Narberth
NARBERTH: Early flying site
Actual location: Brynfrych Farm (The field used was west of the crash site)
Location: Just W of the A478, just SW of Clunderwen village, (spelt Clynderwen until at least the 1960s). About 2.5nm NNE of Narberth town centre
Note: Although said to be in Pembrokeshire, modern maps appear to show it is just inside Carmarthenshire. The area being known as Grondre.
Period of operation: September 1913 until, probably, the outbreak of WW1
NOTES: Not long after starting this project I made this note: "It appears the James brothers built an aeroplane in/near Narberth prior to WW1 and it flew successfully. Is any other info known?"
In 2010 I discovered Ron Smiths excellent book British Built Aircraft Vol.5. In which he gives the following information, (although spelling NARBERTH as NARBETH….but, nice to know even the most brilliant authors can make simple mistakes?), and, I’m hating the day if all my mistakes are totalled up! Most won’t be just spelling errors either!
“In September 1913, the James brothers flew a single-seat Caudron-like biplane from a small field near Narbeth.” Only now it occurs to me that Narberth might well have been spelt Narbeth in 1913? He goes on to say, “The machine was damaged during its first flight, and again, when it was flown in November 1913. By April 1914, the machine had been rebuilt in two-seat configuration, in which form it was known as the James No.2 biplane. In July of that year, the brothers were reported in Flight as planning to set up an aircraft factory at their hometown of Narbeth.”
OVER OPTIMISTIC?
This degree of optimism shown here is surely hard to comprehend today? But, as Ron Smith points out: “This would have been the first aircraft factory in Wales, but for the outbreak of the First World War. In 1915, the brothers took the No.2 biplane to the Ruffy-Baumann School at Hendon, where it was used as a trainer.”
From my point of view Ron Smith gives me a problem, saying, “In June 1915, the brothers moved to the Hall Aviation Co.” Where? At HENDON perhaps? Almost certainly I would say, - see HENDON (LONDON).
But, he does make this interesting observation: “James Herbert ‘Jimmie’ James learned to fly at the W. H. Ewen School in 1912, (also based at HENDON, my note), and went on to test fly for Nieuport & General Aircraft, before becoming the first chief test pilot of the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company, holding this post until April 1923.” Is it safe to assume the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company later became ‘Gloster’?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
In early October 2023, Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', took it upon himself to see what other evidence might be available. The results certainly surprised me.
Photo One of the Caudron No.1 was obtained from Wales On Line website. Photo Two shows the wreck on the 25th September 1913, obtained from Peoples Collection Wales. I suspect the crash was a result of the aeroplane being stalled?
Photo Three is a more detailed view of the wreck, obtained from Peoples Collection Wales. Note that there appear to be no tyres on the wheels, but, probably not needed when operating off grass.The article, concerning the second less serious crash was published in the Western Mail on the 24th November 1913. Photo Four is of the two James brothers, obtained from Wales Online. The short article was obtained from Bing.
Excerpts One and Two were obtained from Grace's Guide. Photo Five was published in Flight magazine on the 5th June 1914.
Photo Six is another view of the Caudron, also obtained from Peoples Collection Wales. The area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: It gives me much pleasure to feature this flying site, with much information. Especially because, prior to WW1, it is easy to get the impression that aviation endeavours were centred on just a few locations such as Hendon, Eastchurch and Brooklands. Not so, many people were beavering away designing, building and test flying across most of the U.K. Mostly in England of course, but also in Scotland, Northern Ireland and, in this case, South Wales.
BONUS EXTRAS
In mid October 2023 whilst looking up any information for another flying site in this region, Mike Holder found these items.
The Short article One was published in The Cambria Daily Leader on the 29th September 1913. Short article Two was published....wait for it....in The Amman Valley Chronicle and East Carmarthen News, on the 23rd April 1914. Those were the days when a newspaper name could nigh on resemble a short article in itself! The Short article Three was published in The Carmarthen Weekly Reporter a day later, on the 24th April 1914.
The last item, an article, is quite unusual in that it was published several years later, in Thomson's Weekly News, on the 23rd July 1921.
EXTRA NOTES: I find it very interesting that, certainly in this case which is about flying activities that are barely known about today, the local press were very interested in what the James brothers had been up to. Hardly surprising of course, because it was pretty rare prior to WW1, for anybody to been seen flying this far west in South Wales.
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