Pilots’ one-way trip

Norman Watson was delighted to hear from aviation enthusiast Professor Bob Sturrock of Dundee about two early postcards of an aircraft carrier ‘floated’ in last Wednesday’s column.

Professor Sturrock was able to tell Norman that the cards probably showed the seaplane carrier HMS Manxman in 1917. The planes taking off were shipborne Sopwith Pups, produced by the William Beardmore company in Dalmuir. Their role was to hunt Zeppelins.

HMS Manxman was a converted coalburning passenger vessel and the pioneer of naval aviation was Flight Commander Frederick Rutland, known as Rutland of Jutland after his exploits in 1916.

On June 28, 1917, Rutland took off in a Sopwith Pup from a flying-off platform mounted on the roof of one of the gun turrets of the light cruiser HMS Yarmouth, the first such successful launch of an aircraft in history.

Professor Sturrock says Rutland was convinced he could take off from a 20-foot launching platform and the postcards probably show scenes from these trials in 1917.

For the pilot it was a one way trip. The Pups were fitted with fuselage airbags. Pilots had to land next to their carrier – and hope for rescue.

Professor Sturrock added that the postcards are rare. He has seen only one photograph of Pups taking off from a flying-off deck.