Swaythling
SWAYTHLING: Temporary flying exhibition venue
Operated by: Gustav Hamel
Location: Just SW of EASTLEIGH/SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT, roughly 2.5nm NNE of Southampton city centre
Period of operation: Saturday 9th May and Wednesday 13th May
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The second item, an advert, was published in the Hampshire Independent on the 9th May 1914. Of interest, (perhaps?), is that passenger tickets were available from Mr F Etches at the Star Hotel. Presumably the same Mr Frederick Etches who operated the Bournemouth Aviation Company?
The following is unique is this 'Guide'. Four pages of an article published in the Hampshire Independent on the 16th May 1921. However, being of such detail it is well worth illustrating this in full.
GUSTAV HAMEL
It would be hard if not impossible to over-emphasis what a super-star Hamel was in those days. As the article above describes, huge crowds would turn out just watch he, and he alone, performing his aerial manouevres, which at that time really were the best in the U.K.
Born Gustav Wilhelm Hamel in Hamburg, Germany, on the 25th June 1889, his family moved to England in around 1899, and they became naturlised as citizens in 1910 or thereabouts. However, Hamel learnt to fly at the Blériot School in Pau, France in 1910. It seems that Blériot is on record as saying that Hamel was the most gifted natural pilot he had ever seen.
In next to no time, after returning to the U.K., he very quickly established his reputation as being one of the very best pilots. It is well worth Googling to see his astonishing career. What you probably won't find is that in the latter part of his short-lived career, a mention that he had an entourage of what today we'd call 'groupies' following him around. I suspect that between the flying exhibitions on the 9th and 13th May, Gustav probably had a fine time. Let us hope so.
A TRAGIC END
On the 21st May, he travelled to Villacoublay in France to collect one of the latest Morane-Saulnier monoplanes, and fly it back to the U.K. on the 23rd May. He didn't make it, ditching in the English Channel where he drowned.
It is reported that French fishermen found a body in the sea near Boulogne-sur-Mer but didn't retrieve it. Their description of the clothing, plus finding a road map of southern England on the body, seems to indicate that without much doubt - this was Hamel.
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