Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 3, 2011 1:27:10 GMT 12
Here is an interesting article, especially for the modellers, from Papers Past:
Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 52, 30 August 1916, Page 8
GIFT AEROPLANES
WHAT NEW ZEALAND TS DOING
STATEMENT BY HON. A. M. MYERS
IMPORTANCE OF AVIATION.
A paragraph appeared recently to the effect that the first £2500 raised by the Auckland Provincial Aeroplane Committee was being serit to the Hon. Arthur Myers, for transmission to the High Commissioner in London. A representative of The Post obtained from Mr. Myers some further particulars in this connection.
Some time ago Mr. Myers made the suggestion that each large centre in the Dominion should present an aeroplane to the War Office, as a demonstration of interest in and support of our air service and as evidence of their recognition that the Royal Flying Corps is playing a vital part in shortening the duration of the war and in saving the lives of our men.
As president of the Overseas Club in New Zealand, Mr. Myers.presided at the meeting' of Auckland citizens, held a few months ago at which it was decided to take up voluntary subscriptions towards the presentation by Auckland of a gift machine for fighting purposes. The amount aimed at was the cost of a 100--h.p. Gnome-Vickers biplane; but already considerably more than the amount necessary to purchase such a machine has. been raised; and Mr. Myers has already cabled to the Overseas Club in London an amount of £2500, being Auckland Province's first instalment towards the purchase of aeroplanes to be used by the Royal Flying Corps.
The first machine thus presented to the War Office by Auckland will be named after the city, and, in all probability, will be piloted by an Auckland aviator.
Mr. Myers has always expressed himself convinced that a stronger Air Service means a shorter war. He drew attention to the fact that the first district in New Zealand to recognise its responsibilities in the direction of giving tangible support to this branch of our fighting line was Poverty Bay, whose inhabitants patriotically subscribed for and presented to the Admiralty a Henry Farman biplane, costing £2300.
Through the generosity of the. Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin was enabled to follow suit, in presenting a machine to the Royal Flying Corps, costing £2250.
Auckland's contributipn to our air forces of £2500 (with more to follow) is therefore third on the list, and will more than defray the cost of a 100-h.p. Gnome- Vickers biplane, in"full fighting' trim.
The Otago Biplane Fund, whose efforts ale directed to the same useful end, has now reached a figure approaching one that will enable New Zealand to bring up her contributions to our air fleet to four complete units.
"It makes.-interesting reading," said Mr, Myers, "to note what other portions of our Empire are doing in this connection.Just to mention a few instances The Punjaub Aeroplane Fund closed at £90,000; Mauritius sent three aeroplanes Home within a period of six weeks; Malayans of all nationalities have presented the British Government with a squadron of sixteen aeroplanes; Ashanti has subscribed its fifth gift aeroplane; the offer of a complete aerial squadron by Australia has been accepted by the War Office; and the Overseas Club has been the medium through which our Overseas Dominions, and dependencies have already presented to the Royal Flying Corps no fewer than seventy aeroplanes. The; aircraft that have been presented by individual districts, and bearing the local names, flying over our troops and fighting the common enemy, must, have a tremendously heartening effect on our men at the front."
Mr Myers also stated that it was gratifying to know that steps are being taken to found an aviation school in Cliristchurch, from which it is hoped to supply fully-qualified young pilots for service, at the front.
In view of the conviction expressed by many aeronautical experts, that in future the power that commands the air will rule the world, it is to be hoped that the fullest and strongest support will be accorded to New Zealand's two schools of aviation, in Auckland and Christchurch.
Australia is also proving herself not behind the times, a new school of aviation having' recently'been opened at Clarendon.
New Zealand has already played an important part in forwarding the science of aviation, for the feat of Lieut. Brandon opened the eyes of the authorities at Home to the fact that Zeppelins can be successfully combated by aeroplanes. It had been previously believed that the late Lieut. Warneford's coup, in bringing down a Zeppelin in Belgium, was quite exceptional; but Lieut. Brandon's success in putting a Zeppelin out of action, single-handed, and during the night-time; pressed home the fact that in the "fighting aeroplane" we possess a weapon by means of which we are able to check to a great extent the attacks by the unwieldy Prussian Zeppelin. The new fast British fighting machine which has now been evolved has already destroyed 27 Fokkers.
In making a passing reference to the fact that British 'Zeppelins" are now on patrol duty in the North Sea, Mr. Myers stated that in his opinion there is no doubt that the Air Service at Home is in capable hands. Even Mr. Pemberton Billing, the "Air Service pessimist," acknowledges that we possess something far finer than any Prussian Zeppelin in the most marvellous fighting aeroplane in the world.
The air raids at Home have cost Germany very dear, they having achieved no military object, and the Allies have accounted already for the destruction of thirty-five of these unwieldy and costly machines.
Mr. Myers reminded our representative that each district which subscribes a gift aeroplane has the option of naming the machine given, and that, should the aeroplane.be destroyed, the War Office will replace it by another bearing the same name, so that the district in question will always have its name associated with the air service.
"The day is not far distant," concluded Mr. Myers, "when all British frontiers will be patrolled by aeroplanes; when over large tracts of sparsely inhabited land, such as there are in Australia and Canada, these machines will be used for policing purposes; and when aeroplanes for commercial purposes, for mails and for passengers, will become a matter of ordinary routine. The first nation to organise arid co-ordinate its air service for commercial purposes after the war will eventually out-distance other countries. That New Zealand did not mean to be left behind is evidenced by the awakening that is taking place on the part of the people to the important part that the science of aviation is going to play in our future development."
Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 52, 30 August 1916, Page 8
GIFT AEROPLANES
WHAT NEW ZEALAND TS DOING
STATEMENT BY HON. A. M. MYERS
IMPORTANCE OF AVIATION.
A paragraph appeared recently to the effect that the first £2500 raised by the Auckland Provincial Aeroplane Committee was being serit to the Hon. Arthur Myers, for transmission to the High Commissioner in London. A representative of The Post obtained from Mr. Myers some further particulars in this connection.
Some time ago Mr. Myers made the suggestion that each large centre in the Dominion should present an aeroplane to the War Office, as a demonstration of interest in and support of our air service and as evidence of their recognition that the Royal Flying Corps is playing a vital part in shortening the duration of the war and in saving the lives of our men.
As president of the Overseas Club in New Zealand, Mr. Myers.presided at the meeting' of Auckland citizens, held a few months ago at which it was decided to take up voluntary subscriptions towards the presentation by Auckland of a gift machine for fighting purposes. The amount aimed at was the cost of a 100--h.p. Gnome-Vickers biplane; but already considerably more than the amount necessary to purchase such a machine has. been raised; and Mr. Myers has already cabled to the Overseas Club in London an amount of £2500, being Auckland Province's first instalment towards the purchase of aeroplanes to be used by the Royal Flying Corps.
The first machine thus presented to the War Office by Auckland will be named after the city, and, in all probability, will be piloted by an Auckland aviator.
Mr. Myers has always expressed himself convinced that a stronger Air Service means a shorter war. He drew attention to the fact that the first district in New Zealand to recognise its responsibilities in the direction of giving tangible support to this branch of our fighting line was Poverty Bay, whose inhabitants patriotically subscribed for and presented to the Admiralty a Henry Farman biplane, costing £2300.
Through the generosity of the. Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin was enabled to follow suit, in presenting a machine to the Royal Flying Corps, costing £2250.
Auckland's contributipn to our air forces of £2500 (with more to follow) is therefore third on the list, and will more than defray the cost of a 100-h.p. Gnome- Vickers biplane, in"full fighting' trim.
The Otago Biplane Fund, whose efforts ale directed to the same useful end, has now reached a figure approaching one that will enable New Zealand to bring up her contributions to our air fleet to four complete units.
"It makes.-interesting reading," said Mr, Myers, "to note what other portions of our Empire are doing in this connection.Just to mention a few instances The Punjaub Aeroplane Fund closed at £90,000; Mauritius sent three aeroplanes Home within a period of six weeks; Malayans of all nationalities have presented the British Government with a squadron of sixteen aeroplanes; Ashanti has subscribed its fifth gift aeroplane; the offer of a complete aerial squadron by Australia has been accepted by the War Office; and the Overseas Club has been the medium through which our Overseas Dominions, and dependencies have already presented to the Royal Flying Corps no fewer than seventy aeroplanes. The; aircraft that have been presented by individual districts, and bearing the local names, flying over our troops and fighting the common enemy, must, have a tremendously heartening effect on our men at the front."
Mr Myers also stated that it was gratifying to know that steps are being taken to found an aviation school in Cliristchurch, from which it is hoped to supply fully-qualified young pilots for service, at the front.
In view of the conviction expressed by many aeronautical experts, that in future the power that commands the air will rule the world, it is to be hoped that the fullest and strongest support will be accorded to New Zealand's two schools of aviation, in Auckland and Christchurch.
Australia is also proving herself not behind the times, a new school of aviation having' recently'been opened at Clarendon.
New Zealand has already played an important part in forwarding the science of aviation, for the feat of Lieut. Brandon opened the eyes of the authorities at Home to the fact that Zeppelins can be successfully combated by aeroplanes. It had been previously believed that the late Lieut. Warneford's coup, in bringing down a Zeppelin in Belgium, was quite exceptional; but Lieut. Brandon's success in putting a Zeppelin out of action, single-handed, and during the night-time; pressed home the fact that in the "fighting aeroplane" we possess a weapon by means of which we are able to check to a great extent the attacks by the unwieldy Prussian Zeppelin. The new fast British fighting machine which has now been evolved has already destroyed 27 Fokkers.
In making a passing reference to the fact that British 'Zeppelins" are now on patrol duty in the North Sea, Mr. Myers stated that in his opinion there is no doubt that the Air Service at Home is in capable hands. Even Mr. Pemberton Billing, the "Air Service pessimist," acknowledges that we possess something far finer than any Prussian Zeppelin in the most marvellous fighting aeroplane in the world.
The air raids at Home have cost Germany very dear, they having achieved no military object, and the Allies have accounted already for the destruction of thirty-five of these unwieldy and costly machines.
Mr. Myers reminded our representative that each district which subscribes a gift aeroplane has the option of naming the machine given, and that, should the aeroplane.be destroyed, the War Office will replace it by another bearing the same name, so that the district in question will always have its name associated with the air service.
"The day is not far distant," concluded Mr. Myers, "when all British frontiers will be patrolled by aeroplanes; when over large tracts of sparsely inhabited land, such as there are in Australia and Canada, these machines will be used for policing purposes; and when aeroplanes for commercial purposes, for mails and for passengers, will become a matter of ordinary routine. The first nation to organise arid co-ordinate its air service for commercial purposes after the war will eventually out-distance other countries. That New Zealand did not mean to be left behind is evidenced by the awakening that is taking place on the part of the people to the important part that the science of aviation is going to play in our future development."
