Controversy surrounds historic flight

Periodically over the past 100 years or so, a certain subject flares up and becomes a talking point for a while before retreating once again into the mists of time.

It concerns a very significant event in the history of East London: the first powered flight ever in South Africa which took place either on December 28, 1909 or January 1, 1910, depending on how you interpret the facts.

It happened on the old race course, the ground on which Stirling High School now stands.

A rather nondescript concrete block with a bronze plaque, until recently hidden from view by a large cactus plant and an assortment of weed growth, stands on the corner of Gleneagles and John Bailie Roads.

It marks a pivotal moment in South African aviation history and is by-passed unnoticed by hundreds of motorists every day. The plaque reads: On 28

“December, 1909, the Frenchman Albert Kimmerling made the first controlled powerdriven flight in South Africa in this vicinity, at that time the Nahoon race course. Kimmerling, who used a 50horsepower Voisin biplane made the historic flight at the invitation of the Gala Committee of the East London Town Council - National Monuments Council, 1978.”

The reader will notice the two conflicting dates at the start of this article. This has caused a great deal of controversy over the years.

A number of prominent people in East London in the intervening years have been adamant the plaque depicts the wrong day and date, month and year. They include former Dispatch sports editor Sandy Johnston, as well as former Dispatch editor Glyn Williams.

On the other hand, knowledgeable East Londoners such as historians Gill Vernon and HH Driffield were equally adamant the plaque is correct in every respect.

After reading the available evidence obtained from the East London central library archives, my own view tends to lie with Vernon and Driffield.

Here are the facts as I see them.

The week of December 27, 1909 to January 1, 1910 was a festive one in East London. The citizens of the city were agog at the prospect of seeing the first engine-powered flight in South Africa.

The editorial and advertising content of the local newspaper had for weeks been happily promoting the event. The initiative came from an enterprising local firm, Howard Farrar and Robinson which had announced itself as the sole

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importers of the Voisin.”

Another error, suggested Williams, was the notation on the plaque which stated the historic flight was at the invitation of the grandly named Gala Committee of the East

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London Town Council.

There is no evidence, Williams contended, to suggest the town council acted other than a welcoming municipality.

Strictly speaking, he is correct but it certainly was under the patronage of the Council.

There had been some rain around that week and the wind had blown almost continuously, another factor the detractors of the plaque latched on to with some justification. Some reports stated it was just too windy on December 28 for any attempted flight by Monsieur Kimmerling.

A Dispatch report on January 3, 1910 read: The first official

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flight was advertised for Saturday, January 1st, 1910 but with true Gallic courtesy Kimmerling, when approached, consented to make flights at any favourable moment during the week prior to that date to enable visitors whose holiday stay could not be prolonged until Saturday to witness at least one ascent but the wind at no time moderated sufficiently to warrant an attempt at flight.”

What follows, I believe, is the crux of the matter on which the detractors pin their argument.

A local journalist wrote in the issue of December 29, 1909: A great and pleasant

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surprise greeted a few in the know who were present on the race course last evening between the hours of 6 and 7.30 and they witnessed the first practice of the flying machine. M Kimmerling left the

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garage with the biplane to make a trial run of the course.

The manner in which he

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was able to manipulate the enormous bird-like machine travelling at the rate of 30 miles an hour, turning and sweeping past with a force and speed that could almost be said to be appalling was a sight indeed. The occasion was

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heightened by a most glorious setting sun which marked the close of day by a gorgeous expanse of rosy glow which was silhouetted against the spires of the church steeples and the residences of Southernwood.

Twice M Kimmerling travelled over the racecourse grounds, guiding his machine with the greatest ease, turning off like a flash of lightning when it appeared almost certain that he would crash into the grandstand.”

All very well, contend Johnston and Williams, but nowhere in the article does it say the plane actually took off and was flying.

Johnston adds the plane at this stage was only taxiing and that a sub editor had altered one word of the text to make it seem the plane was airborne.

Williams, a meticulous journalist, backs his point of view by quoting reports of strong winds during the week and quotes by the aviator and the reporter which suggests Kimmerling did not fly before January 1, 1910.

Mr Driffield said: If the

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plane was travelling on the ground along the race track there was no chance of it crashing into the grandstand as there was a strong wire fence about 45 yards in front of the grandstand about three and a half feet high.

The plane must have been

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in the air at a height of about 20 feet to have made the Dispatch reporter write that it appeared

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almost certain that he would crash into the grandstand.”

Driffield also quotes one of the most experienced of the Dispatch journalists, H Everitt, as writing that a trial flight was made on December 28, the

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first flight in South Africa about which the lucky ones talked for days after.”

Mrs Vernon agreed, stating although there was some confusion, all the evidence points to a flight on the date on the plaque.

It must be borne in mind, however, that no such event had ever been reported on in South African journalism before and with hindsight, key elements such as omitting to mention specifically the aircraft had actually taken off in the report on December 29 was understandable but probably taken as read by the reporter.

Is it feasible for example that the manner in which he was

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able to manipulate the enormous bird-like machine, travelling at the rate of 30 miles an hour, turning and sweeping past with a speed and force that could almost be said to be appalling,” be consistent with the plane being still on the ground?

The giveaway was the few lines in the report which read: A great and pleasant surprise

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greeted a FEW IN THE

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KNOW who were present

” between the hours of 6 and 7.30 and they witnessed THE FIRST

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PRACTICE of the flying

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machine.

To me this suggests that the wind which had howled throughout the day but, as it so often does in East London, abated at sunset when most people had gone home.

A few in the know stayed

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behind and were rewarded by witnessing the first flight ever made in South Africa and that was December 28, 1909 _ as stated on the plaque.

Another idiosyncrasy in this drama is that the first official

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flight scheduled for January 1,

” 1910 in front of the assembled Town Councillors and invited guests, never actually happened. Monsieur Kimmerling, who incidentally never had a license to fly an aircraft and was later killed in an air race between Paris and Rome, wheeled the aircraft out for a trial flight early that particular morning and irreparably crashed it.

The plaque is indeed correct therefore by stating that the first controlled engine-powered heavier- than-air-flight ever to take place in South Africa was made here in East London on December 28, 1909.