities, through disinterestedness, was a fault, then he had a big one. He was as unmercenary as it is possible for a normal man to be. He liked to have money in order to procure the necessaries of his hobby, but the matter of procuring proper payment for the work he did he left entirely in the hands of those for whom he was working, to pay him what they thought fit. And having received the money, the proper investment of it he ignored, until he was reminded, leaving his money idle in the bank. In his last year of life he began to look at these things more seriously, as his outgoings had increased and his income diminished, and, with the responsibilities of a company under his own name, probably another year would have made him a different man—a business man perhaps, but never so great a man.

I should like to mention here a trouble we often encountered and which was a great worry to us both, however we tried to ignore it.

I refer to the people who persist in suggesting that a man with dependants should not continually risk his life unless they were securely provided for. How many a man has been asked upon marriage to give up his work, if it happens to be of a precarious nature, and the firm, instead of having made progress with the new partner, has decayed because that partner did not face the risks the old one was willing to sustain? Never will I understand why a man of a hazardous career should have to choose between that career and the comforts of his own home, and possible parenthood, because of a fearful dread of a premature parting which is allowed to exist.

Harry was a true optimist, and the way he came out of his many troubles warranted his optimism. It was so natural if he had a smash to know he was not hurt, or if he had any trouble it would be righted very quickly. This feeling is so real that, even now, apart from all religion, I know he has come up smiling somewhere and all is well with him.

MURIEL HAWKER.

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PREFATORY NOTE

(POST SCRIPTUM)

The production of this book has necessitated the collecting and sifting of a considerable amount of detail, particularly as regards the earlier chapters and those dealing with the Atlantic flight. In this and in the general plan of the book I have received considerable assistance from Mr. W. R. Douglas Shaw, F.R.S.A., who has rendered invaluable help in many ways through his wide knowledge of aeronautical matters.

This introduction would not be complete without my also acknowledging the help received from Lt.-Commander Mackenzie-Grieve, R.N., who has kindly read through the chapters dealing with the Atlantic flight; from Mr. Alan R. Fenn, formerly of the Sopwith Aviation Company, for details of Harry’s experiences at Villacoublay; from the authorities at Australia House in allowing me to consult their records, and from many others who have contributed in various ways to this work.

My acknowledgments are also due to the Press, on whose reports I have relied in many cases, and I would mention The Times, Morning Post, The Daily Mail, Temple Press, Iliffe & Sons, Flight, The Aeroplane, and particularly the kindness of the proprietors of the Melbourne Argus and Sydney Bulletin in giving me free access to their files of 1913-14.

MURIEL HAWKER.

May, 1922.

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CONTENTS

	PAGE
FOREWORD	[vii]
PREFACE	[ix]
PREFATORY NOTE	[xiii]
CHAPTER I EARLY STRUGGLES
Harry’s Parents—His Sisters and Brothers—Schooldays—Four Schools in Six Years—The Attraction of a Cadet Corps—Motor Work at Twelve Years of Age—The Expert of Fifteen—Managing a Fleet of Cars—First Desire to Fly—The Kindness of Mr. and Mrs. McPhee—Harry Meets Busteed—And Comes to England with Him—Kauper—Seeing London—Quest for Employment—A Job at Sevenpence per Hour—Another at Ninepence-Halfpenny—Thoughts of Returning to Australia—Forty Pounds in the Bank—Kauper Strikes Oil—And Helps Harry—Sigrist—How Harry was Happy on Two Pounds per Week—His First Flight—Reminiscences of Brooklands Days	[25]
CHAPTER II THE BRITISH DURATION RECORD
Harry’s Aversion to Publicity—Circumstances of His First Brooklands Associations—The Sopwith-Burgess-Wright Biplane—Harry’s Effort in a Quick-Starting Competition—Beating His Employer—Early Attempts for Michelin Laurels—A Real Success—Tuning-up for the Duration Record—Raynham Makes a Race—And Secures an Advantage—Raynham Lands after 7 hours 31½ minutes—And Holds the Record for an Hour or Two—Opportunity Knocks at Harry’s Door—And is Well Received—Harry Lands after 8 hours 23 minutes—To Him the Spoils—His Own Account of the Experience—A Reminiscence of Cody—The Significance of Harry’s Achievement—Other Flights at Brooklands—The Growth of a Pioneer Firm	[35]
CHAPTER III ABOUT ALTITUDE AND OTHER RECORDS
A Colleague’s Impression of Harry in 1913—Harry in the Passenger’s Seat—“Aerial Leap-Frog”—Competition Flights at Brooklands—Testing the First “Bat Boat”—End of the First “Bat Boat”—Harry as a Salesman-Demonstrator—Testing the Second “Bat Boat”—70 Miles per Hour in 1913—Asçent to 7,450 feet in 15 minutes—A Prize Flight—How Harry Deserted from a Race which He Won—How a Biplane Beat a Monoplane—More Seaplane Testing—The British Altitude Record—11,450 Feet—“Bravo, Hawker!”—A Journalist’s Tribute—Flying in a High Wind—To the Isle of Wight and Back	[53]
CHAPTER IV AMPHIBIANS—AND MORE HEIGHT RECORDS
An Amphibian of 1913—Harry Gets Up to 13,000 feet with a Passenger—Several Other Height Records—Three Climbs in One Day—The Progress of the Sopwith Enterprise—Several Types of Aeroplanes—And Seaplanes—Harry Wins the Mortimer Singer Prize—And Has Time to Spare—A Friendly Race with Hamel—A World’s Height Record—A Cross-Country Race—Preliminaries of the Round-Britain Seaplane Flight—Conditions Governing the Daily Mail £5,000 Prize	[63]
CHAPTER V FIRST ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN
The Task of the Flight Round Britain—And the Machine for the Job—Public Interest in the Pilot—“Good Luck!”—The Night Before the Start—A Mayor’s Early Call—And the Sequel—The Scene at the Start—To Ramsgate at Sixty Miles per Hour—An Aerial Escort—The Ramsgate Cup—Fog in the Thames Mouth—To Yarmouth in Next to No Time—Harry Collapses—Pickles Relieves Him—And Meets with Misfortune—Starting All Over Again	[77]
CHAPTER VI SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY ROUND BRITAIN
Harry Recovers—And Takes Charge Again—An Early Start—Almost Unseen by the Starter—Thick Fog—Behind Time at Ramsgate—An Explosion—A Favourable Breeze—But Bumpy Air off Cromer—Scarborough—A Forced Landing—Five Hundred Miles in a Day—Resting at Beadnell Overnight—The Second Day—A Spiral Glide at Aberdeen—A Terrible Journey to Oban—The Third Day—A Water-logged Float—Another Forced Landing—Ireland—“A Piece of Ghastly Bad Luck”—Kauper Goes to Hospital	[93]
CHAPTER VII A BIG CHEQUE, AN AERIAL DERBY, AND OTHER EVENTS
Echoes of the Seaplane Flight—Mr. Winston Churchill’s Views—Back to Work—The £1,000 Cheque—And a Gold Medal from Margate—The Carping Critic—And the Reply he Received—An Expedition to Eastchurch—Lost in the Air—Racing a Powerful Monoplane—An Exciting Aerial Derby—Hamel’s Bad Luck—Harry Finishes Third—And in the Sealed Handicap is Fourth—A Bad Crash at Hendon—Other Races—Michelin Efforts Again—Harry’s Bad Luck—He Puts Up Some Wonderful Flights—A Headache in the Air	[103]
CHAPTER VIII THE PROTOTYPE OF THE FIGHTING SCOUTS
Harry’s Stroke of Genius—Ninety Miles per Hour with an 80 h.p. Gnome—When German Interests were at Brooklands—The Real Value of “Stunting”—A Biplane that Exceeded Expectations—When Hendon was Surprised—Construction of the Tabloid—Contemporary Sopwith Products—In Harry’s Absence—Pixton Pilots a Tabloid to Victory—A £26,000 Ante-Bellum Aviation Company—Mr. Rutherford—Another Type of Genius—One of Harry’s Records Broken—An Australian Poem—Death of Hamel	[119]
CHAPTER IX AERIAL PROPAGANDA IN AUSTRALIA
Back to Australia—Harry Expresses Some Views—Australian Air Policy—He Speaks of Stabilising Devices—A Reminiscence of the Round-Britain Seaplane Flight—A Civic Welcome—Harry’s Father Speaks—Assembling the Tabloid—First Flight in Australia—Preparations for Flight—Flying from a Street—An Object Lesson at Government House—Harry Dispels a Fallacy—And Speaks about Whirling Propellers—A Flying Call on the Governor-General—Interrupts a Game of Tennis—What the Governor-General Thought of Harry—Old Melbourne Friends Fly—The Australian Press—Enterprising Lady Passengers—Passengers pay £3 per Minute—Curious Attitude of an Association Official—Organisation of a Big Public Flying Exhibition—Harry’s Views on Flying—A Crowd of 25,000—Is Difficult to Handle—And Affects Harry’s Programme—An Accident—Without Serious Consequences—The Minister of Defence Ascends 3,500 Feet	[133]
CHAPTER X AERONAUTICAL ADVANCEMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Harry’s Proposals for Aerial Defence—Seeing Under Water from the Air—A Crowd of 20,000—A Governor-General Ascends 4,000 Feet—And a Governor’s Daughter Goes Up Too—Stunts—Rumours of Looping—Another Accident	[155]
CHAPTER XI A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS
Harry’s First Loops—Flying to Manchester—Harry is Taken Ill in the Air—He Returns and Lands Safely—And Collapses—An Extraordinary Accident—A Very Narrow Escape	[163]
CHAPTER XII SOME WAR-TIME EXPERIENCES
Testing Production Machines—The Distinguished General and the Camel—The Boredom of Old-Fashioned Transport—And How it was Remedied on One Occasion—Testing a Doubtful Machine—Harry Gives Expert Criticism—And Predicts the Performance of a Four-Engined Aeroplane	[171]
CHAPTER XIII A MOTORING HONEYMOON
Harry to the Rescue—A Game of Cards—Keeping an Appointment—Twenty-four Hours too Early!—A Provisional Engagement—Marriage—Gas-bag Motoring—A Strained Back—Faith in Christian Science	[181]
CHAPTER XIV BUILDING A 225 H.P. MOTOR-CAR
Harry Buys Two Aero Engines—And a Mercèdes Chassis—Structural and Starting Problems—Myself as Rivet-driver—We Start the Engine—And I Stop It—On the Road—Shows Clean Heels to Big American Car—And Tows a Rolls—Harry in His Home Workshop	[193]
CHAPTER XV READY FOR THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT
Conditions Governing the Flight—Arrival in Newfoundland—Mount Pearl Farm—Snowed Up—The Test Flight—Local Interest Intense—Wireless Difficulties—Details of the Atlantic—An Aerial Lifeboat—Clothing of the Trans-Atlantic Airmen—Estimates and Anticipations—Over a Ton of Fuel—A Letter for the King—An Inspection by the Governor—Storms—Prospects of a Race—Revising Plans—Grieve—Navigation Problems and Methods—Weather Forecasts—A New Starting-ground—Nervous Tension—The Aviators are Amused by Their Correspondence—A Would-be Aerial Bandsman—False Weather Reports—Services of the Air Ministry—Weather-bound at St. Johns—Harry’s Confidence—Four Magnetos and a New Propeller—Address from the Mayor of St. Johns	[203]
CHAPTER XVI 1,000 MILES OVER THE ATLANTIC
Signalling Arrangements—Temperament—A Press Tribute—The American Attempt—Just Before the Start—Parting Messages—The Start—“Poor Old Tinsydes!”—Dropping the Undercarriage—Out of Sight of Land in Ten Minutes—Over the Fog—Four Hours Above a Sea of Clouds—Grieve’s Method of Navigation—Weather Not as Forecasted—Taking the Drift through a Hole in the Clouds—400 Miles Out—Cloud Banks and a Gale—After 5½ Hours—Over-heating Radiator—What was the Cause?—The Only Possible Remedy—Is Effective at First—At 10,000 Feet—Giants of Nature 15,000 feet High—A Side-wind that Became a Gale—Flying “Crabwise”—Losing Height—Clouds, Darkness, and a Doubtful Time—Nearly Down to the Sea—Dawn—Sea-sick—Looking for a Ship—The Mary—The Rescue—Up to the Knees in the Sea—Captain Duhn—Sighting St. Kilda and the Butt of Lewis—A Famous Signal—“Is it Hawker?”—“Yes”—The Navy’s Guests—The Civic Welcome at Thurso	[225]
CHAPTER XVII MY OWN REMINISCENCES OF THE ATLANTIC FLIGHT
I Wait for News—The Americans Start—I Hear Harry has Started—And I Put out the Flags—No News Next Morning—Fate is Unkind and Brings a False Report—Which, Contradicted, Delivers a Paralysing Blow—No Further News—“All Hope Abandoned”—Good News—Peace of Mind Once More—Everybody Happy—The King Telegraphs Congratulations—I Go to Meet Harry at Grantham—Harry’s Triumphal Progress to Grantham—Together Once More—Harry Rides a Horse through London—“Escape” from the R.AeC.—Celebrations at Ham—Fireworks at Hook	[253]
CHAPTER XVIII AFTER THE ATLANTIC ATTEMPT
Harry and Grieve Receive a Royal Command—The King and Queen and Prince Albert Hear their Story—The Air Force Cross—Comedy of a Silk Hat—A Cheque for £5,000—Is Nearly Lost—The Daily Mail Luncheon—General Seely Delivers Official Congratulations—Harry Replies—And Grieve—Tributes to Lord Northcliffe—Another Luncheon, also at the Savoy, on the Following Day—Royal Aero Club as Host—An Appropriate Menu—The Derelict Atlantic is Recovered—Harry is Pleased	[271]
CHAPTER XIX MOTOR RACING
Harry Turns to Motor-racing—Successful Début at Brooklands—Why I Stayed at Home—The 250 h.p. Sunbeam Touring Car Takes Second Place—When the 450 h.p. Racer Comes on the Scene—Harry Drives the Largest Car in the World—A Terrible Crash—Without Serious Consequences—Back to the Air—The R.A.F. Tournament—Reunion of Pioneer Aviators—Eleventh-Hour Entry for the Aerial Derby—Second Place, but Disqualified—A Very Busy Month—Aeroplane Trials at Martlesham—British International Motor-boat Trophy at Cowes—More Motor-racing at Brooklands—His Aeroplane Enables Harry to be (nearly) in Three Places at Once—Harry “Brings Home” a £3,000 Prize for the Sopwith Company at Martlesham—I Decide that Motor-racing is Too Risky—And Fate Deprives Harry of a Race—Motor-boat Racing—Racing an A.C. Light Car—And a D.F.P.—The Gordon-Bennett Air Race of 1920—Bad Luck—The 450 h. p. Sunbeam Again	[291]
CHAPTER XX MOTOR ENGINEERING AND RACING
Formation of the Hawker Engineering Company—The Racing A.C.—Amusing Experiences—Remarkable Performances Due to Efficient Streamlining—Several Records Broken—An Accident—The Hawker Two-stroke Motor-cycle	[309]
CHAPTER XXI THE PASSING OF A BRAVE AVIATOR	[317]