2nd Lt. Franklyn Leslie Barnard RFC

[Brackles]

Having completed his flying training, Barnard was appointed Flying Officer and joined No 18 Squadron in France in July 1916. His medical record indicates that he suffered the effects of concussion on 22/10/1916. He returned to the UK, was declared unfit by a Medical Board in March 1917 and it appears that he remained unfit until November with a couple of admissions to hospital.

I'd be interested to know if the concussion was the result of a flying accident/incident, a bomb blast (or similar), or whatever. I'm guessing that if he'd been concussed as the result of an aeroplane crash or dog-fight it would have been recorded as such?

Interestingly he seems to have been entitled to flying pay for most of the time he was unwell - is this usual?

Expert opinion would be most welcome.

Thanks

Brackles

[Starlight]

Hi Brackles, According to Trevor Henshaw's "The Sky Their battlefield", 2nd Lt Barnard's injuries were received following an aerial combat on that day, whilst he was flying in FE2b No 4929 with his observer Lt F S Rankin. They were on an escorting photographic patrol when they were engaged by more than six hostile enemy scouts near Bapaume on their way back to their base at Lavieville. During the sustained attack Lt Rankin was hit in the head by bullets as he stood up in the front cockpit to aim his gun at an attacking aircraft. Lt Barnard leaned forward to grab hold of the observer so that he would not fall out of the open cockpit before climbing over into the front cockpit to haul Lt Rankin back on board. Lt Barnard then made a successful emergency landing despite most of his controls being shot away. He sustained injuries in the process but unfortunately Lt Rankin was found to be dead.

Steve

[Adrian Roberts]

That was very brave of him! Also very lucky. Do we know what happened to him in the end?

[Starlight]

That was very brave of him! Also very lucky. Do we know what happened to him in the end?

Lt Barnard seemed to have made a name for himself as a mail pilot as well as a celebrity chauffeur, in the process achieving quite a few records. Here are some extracts taken from Flight magazine:

25/09/1919

HAVING decided to employ an aeroplane as part of its regular organisation, Messrs. S. Instone and Co., steamship owners and general export and import merchants, of Cardiff have purchased from the Air Ministry a large machine with Rolls-Royce engines, and have engaged as pilot Lieut. F. L. Barnard, who holds the record number of cross-Channel flights. Besides using the machine for the purpose of transporting urgent papers, samples, etc., the firm intends that it shall be utilised to enable heads of departments to get into personal touch quickly with foreign buyers.

16/10/1919

Messrs. S. Instone and Co., shipowners, of Billiter Street, E.C., and Cardiff, have added to their equipment commenced its regular work on Monday, when it flew from Cardiff to London in 56 minutes, bringing a parcel of letters, etc. About an hour'later, Lieut, Barnard, the pilot, left for Paris with letters and parcels, and landed safely 1 hour 55 minutes later at Le Bourget, near Paris. The aeroplane flew Messrs, Instone's house flag.

04/03/1920

THE railway strike in France last week provided another opportunity of demonstrating the possibility of aerial transport, and both the Daily Mail and The Times rose to the occasion. The whole of the Continental supplies of The Times on Saturday was dispatched by aeroplane, the consignment, which weighed over a ton, being received in Paris about 6 p.m. The Continental Daily Mail also arranged for supplies of the paper to be sent by aeroplane from Paris to Lyons and the Riviera. The consignment was taken on a De H. 4, belonging to Messrs. S. Instone and Co., and piloted by Mr. F.L. Barnard and Mr. H. W. Chettaway. There was naturally an increased demand for seats on the " air expresses," and five Airco machines were flown on the London-Paris service on Saturday.

11/03/1920

A FINE performance was made by the Airco 4 (Rolls-Royce) belonging to Messrs. Instone and Co. on March 4. Leaving Nice at 6.20 a.m. (G.M.T.), the machine, piloted by Mr. F. L. Barnard, with Mr. H. W. Chattaway and Mr. Alfred du Cros as passengers, flew to Lyonsin 2 hours 35 mins., the direct route being taken over the Alpes Maritimes. After a stop of about an hour, the machine completed the stage to Paris in 2 hours 25 mins., while the third portion of the journey to London took 2 hours 7 mins., the machine landing at Hounslow at 3.50 p.m. The flying time for the 900 miles was 7 hours 7 mins.

10/06/1920

AT St. Columba's, Pont Street, on May 3, the marriage took place of Maj.-Gen. Sir Frederick Hugh Sykes, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., Controller-General of Civil Aviation, and Miss Isabel Bonar Law, eldest daughter of Mr. Bonar Law. Considerable interest was manifested in this union, a remarkable gathering of prominent Government and Society people being present at the ceremony. The register was signed by, following the bride and bridegroom, the Prime Minister, the Speaker, Mr. Balfour, Lord Beaverbrook and Mr. Rudyard Kipling. Following the marriage, Sir Frederick and Lady Sykes returned to 11, Downing Street, where their more intimate friends joined them to see them off for their honeymoon, and wish them good luck. Appropriately the travelling to Lindisfame (Holy Island), off the coast of Northumberland, where the Castle of Lindisfarne has been placed at their disposal for their honeymoon, was arranged to be by the Air. Leaving Downing Street by car at 1 o'clock, they drove to Croydon, whence at 2.30 they started for Newcastle, their first stop, in a three-seater Bristol, piloted by Mr. L. Barnard, of the Instone Air Line. Their getting away was witnessed by Mr. Bonar Law, Lady Sykes' aunt. Mr. Bonar Law, Junr., Col. Raikes and Col. Beatty, of the Air Ministry. In somewhat misty and drizzly weather Cramlington Aerodrome, Newcastle—270 miles—was reached, after alighting at a village about two miles away to take bearings, at 6.40 p.m., and within 10 minutes Sir Frederick was in communication on the 'phone to Downing Street, to let them know " all's well " and " landed safely."

Interesting stuff!

Steve

[Brackles]

Thank you very much for the infomation - now I understand why he was off flying for so long!

Much has been written about him as he had a remarkable career and flew for Instone Air Line and Imperial Airways (chief pilot for both organisations).

He won the first King's Cup Air Race in 1922 and did it again in 1925.

He remained with Imperial Airways until July 1927 when he was killed when the Bristol Badminton he was testing in preparation for yet another King's Cup air Race crashed near Winterbourne, Gloucestershire due to engine failure.

A sad and premature end to a distinguished pioneer.

Thanks again for your help.

Brackles

[Toontraveller]

I recognise this is an old post but if anyone is researching in the future Franklyn Leslie Barnard , born 2 nd November 1896 , I hope the following may be helpful in their research. 
Yesterday while cleaning out our Library I came across a quarterly local History Journal publication from The  Bourne Society ; Volume 42 from 2003. The Bourne Society covers the area around Caterham, Coulsdon, Godstone, Kenley, Purley in Surrey.

There is a detailed and interesting research of Captain Barnard on pages 3- 13 including 3 pictures of him. The research was undertaken by Ken Harman. 

I attach a photograph of Captain Barnard from the The Bourne Society Journal which is credited as being from the Sutton Library , Heritage and Registration Service. 
Appears to have joined the Army with the Seaforth Highlanders, Commissioned in 1915 and by 1916 was serving with the 9 th Royal Berkshire Regiment as  a 2 nd Lieutenant. Completed his flying course on 14 th July 1916 ( certificate number 1671) .

He certainly led an interesting life according to the research.

Edited 29 May , 2022 by Toontraveller
Typo

[Marian2]

William Ludwig Deetjen, an American who trained with the RFC in 1917-1918, mentions his instructor "Lt. Barnard" at Waddington.  I am trying to identify the instructor.  Franklyn Leslie Barnard's RAF service record (AIR-76-23-19) indicates he was an asst instr at 44 T.S. (Waddington) starting Dec. 3, 1917, remaining until transferred to 1 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping in March of 1918.  The only problem with assuming Deetjen's instructor was Barnard is that Deetjen was at No. 51 T.S. at this time. But perhaps instructors were shared across training squadrons at Waddington.

Toontraveller:  if you still have access to the Bourne Society article on Barnard (which appears not to have been digitized), I wonder whether you could look to see whether it has any info on his activities in early 1918?  All the bios I find on him online focus almost exclusively on the 1916 combat and his later career as a racing car driver.

Thanks!

---Marian 

 

[Toontraveller]

57 minutes ago, Marian2 said:

William Ludwig Deetjen, an American who trained with the RFC in 1917-1918, mentions his instructor "Lt. Barnard" at Waddington.  I am trying to identify the instructor.  Franklyn Leslie Barnard's RAF service record (AIR-76-23-19) indicates he was an asst instr at 44 T.S. (Waddington) starting Dec. 3, 1917, remaining until transferred to 1 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping in March of 1918.  The only problem with assuming Deetjen's instructor was Barnard is that Deetjen was at No. 51 T.S. at this time. But perhaps instructors were shared across training squadrons at Waddington.

Toontraveller:  if you still have access to the Bourne Society article on Barnard (which appears not to have been digitized), I wonder whether you could look to see whether it has any info on his activities in early 1918?  All the bios I find on him online focus almost exclusively on the 1916 combat and his later career as a racing car driver.

Thanks!

---Marian 

 

Marian, I will gladly will have a look for you, should have a reply later this evening, once  I locate the volume.
 

None of the Bourne Society are digitised as far as I am aware.  

[Toontraveller]

He was an instructor at Waddington at the same time, so very good possibility it is Lt Barnard who was mentioned. 
 

Copy of the relevant page/paragraphs attached relating to the period he was an instructor courtesy of  The Bourne Society Local History Records.

[Marian2]

I really appreciate your going to the trouble!  It certainly helps establish that he was at Waddington and an instructor. I've done my best to comb through the other Barnards at AIR 76 and not found another candidate.  So it seems a pretty safe bet that he was Deetjen's instructor at 51 T.S.

Many thanks!

---Marian 

 

 

[Toontraveller]

Marian, no problem  at all, glad I could help.