Larkhill
LARKHILL see also ROLLESTONE CAMP
LARKHILL: Early aerodrome and now part of a Military Flying Area
(originally spelt LARK HILL & aka SALISBURY PLAIN)
Note: Picture by the author. I am indebted to Tim, (see comments below), for pointing out that this picture is of the balloon hangars at ROLLESTONE CAMP, quite so.
I have heard that the British & Colonial hangars still exist. Is this correct? If so can anybody kindly provide a location and a picture.
Note: These pictures, (attributed to Bristol), were scanned from the most excellent book, British Aviation - The Pioneer Years, by Harald Penrose, first published in 1967. The main point to remember is that the Bristol & Colonial Company had set up a flying school here, a year before the Army aeroplane trials were held in 1912. Army officers could, at their own expense, learn to fly at this school.
Note: This fabulous picture was sent to me in September 2016 by Pauline Tyrell, the secretary of the Freshwater and Totland Archive Group. Without much doubt these early aviators are grouped in front of a Bristol Boxkite with the Bristol and Colonial shed seen behind.
However, I am having trouble deciphering the names listed, apart from Gordon-England who is probably in the pilots position? Can anybody kindly help here?
A MOST SINGULAR FLIGHT IN 1911
I have Mr Michael T Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' to thank for doing this research, and providing the maps.
On the 12th April 1911, Mr Graham Gilmour departed from the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company's Flying School with a Bristol Military Biplane, (Soon to be named the 'Boxkite'), powered by a 50hp rotary Gnome engine at 07.30, with Mr Gordon England to act as engineer, soon after Mr England had passed his pilots test. Their destination was Hinton St George in Somerset, some fifty miles away in a straight line, but, it took them two days to get there, via several stops.
I have made similar flights one hundred years later - albiet over somewhat longer distances. In those days the techniques for aerial navigation were still to be discovered. They had no maps worth a mention, (even if they had a means to read them), no compass, no flight instruments, and pretty much relied on pure luck to get there. They went astray on the first leg, landing at FRYERN COURT near Fordingbridge, where they were, it appears, entertained to breakfast by Mr and Mrs Norris.
It needs to be remembered that the London to Manchester air race, sponsored by the Daily Mail had taken place the previous year with a massive amount of help for navigation along the way. Such as the railway companies painting their rail sleepers white to point the way. Gilmour and England had so such aids, but a lot of advance planning had been made.
Military users: Venue for the Military Trials in August 1912
This amazing picture was scanned from John Fabbs excellent book Flying and Ballooning - from old photographs. His caption is: "Members of the Army Flying Corps on Salisbury Plain during manoeuvres, August 1912. It is recorded that there were 'no fewer than 10 flyers in the air at one time soaring and swooping."
Can anybody kindly give advice on this? Given the task of appraising the suitability of the entrants for military service, I would doubt most of them would have been flying at any given time.
What I think is interesting, and rarely mentioned, is that in order to enable the Military Trials to take place, the 'Bristol' flying school pretty much decamped to BROOKLANDS.
Note: This picture was taken of a photograph in the Science Museum, London. (Well worth a visit). The caption also tells us that when no flying was taking place Cody provided entertainment by lassooing sheep, boy scouts and aviators. Something I've never seen at an air show!
Both of these pictures were scanned from The History of British Aviation 1908 to 1914 by R Dallas Brett
THE COMPETITORS
In his most excellent book, British Aviation - The Pioneering Years, first published in 1967, Harald Penrose provides a list of the aircraft taking part in these trials.
Manufacturer Type Engine Pilot
ALL-BRITISH AIRCRAFT
Note: The numerical figure for the engines is the supposed bhp they could achieve. These figures were rarely reflected in practice, so nominal at best.
| AVRO | Tractor biplane | 60 Green | Lieut. W. Parke, R.N. |
| AVRO | Tractor biplane | 60-80 A.B.C. | E. L. Charteris |
| FLANDERS | Tractor biplane | 100 A.B.C. | F. R. Raynham |
| HARPER | Tractor monoplane | 60 Green | |
| MERSEY | Pusher monoplane | 45 Isaacson | R.C. Fenwick |
AIRCRAFT DESIGNED AND BUILT IN GREAT BRITAIN FITTED WITH FOREIGN ENGINES
| HANDLEY PAGE | Tractor monoplane | 70 Gnome | H. Petre |
| PIGGOTT | Tractor biplane | 35 Anzani | Parr |
| VICKERS | Tractor monoplane | 70 Viale | L.F. Macdonald |
COVENTRY ORDNANCE
Two tractor biplanes entered, one with a 100 Gnome and the other with a 110 Chenu. Both to be piloted by T.O.M. Sopwith. The same person who went on to become a very famous aircraft manufacturer in WW1.
MARTIN-HANDASYDE entered one tractor monoplane, with a 75 Chenu, piloted by Gordon Bell.
FOREIGN AEROPLANES BUILT IN ENGLAND
| BLÉRIOT | Tractor monoplane | 70 Gnome | Perryon |
| BLÉRIOT | Tractor monoplane | 70 Gnome | G. Hamel |
| BOREL | Tractor monoplane | 80 Gnome | Chambenois |
| BREGUET | Tractor biplane | 110 Canton-Unné | Moineau |
| BREGUET | Tractor biplane | 110 Canton- Unné | Rhodes-Moorhouse |
| DEPERDUSIN | Tractor monoplane | 100 Gnome | Jules Védrines |
| DEPERDUSIN | Tractor monoplane | 100 Anzani | Lieut. J.C. Porte |
| DEPERSUSIN | Tractor monoplane | 100 Gnome | Prevost |
| HANRIOT | Tractor monoplane | 100 Gnome | Bielovucie |
| HANRIOT | Tractor monoplane | 100 Gnome | S.V. Sippe |
| KNY | Tractor monoplane | 100 Mercedes | Lieut. Bier |
| LOHNER | Tractor biplane | 120 Austro-Daimler | Lieut. von Blaske |
| M. FARMAN | Pusher biplane | 70 Renault | Verrier |
I tkink it is really quite interesting to reflect on how some of these names became very famous for aircraft manufacturing companies, mostly for several decades and, in couple of cases, even into the later years of the 20th century and perhaps just beyond into the 21st century with AVRO? But, by the outset of WW1, about a quarter of the companies had failed to survive.
What must be today of considerable interest, is how well represented the French companies were during these trials. Clearly, the French, being at this time arguably the most advanced nation in promoting aviation were set on making a big impression. Most highly recommended is the account of these trials by Harald Penrose in his book mentioned above. It appears the winners were:
1) Cody biplane (British) No.31
2) Deperdussin monoplane (French) No.26
3) Hanriot monoplane (French) No.1
Maurice Farman biplane (French) No.22
4) Blériot tandem monoplane (French) No.4
Hanriot monoplane (French) No.2
5) Deperdussin monoplane (British) No.21
Bristol monoplane (British) No.14
Bristol monoplane (British) No.15
6) Blériot Sociable monoplane (French) No.5
THE AIR BATTALION
Originally the aerodrome for the Air Battalion Royal Engineers. In May 1912, when the Royal Flying Corps was formed they became part of the Military Wing. The Navy had a seperate Wing based at EASTCHURCH in KENT.
Civilian operator: 1909 to 1914. British & Colonial Aeroplane Company, aka Bristol Flying School
It is probably reasonable to state that the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company (Bristol) was the principal operator of LARKHILL before WW1.
Manufacturing: Aeronautical Syndicate (1909 – moved to HENDON in 1910)
Location: 8 nm N of Salisbury. The Bristol hangars, (built in 1910), were 50 yards east of Wood Road
Period of operation: 1909 to today? Almost continuous use? (albeit today with Army helicopters?)
NOTES: In 1909 the Aeronautical Syndicate were building the Valkyrie monoplane and Viking biplane here*. It appears they were, to coin a phrase, “squeezed out” and moved in 1910 to the newly constructed ‘LONDON AERODROME’ or HENDON (LONDON) where they joined the only other organisation on the site at that time, The Blériot School.
*In September 2022 I was kindly contacted by Mr Terry Grace. He tells us that the Valkyrie was built here, but not the Viking - that being built at HENDON.
THE TRIALS
In the middle of 1910 the War Office offered the use of a wide area on SALISBURY PLAIN situated near to the Royal Artillery barracks at Larkhill for trials of aeroplanes to take place, subject to evaluation given limited constraints. It would appear that the area concerned was also closer to Amesbury than any other nearby town. It was a curious kind of affair, being both military and civil in essence, established two years before the Royal Flying Corps was officially formed at UPAVON which initially had both separate Army and Naval wings and being regarded as the Central School of Flying? I now think these accounts are too simplistic. Royal Navy pilots were certainly trained here but it seems the Navy still regarded EASTCHURCH in KENT as being their primary training facility?
THE BEGINNINGS
Basically, it appears, the area was allotted to anybody interested in developing or experimenting in military aviation? It appears from some accounts the first person to take up the offer was Sir George White who had just founded the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company later known as Bristol Aircraft, (see also SALISBURY PLAIN), and his company leased 200 acres in June 1910 in or near LARK HILL. Sheds were erected and by the autumn the Bristol School of Flying had been established.
On the other hand it appears that Horatio Barber was already conducting aeronautical experiments here in 1909 and in the same year Mr C B Cockburn was involved in similar endeavours? According to C C Turner it was Mr Cockburn who first managed to persuade the military authorities to allow him to erect a shed at LARK HILL in the winter of 1909/1910.
A bit later on in 1910 it seems the War Office had decided this flying activity should come under the command of the Officer Commanding, Balloon Corps, at ALDERSHOT. It also seems the various officers conducting ‘flying duties’ used a hangar known as ‘White’s hangar’, (obviously a reference to Sir George White), and at the British and Colonial Aeroplane Co advertised that they operated one of their “Bristol Flying Schools” from LARK HILL.
A PERSONAL ACCOUNT
For my part after years of research, I think the best account of the early days of LARK HILL comes from C C Turner in his book Old Flying Days published in or around 1927, (see pages 196 to 209). He learnt to fly at LARK HILL in 1911 when he was forty years old and the account is surely totally fascinating to anybody even slightly interested in aviation matters. I’m sorely tempted to recount all the pages right here! Suffice it to say that when he got his Certificate on the 25th April it was No: 70 on the Aero Club list.
THE MILITARY BECAME ESTABLISHED
On the 1st April 1911 No.2 Aeroplane Company, Royal Engineers was formed here with Capt. J D B Futton in command.
THE BRISTOL MONOPLANE 1912
This picture was scanned from The History of British Aviation, 1908 to 1914, by R Dallas Brett. Very interesting I think, to see how, in just two years, Bristol had developed from the 'Boxkite' to this concept. The French of course being the first (?) to conceive the monoplane idea. Also, was this the first type to employ what much later became the classic tri-cylcle landing gear, as opposed to being a 'tail-dragger'?
SERIOUS TRIALS
In early August 1912 it seems trials were commenced here to select an aeroplane best suited to their needs so not surprisingly a minimum specification was drawn up and I trust you’ll as delighted, (and amused?), as I was to discover what this was. They were looking for a machine that could lift 350lbs plus instruments and fuel for four and a half hours. In addition it should maintain an altitude of 4,500ft for an hour and reach 55mph. It should also be capable of operating from ploughed land, uncut grass and clover, (CLOVER !*?).
There were other criteria too such as ease of handling, (I’d have thought that should’ve been pretty high on the list), and - very interesting (?) - noise. It seems that only twenty-two of the thirty-two, (some say 31), invited types participated in the trials. If the military issued the same spec today for a fixed wing aircraft even on a global basis I wonder how many would turn up?
Of the original mix entered thirteen were biplanes, and eighteen were monoplanes. Only five were all British, thirteen were British airframes with foreign engines, eleven totally foreign built and two foreign but built under license in the UK. It appears Samuel Cody won with his handbuilt and ‘cobbled together’ aeroplane. Perhaps politics intervened? The Cody design wasn’t adopted for further trials and development.
CONQUERING THE SPIN
As an aside a quite remarkable development is claimed to have taken place here, but not generally taken up for years after. It is said that during these trials Lieutenant Wilfred Parke RN, flying an Avro Type G biplane, (with an observer), got into a spin. At this time and for many years later getting into a spin would be fatal, and it still happens even today. It appears that Parke, going against intuition pushed the stick forward and the rudder against the direction of spin – therefore being the first pilot to use this spin recovery technique which works on most aircraft types.
USE IN THE 1930s
It appears that this location was used by 2 Sqdn Hawker Audaxes in June 1937.
A LATER CELEBRATION
In 2009 LAA members organised a visit to this site, landing near the site of the Bristol Hangars. Ten aircraft took part.
Tim
This comment was written on: 2016-03-20 00:13:46Jist to avoid confusion, the picture here of aeroplane sheds are the WWI Balloon Sheds at Rollestone, they are not the British & Colonial Sheds at Larkhill
Russell Jarvis
This comment was written on: 2017-07-07 08:33:44Larkhill and the old hangers were covered on the BBC south news today, including footage of the hangers. Thought this may be of interest if you wanted pictures etc. Its sure to be repeated on bulletins throughout the day.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Russell, Many thanks. I shall keep this posted in case others might wish to access the item on the BBC web-site. Best regards, Dick
P G Stevens
This comment was written on: 2018-07-20 00:44:39Photo sent in by Pauline Tyrell which you may have deciphered by now is approximately a follows: Front row: E. Ercole, L. Antonini, Moore, Bowee, Wymess, Stuart, P. Price, H. Julliot On machine: M.R.M. Jennings, Gordon England
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