Air crash takes life of ‘mechanical genius’
Harold Barnwell– one of the family of pioneering aviators with links to Stirling and Balfron – died in a plane crash 100 years ago.
Described as a “mechanical genius” by the Observer, Mr Barnwell was a Government flight instructor and chief pilot for engineering company Vickers.
He was chief tester of the company’s new planes at a time when the war in the air was raging.
He died at an aerodrome in Kent when asked to try a plane which had just been flown by a military officer. A coroner’s inquest was told the Vickers Vampire “performed many evolutions” then crashed to the ground and Harold, who was about 40, was killed instantly.
Vickers manager Harold Savage said Harold had not been in good health. It was his opinion the aviator became ill during the flight and lost control of the plane. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned.
Harold, was the eldest son of the late Mr RH Barnwell, a former managing director of Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, Glasgow, and acquired his engineering knowledge on the Clyde.
With brothers Frank and Archibald, he established the Grampian Engineering and Motor Company in Causewayhead.
Frank had made a “pilgrimage” to the United States to collect information on planes, and visited the famous Wright brothers who are generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful airplane in 1903.
It was at the works in Causewayhead that in 1908 the Barnwells emulated the Wrights and built and finished their first aircraft. They frequently flew their creations at the Carse of Stirling but many of the early crafts failed to get off the ground.
However, in 1909, the brothers went into the history books after creating a machine which achieved Scotland’s first powered flight. The craft reached an altitude of 13ft and travelled 80 yards before being damaged on landing.
In 1911, the brothers designed their last machine and built six of them. Piloted by Harold Barnwell, the plan travelled a mile which was the longest flight in Scotland at that time.
Following the ground-breaking flight, Harold went to work for Vickers while Frank continued to design, build and fly aircraft. He worked as chief designer for Bristol Aeroplane Company and produced the blueprint for the Bristol F2 fighter used in WW1. Frank was involved in a fatal crash while testing his own aircraft in 1938. Archibald served on the Western Front as a Major with the Artillery.
As well as reporting Harold’s death, the Observer reminded readers he and his family occupied Elcho House, later Auchendarroch, at Balfron.
He was remembered there as the most “retiring and humblest” of men who predicted a great future for the aeroplane.