Wormwood Scrubs
WORMWOOD SCRUBS: Civil temporary aerodrome later RNAS Depot (HMS PRESIDENT)
Note: This picture was published in 'The Pageant of the Century' around the mid 1930s, kindly lent to me by Mr Ed Whitaker in 2024.The caption says the elevators were mounted on the "nose" of the airship, which of course is utter nonsense. They were mounted, along with the rudder, at the tail end of the airship. Note also the mispelt "Wormwood Scrubbs' in the caption.
Military users: RNAS/RAF Apparently a balloon flight training facility in WW1
RNAS Stores Depot in 1915.
Airship pilots school and depot for the construction of non-rigid airships.
During WW1 six S.S.P. type airships were built here
Location: Still a large flat open area, N of A40, W of A209, S of Harlesden, N of Shepherds Bush
Period of operation: Civil/military: 1910 to 1914? Military: 1915 to 1919
Site area: WW1: 30 acres 609 x 261
This first picture is of a photograph in the Science Museum, London, a visit to which is highly recommended. The picture of Grahame-White's machine being wheeled-out for his second attempt in the Daily Mail London to Manchester air race was published in Flight magazine on the 7th May 1910. The local area map, kindly provided by Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', shows the proximity of Claude Grahame-Whites first departure point at PARK ROYAL, and his second attempt departure point here.
NOTES: It is reported that in 1910 Claude Grahame-White made his first attempt at the Daily Mail £10,000 prize to be the first to fly from London to Manchester from PARK ROYAL on the 23rd April but, his aircraft was damaged in a storm after landing at HADMORE near Lichfield. (Note. Also described as HADEMORE CROSSING which I prefer). His second attempt was from here on the 27th. M Paulhan had taken off from HENDON at 17.20 and when the news reached Grahame-White he started his engine and took-off shortly after 18.30 to give chase. I strongly recommend reading accounts of the epic flights these two airmen made to reach Manchester and you will find more details of the landing sites in this Guide. For example see HADMORE and LICHFIELD (STAFFORDSHIRE), ROADE (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE), RUGBY (WARWICKSHIRE) and the finishing site at BURNAGE (CHESHIRE). In an attempt to catch Paulhan up Grahame-White decided to take-off from whilst it was still dark, thus making the first recorded night flight. With no lights and no instruments of course!
BALLOONS
There are other records of early aviation activity from this site which includes airship crews in training being sent here for practice in ‘free’ balloons.
THE AIRSHIP ERA
It appears the Parliamentary Aerial Defence Committee had, in 1909, ordered a non-rigid Clément Bayard airship. This was flown over from Compiégne in France, (about 40 miles NNE of Paris), in early 1910 I now believe, by M Clément himself. The flight taking six hours at an average of 36mph and landing here.
Take Thomas Walker Elmhirst for example, who after being trained in aerostatics at RNAS KINGSNORTH in Kent came here, after volunteering for what was officially called by the Navy as “special temporary and hazardous service”. He later became the Senior Flying Officer at RNAS LUCE BAY. After the training at RNAS WORMWOOD SCRUBS he returned to RNAS KINGSNORTH where, after one instructional flight, and one solo flight in a S.S.-type airship he was passed as competent and sent to BARROW to supervise the rigging of S.S.17 before it’s intended flight to RNAS LUCE BAY. Today of course we’d think the “hazardous service” element was fundamentally built into, (if not because of?), the training regime!
WILLOW AIRSHIP No.3
Note: This picture was published in Flight magazine on the 12th November 1910.
On the 4th November 1910, at 3.35pm, Ernest Willows with his mechanic Frank Godden, departed in the airship Willows Airship No.3, named 'City of Cardiff' to fly to Paris. Things did not go according to plan however and they made a forced landing at Corbeham near Douai at around 02.00. Repairs to the airship were needed and Willows had the great good fortune to be assisted by the French aviator Louis Breguet who later went on to form one of the major French aircraft manufacturing companies.
They eventually arrived in Paris on the 28th December, so that interlude must in itself be quite a story. To celebrate New Year's Eve, Willows made a flight around the Eiffel Tower.
HENRI SALMET (A GRAND TOUR)
Note: It now appears that Salmet flew down from HENDON on the 14th May to start this Tour. Why he elected to start from WORMWOOD SCRUBS instead of HENDON remains a mystery? It is I suppose quite possible that Salmet being French and therefore unfamiliar with the geography of England, decided that due to the proximity of the Great West Railway, which could guide him, more or less, all the way into South Wales for the first part of his Tour, seemed a sensible option for his departure.
Some time ago a dear friend sent a copy of a newspaper article dated May 16th. This, I’m now fairly certain, would have been published in 1912. To quote: “Owing to the very strong wind yesterday M Henri Salmet could not start until the evening on his aeroplane tour of England, organised by the Daily Mail to give those of the public not in touch with the aviation movement the opportunity of studying flight. M. Salmet started from WORMWORD SCRUBS at 6.10 p.m., and after a stop at TAPLOW reached READING at the end of the day’s stage, about 8 p.m. To-day he flies to BATH, probably making a halt at MARLBOROUGH.”
As you might well imagine it has become something of a quest to discover all the places Henri Salmet visited on that thirteen week tour sponsored by the Daily Mail in 1912 It all becomes rather confused because in 1913 the Daily Mail sponsored Salmet to fly from London into South Wales. Fortunately for us, Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' has undertaken an in-depth study of this Tour and the full schedule can be found in my article - "The 1912 tour by Henri Salmet".
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The second item, the newspaper article, was published in The Scotsman on the 15th May 1912.
Note: The fourth item was also published in The Scotsman, this time on the 17th May 1910. The sixth item was published in Flight magazine on the 18th May 1912.
Note: The eighth item, the second mention in Flight magazine, was published on the 25th May 1912. The final item, a newspaper article, was published in The Sketch on the 29th May 1912.
AN UNIQUE ENDEAVOUR?
Without any doubt, this 1912 Tour by Salmet, the first such to be sponsored by the Daily Mail in 1912, was unusual if not unique because Salmet intended to fly between all the venues using a landplane. There were no air races with prizes involved, just the aim of bringing the aeroplane to as many people as possible with superb exhibitions of flying. Salmet certainly achieved this, with usually thousands turning up and being delighted with the spectacle.
Has to be said though, that because the schedule was published, he often disappointed the crowds by arriving late, sometimes a day or so late, due to the typical vagaries of the British summer weather. I certainly will not deny global warming, that is an established fact, but, in our temperate climate nothing has changed in the last couple of hundred years. We have good summers and bad summers to a greater or lesser extent, but all involve periods of heavy rain and high winds, mist and fog. All of which presented Salmet with considerable problems trying to keep to his schedule.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Mike Holder has discovered this article published in Flight magazine on the 16th November 1922. Plans were mooted to establish an Air Terminal here, with tests taking place from the 17th November. On paper at least it seemed to make a great deal of sense, having an air terminal so convenient to the centre of London. We do not know why the tests failed? Perhaps the area available was deemed too small? Or perhaps more likely, in the winter especially, far too prone to the London fogs and smogs?
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