In 1911, following the growth in early aviation activity, the War Office issued instructions for the School of Ballooning, which had originally been formed in 1888, to be expanded into a battalion. An order was issued on 28 February 1911 for the formation of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers effective 1 April the same year. The initial establishment was 14 officers and 150 other ranks. Officers could be selected from any branch of the service whereas other ranks were selected from the Corps of Royal Engineers.
Pilots had to already have earned a Royal Aero Club certificate from a private flying school. The GBP 75 charge for flight training was reimbursed only if the student passed the course.
No. 1 Company, at Farnborough, was equipped with airships and was under the command of Captain Edward Maitland, an experienced balloon and airship pioneer. He also helped pioneer the parachute and in 1913 made the first parachute jump from an airship.
No. 2 Company, at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain, was equipped with aeroplanes and was commanded by Captain John Fulton. A mechanical engineer from the Royal Field Artillery, Fulton had been an early enthusiast of military flying and had attended the world's first air show at Rheims in 1909. He had earned his pilot's certificate, number 27, on 15 November 1910.
On 17 September 1911, Lt. R.A. Cammell, R.E. was killed in the crash of a Valkyrie monoplane at Hendon airfield;[1] a 1922 account of the formation of the RAF states this was the only fatal accident in the Air Battalion.[2]
On 14 February 1912, Lt. Barrington-Kennet flew a government-bought aeroplane – a two-seater Nieuport monoplane with a 50 hp Gnome engine – 249.5 miles in 4 hours and 32 minutes, setting a record.[3]
Creation of the Royal Flying Corpsedit
In October 1911, Italy's use of aircraft in combat against the Ottoman Empire in Tripoli, Libya led to the formation of a sub-committee of the British Imperial Defence Staff to recommend policy for the future of British military flying. The committee recommended the formation of a separate flying corps and on 13 April 1912 the Royal Flying Corps was created, with the Air Battalion becoming its Military Wing on 13 May.[4]
Bertram Dickson – first British serviceman to fly in 1910, pre-dating the Air Battalion
Referencesedit
^The Passing of Lieut R.A. Cammell, R.E. Flight, 23 September 1911, p.830
^Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh; Henry Albert Jones (1922). The War in the Air: Being the Story of the Part Played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force ... Clarendon Press. p. 196.
battalion, royal, engineers, abre, first, flying, unit, british, armed, forces, make, heavier, than, craft, founded, 1911, battalion, 1912, became, part, royal, flying, corps, which, turn, evolved, into, royal, force, battalionfounded1, april, 1911countryukpar. The Air Battalion Royal Engineers ABRE was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier than air craft Founded in 1911 the battalion in 1912 became part of the Royal Flying Corps which in turn evolved into the Royal Air Force Air BattalionFounded1 April 1911CountryUKPart ofRoyal EngineersHeadquartersFarnborough AirfieldCommandersCommanderSir Alexander Bannerman Contents 1 Establishment 2 Structure and activities 3 Creation of the Royal Flying Corps 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEstablishment editIn 1911 following the growth in early aviation activity the War Office issued instructions for the School of Ballooning which had originally been formed in 1888 to be expanded into a battalion An order was issued on 28 February 1911 for the formation of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers effective 1 April the same year The initial establishment was 14 officers and 150 other ranks Officers could be selected from any branch of the service whereas other ranks were selected from the Corps of Royal Engineers Pilots had to already have earned a Royal Aero Club certificate from a private flying school The GBP 75 charge for flight training was reimbursed only if the student passed the course Structure and activities editThe battalion comprised two companies and a headquarters located at Farnborough The commander of the Air Battalion was Major Sir Alexander Bannerman No 1 Company at Farnborough was equipped with airships and was under the command of Captain Edward Maitland an experienced balloon and airship pioneer He also helped pioneer the parachute and in 1913 made the first parachute jump from an airship No 2 Company at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain was equipped with aeroplanes and was commanded by Captain John Fulton A mechanical engineer from the Royal Field Artillery Fulton had been an early enthusiast of military flying and had attended the world s first air show at Rheims in 1909 He had earned his pilot s certificate number 27 on 15 November 1910 On 17 September 1911 Lt R A Cammell R E was killed in the crash of a Valkyrie monoplane at Hendon airfield 1 a 1922 account of the formation of the RAF states this was the only fatal accident in the Air Battalion 2 On 14 February 1912 Lt Barrington Kennet flew a government bought aeroplane a two seater Nieuport monoplane with a 50 hp Gnome engine 249 5 miles in 4 hours and 32 minutes setting a record 3 Creation of the Royal Flying Corps editIn October 1911 Italy s use of aircraft in combat against the Ottoman Empire in Tripoli Libya led to the formation of a sub committee of the British Imperial Defence Staff to recommend policy for the future of British military flying The committee recommended the formation of a separate flying corps and on 13 April 1912 the Royal Flying Corps was created with the Air Battalion becoming its Military Wing on 13 May 4 No 1 Company became No 1 Squadron RFC on 1 April 1911 No 2 Company became No 3 Squadron RFC on 1 April 1911 and a detachment of No 2 Company became No 2 Squadron RFC on 13 May 1912 nbsp ASL Valkyrie nbsp Nieuport IV nbsp Breguet IIISee also editBertram Dickson first British serviceman to fly in 1910 pre dating the Air BattalionReferences edit The Passing of Lieut R A Cammell R E Flight 23 September 1911 p 830 Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh Henry Albert Jones 1922 The War in the Air Being the Story of the Part Played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force Clarendon Press p 196 Raleigh Jones 1922 pp195 196 Formation Royal Air Force Museum 13 November 2015 External links editRoyal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Aeronautics Royal Engineers Museum Origins of the Royal Flying Corps Royal Air Force Royal Engineers Museum Early British Military Ballooning 1863 Preceded bySchool of Ballooning Air Battalion1911 1912 Succeeded byRoyal Flying Corps Military Wing Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Air Battalion Royal Engineers amp oldid 1115451889, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
