Wonder Book of Aircraft view of the RNAS

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Harry Golding 'Wonder Book of Aircraft' revised 4th Edition, no date but the records and achievements etc in the back go up to Sept 1920 seems to be very pro RNAS. What does the forum think?

“The Royal Naval Air Service was an older growth than the" R.F.C. As far back as 1910 a patriotic Englishman made an offer to the Admiralty to the effect that if they would allow a certain number of naval officers to learn flying, he would provide the machines, the only condition being that the Admiralty should be responsible for the repair of machines that were crashed. This offer being accepted, a few officers went down to Eastchurch, in the Isle of Sheppey, and there laid the foundation of the great organization which eventually became the Royal Naval Air Service, which had, at the time it was merged in the Royal Air Force, a staff of over 40,000 officers and men. At the outbreak of war, the R.N.A.S. was still a small force, but it was thoroughly efficient, and its machines were considerably better and more adapted to their work than those of the Army. Like the Royal Air Force, the R.N.A.S. began to grow immediately the War began, though its growth was not quite so great.

“There was no theatre of the War in which the R.N.A.S. did not find employment, very often over the land as well as over the sea. All the air work of the Gallipoli campaign was done by seaplanes and R.N.A.S. men, who also took a considerable share in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Salonica, Russia, the Adriatic, German East-Africa, and around the British Isles, to say nothing of the continuous work done over the Flanders coast. Submarine hunting and the escorting of troopships and merchant vessels was everyday work, while the R.N.A.S. accompanied the Grand Fleet into action and carried out offensive operations against the Zeppelin fleet accompanying the German High Seas Fleet.

“One point which may be made about the R.N.A.S. is that it did more for the improvement of the flying machine than any other body in the world. Being a semi-independent body, built up from remarkably small beginnings, .with no preconceived notions to clog its energies, it obtained, experimented with, discarded, and again took up machines of every make and kind. If a machine were tried and found wanting, it was scrapped without the slightest hesitation, and on the other hand if a machine were found good, although it had not official approval, there was no reason why the Service should not give it a trial. If it answered requirements, the designer and maker were encouraged, machines of this particular type were ordered, and suggestions made for its improvement. Within three years the R.N.A.S. obtained, through intelligent foresight and enterprise, machines that proved on the whole better than those possessed by any other flying force. Allied or enemy.

“The magnitude of the work performed by this branch of the Service is shown by its work in a single month, during which, according to official figures, the distance covered by patrols was 170,000 miles, of which 90,000 miles was covered by seaplanes and 80,000 by airships of various types.”

[Martin Bennitt]

Harry Golding 'Wonder Book of Aircraft' revised 4th Edition, no date but the records and achievements etc in the back go up to Sept 1920 seems to be very pro RNAS. What does the forum think?

What does he say about the RFC, then? Golding was the first editor of the series. see below.

http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/wonderbooks.html

cheers Martin B

[MikeW]

Your first three quotes are all roughly correct.

Francis K McClean was the patriotic Englishman, however, it was february 1911 not 1910 when he leased some land at Eastchurch to the Navy. Cecil Grace offered to train some officers but died before the four men chosen could be trained - Yet another pioneer, George Cockburn stepped in and did the honours.

It was not until 1912 that the RFC came into existance with a military wing and a naval wing - the intention was a Central Flying School and "standard" aircraft procured from a government source. Whilst the army thought this was wonderful, the navy didn't, hence the breakaway RNAS. The navy courted independents like Sopwith and Shorts, the Army went with the Royal Aircraft Factory which is why they ended up with so many useless aircraft whilst the RNAS didn't

The RNAS tended to be too successful and have too many good aircraft - by 1916 they were called upon to help the RFC, this entailed a move away from the navy's maritime and coastal roles to fighting inland - unfortunately, they came under RFC control but nothing's perfect!

The RNAS was the first organisation to develop strategic bombing when No.3 Wing set up base at Luxeiul in 1916 with the aim of bombing German industry - The RFC detested this and successfully had the group disbanded!

The RNAS was also active in the other places mentioned by Golding.

I'd say Golding was a sensible man and had a good grasp of the situation

Mike

[Guest]

Your first three quotes are all roughly correct.

Francis K McClean was the patriotic Englishman, however, it was february 1911 not 1910 when he leased some land at Eastchurch to the Navy. Cecil Grace offered to train some officers but died before the four men chosen could be trained - Yet another pioneer, George Cockburn stepped in and did the honours.

It was not until 1912 that the RFC came into existance with a military wing and a naval wing - the intention was a Central Flying School and "standard" aircraft procured from a government source. Whilst the army thought this was wonderful, the navy didn't, hence the breakaway RNAS. The navy courted independents like Sopwith and Shorts, the Army went with the Royal Aircraft Factory which is why they ended up with so many useless aircraft whilst the RNAS didn't

The RNAS tended to be too successful and have too many good aircraft - by 1916 they were called upon to help the RFC, this entailed a move away from the navy's maritime and coastal roles to fighting inland - unfortunately, they came under RFC control but nothing's perfect!

The RNAS was the first organisation to develop strategic bombing when No.3 Wing set up base at Luxeiul in 1916 with the aim of bombing German industry - The RFC detested this and successfully had the group disbanded!

The RNAS was also active in the other places mentioned by Golding.

I'd say Golding was a sensible man and had a good grasp of the situation

Mike

I agree with Mike, Golding was a sensible man, who dosn't seem prone to overegging the pudding. After all he understated the strength of the RNAS on 31st March 1918 somewhat, the true figure is nearer 60,000.

He also ommitted to mention the RNAS pioneering work with armoured cars and also the three armoured trains they operated for a short period. Also no mention of the provision of all observation balloons over the fromt line in the early part of the war

Duncan