Coalville flying sites
Note: This map only gives the location of Coalville town within the UK.
COALVILLE see also ASHBY ROAD
COALVILLE see also BELFRY HOTEL
COALVILLE: Balloon launching site
NOTES: In her book Women with Wings Mary Cadogan tells this story about Dolly Shepherd, the ‘Parachute Queen’ who worked as a 'Stuntist' for the French balloon and airship manufacturer Auguste Gaudron based at ALEXANDRA PALACE in north London.
“There were, of course, several occasions when Dolly narrowly escaped death or serious injury, landing on roof-tops, in trees or a barbed-wire fence; once her parachute failed to open until seconds before her impact with the ground, and her safe landing seemed liitle short of miraculous. Even worse than this ‘free fall’ was her experience on another ascent of ‘not being able to fall at all.’ In common with Gaudron’s other stuntists, Dolly travelled around the country for her performances.”
AN ASCENT FROM COALVILLE
“One day, taking off from Coalville on the outskirts of Leicester, she found that things did not go according to plan. She had by now been promoted to making solo ascents as well as solo drops, going up without the presence of a reassuring pilot. At 4000 feet she tugged at the ripping cord but, in spite of repeated attempts, could not get her parachute to detach itself from the balloon. There was no alternative for her but to wait until the balloon rose even higher, started to release gas through its neck and began its descent. To her horror, however, she suddenly realised the ‘The flap had blown inside the neck of the balloon, virtually sealing it.’ Would any gas be able to escape? …..Would she ever come down?”
“Suspended for several hours in the suddenly inhospitable skies, with her clutch on life mainly dependent on the strength of her grip on the trapeze bar, Dolly rose inexorably with the balloon to a height of around 15,000 feet.” I expect you can easily imagine the rest of the story and just how close Dolly came to death. In the end the balloon descended at Whissendine in RUTLAND, (about 50 nm due east of Coalville), and when Dolly got off it ascended again, to be found in the North Sea with the parachute still attached three days later. She was obviously blessed with fairly light winds on this occasion. A typical high pressure weather system being planted across England with excellent conditions for ballooning.
It is not easy to put a date to this escapade. Probably 1904 to 1906 is the best bet?
THE FIRST AERIAL PARACHUTE RESCUE
Dolly Shepherd achieved widespread fame shortly afterwards by effecting the first aerial parachute rescue. Typically to my frustration I cannot find any record of where this took place, or a date. Perhaps one day I’ll get around to reading her autobiography, “When The Chute Went Up” and hopefully discover these details. In the meantime I’ll offer an abridged version of the account by Mary Cadogan in her book Women with Wings.
"On this occasion Louie May was making her first ascent with Dolly Shepherd in the Mammoth which, constructed by Auguste Gaudron, was then the largest balloon seen in Britain. At 3000ft the two girls tried to pull the chords which would release their parachutes, but Louie’s had jammed. Attempts to free it failed and by 11,000ft Dolly feared that Louie probably couldn’t hang on to the trapeze for much longer. “She therefore attempted, and achieved, the first mid-air rescue to be recorded. Managing to transfer Louie from one parachute to another, the determined and experienced parachutist hurtled to earth carrying the full weight of her companion, whose arms and legs were wrapped around Dolly’s neck and waist.”
Dolly was badly injured in the landing, (it was feared she would never walk again), but incredibly recovered amazingly quickly and was back at work just eight weeks later. No surprise to learn that for Louie May, once was enough!
HER LAST FLIGHT?
Just one other comment. In 1976 at the age of 89 Dolly was invited to sit in the co-pilots seat during a demonstration by the Red Devils, (Airborne Regiment of the British Army), to see them leap out at 7000ft. The team included Jackie Smith, the only female member, which had great appeal to Dolly of course.
COALVILLE: Temporary aerodrome
NOTES: On the 13th September 1935 it appears that Sir Alan Cobham’s No.1 Tour displayed here. This must have been a major local event at the time but it seems to have disappeared from local history? However, does anybody know more?
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