FEATURES
There was an “in joke” at the time regarding the abundance of earwigs, so much so that in his farewell speech, the original Comdt, Cdre Sir Godfrey Paine said,
“…I know that you have had a good deal to contend with in the way of earwigs and the mud in winter, but at the same time there are a good many serving His Majesty the King who are not so comfortably housed as we are here…I shall have a very weak spot in my heart for Cranwell and all from here…”
Flying training was 24/7 and by 1918, there were usually around 20 aircraft training at different heights around the station. As Wg Cdr Townson describes:
“….much activity in the air as pilots were trained on a wide variety of types that included Sopwith Pups and Camels, DH 4s and 6’s, F. E’s with engine and propeller behind the pilot and twin engined Handley Page 0400’s. The air was filled with the stink of burnt castor oil and howl of rotary engines as the single-seat chappies practised aerobatics known as “stunts”. The crash rate was deplorably high due to the absence of dual controlled aircraft, brief and sketchy methods of instruction, unreliability of engines – and the over confidence that comes after an hour or two solo. There was no communication between ground and air and once airborne, the “sprogs” – and instructors too in some cases – were apt to show off their mastery of the air; or all too often their lack of it.”
College) Camps were formed and, as training expanded, so did the social and domestic activities on Station.
The Station Church was located in the gymnasium and was dedicated by the Bishop of Grantham on 20th August 1916. Yet it was the Cranwell village churchyard that became the resting place for casualties of flying accidents at RNAS Cranwell. Sqn Cdr Dalrymple-Clark was the first air casualty when his aircraft crashed into another aircraft in cloud. There were 49 casualties in all from RNAS Cranwell during the First World War.
26 Envoy Autumn 2014
The only time RNAS Daedalus went into action was during that summer. The Royal Engineers protecting the airfield fired on the Zeppelin; there are no records of whether they brought it down.
By 1917 RNAS Cranwell had developed into a complex training establishment; able to train pilots, observers, wireless operators, mechanics, engineers; it also had the Lighter- than-air-section. As it was the Navy’s nerve centre for aviation training, Cranwell was visited further by Zeppelins during 1917 – although no serious damage was caused.
There were numerous casualties and incidents. One such was when a DH9 lost power on take off. The pilot kept the aircraft straight and level, low and into wind. He landed the aircraft in the centre of the Station, with the fuselage between two huts and the wings resting their roofs.… The pilot and pupil were standing up in the cockpits as the aircraft glided onto the huts, both walked away from the crash and there was no fire!
The aircraft at Cranwell during 1918 included: • DH6 aircraft (used for first solos) • Avro 504 • DH9 and DH9A • Sopwith Pup • Sopwith Camel • Armstrong Whitworth • BE2C • RE8 • Handley Page 0/400 (hangared in special hangars situated near the Lighter-than-air section.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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