“Still less is there jealousy on the part of the Royal Air Force, for whom I am entitled to speak to-day. The presence of General Sykes, fresh from injuries sustained in a landing a little less fortunate than yours, though not so far from safety, testifies to one side of our organisation. General Trenchard, whom you know as Chief of the Air Staff, but better still, perhaps, as Commander of the Independent Air Force, to whom we owe so much for the victory we gained, asked me to say on his behalf, and on behalf of the Royal Air Force, that he hoped you, Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve, would accept a message from him—a characteristic, simple message:
General Seely continued: “On behalf of every officer in the Royal Air Force, I can say they are proud of your achievement, and that they rejoice that His Majesty the King was pleased to-day to give to each of you the Royal Air Force Cross for distinct acts of gallantry in the air.
“I think I disclose no secret when I say that it was due to His Majesty’s direct intervention that all difficulties as to time and precise statutes and other difficulties and red tape were swept away in order that he, the head of the State, the head of our great Empire, might to-day present to you this coveted distinction for acts of gallantry.
“These are two good men we are honouring to-day. Mr. Hawker, as I was told by one best qualified to know, by his technical and practical knowledge, by his nerve, skill, and gallantry in deciding every type of new invention during the war, contributed in the first degree to produce those wonderful machines which helped us to gain supremacy over the enemy. He may well be proud of that war record. Then there is Commander Grieve, of the ‘Silent Service,’ who served with his comrades in the Royal Navy, and always with distinction.
“They have rightly had a welcome; they filled our hearts with joy because there was a happy ending to this glorious adventure with such possibilities in the future. They dared and did a great thing, but in the hearts of us all we rejoice, Mrs. Hawker, that your husband was brought back to you from the jaws of death.
“On behalf of the Air Ministry I am privileged to hand you this scrap of paper. It is a very real scrap of paper. It contains not only a generous gift from a man to whom the whole of aviation owes so much—and whom we hope shortly to see restored to health—but it is also an emblem of the thoughts of your country for a gallant deed done for the honour of your country. I congratulate you, Mr. Hawker and Commander Grieve.”
Amid loud and prolonged cheers, General Seely then handed The Daily Mail cheque for £5,000 to Harry and Grieve. The cheque was the joke of the luncheon, for when it was all over Harry and Grieve were so busy signing autographs that they forgot all about it, until General Seely cried out, “What about this scrap of paper?”
Harry had an enthusiastic reception. Blushing and stammering slightly, he expressed his thanks for the handsome gift, and caused great amusement by alluding to his feat as a feeble effort which any one of the company would have performed in the same circumstances.
“When the Americans started,” he said, “Raynham and I determined to proceed by way of the Azores also, as the wind was in favour of a journey by that route. But on Sunday week there was a change in the conditions, and I set off by the direct route. Unfortunately Raynham was unable to rise.