Bangor
BANGOR: Temporary water landing site planned initially, later transferred to a beach site - BALLYHOLME.
NOTES: Years after first attempting to follow the exploits of the many pre-WW1 aviators, and in this case Henri Salmet who was one of the most famous in that era, I was astonished to find this account furnished through various channels from Ellen Elder. I’ll quote in full the pertinent extract:
“Our local weekly newspaper, The County Down Spectator, had very few photographs but in May 1914 the pages suddenly blossomed with the news of the expected arrival of Monsieur Henri Salmet and his water-plane. Bangor Urban Council had persuaded the Daily Mail, which was sponsoring M. Salmet, to include Bangor in his Irish Tour. (This was the first time I discovered Salmet had done an Irish tour!). Photographs, probably provided by the Daily Mail, showed the exciting machine in action.
In the issue 12 June more pictures of the water-plane appeared along with the disappointing news that a Mr. Fred Raynham would arrive instead of Henri. The 19 June issue had yet more photos of the water-plane, and, finally, the 26 June issue reported that Henry (note the spelling mistake: Ed) had arrived – without the water-plane! It had developed mechanical trouble and had been left behind at Carlingford Lough.
The aerial exhibition and passenger flights were carried out by monoplane and afterwards there was a band promenade and fireworks display at Ballyholme, a local sandy beach suitable for landing aircraft. The novelty value of this event can be gauged from the fact that local school children and the staff of the Spectator were given a half-day holiday in honour of the visit and extra trains and steamers were put on to convey the crowds from Belfast to Bangor at reduced prices.”
During his tours around much of the UK Henri Salmet would often exchange the wheels on his Blériot for floats, and vica-versa, depending upon the availability and suitability of various display sites.
A COMMENT
As pointed out elsewhere in this ‘Guide’ this account brings up several points of interest which appear to have almost disappeared from ‘official British’ history. The principal point being that we have, without any doubt, by far the richest aviation flying site history of any nation.
Compared to the adulation displayed by the public, the senior British ‘military establishment’were on the whole not much impressed by the potential of the aeroplane and offered very little practical and financial support. The establishment of the Royal Aircraft Factory at FARNBOROUGH prior to WW1 cannot be seen as an altogether positive move because initially it was virtually starved of funds. Much of what Samuel Cody did there, for example, would be seen today as a private initiative.
The apparent blindness of senior British military ranks towards the potential of aviation, let alone the development of the aeroplane is something we can still wonder at. Almost none of them appears to have seen it coming despite all the signs? Perhaps odder still when you consider the British Royal family were keen supporters of aviation endeavour almost from the start and the Royal Navy were far more proactive.
SUPER-STARS
Compared to this attitude by most of the British military hierarchy is the astonishing reception by virtually the entire population of the UK. who saw the aeroplane as a thing of wonder. The most famous pilots really were the ‘Super-Stars’ of that era. And not just the public, most town councils in the UK almost fell over themselves to host an aviation event and, in fact, had done so for decades even in the nineteenth century, hosting major civic undertakings for just one balloon launch.
It is perhaps hard to appreciate today that any town hosting a balloon launch, or later a display of flying - usually with just one pilot and his machine - (as aeroplanes were generally called in those days), was truly a ‘Cape Canaveral’ event in its time. Thousands upon thousands would turn up. What we need to remember of course is that for the vast majority, if not everybody attending a balloon ascent, this would be the first time they had seen a human being in the air. And indeed, even when the powered fixed wing era arrived, many if not most of the people attending, quite probably had still not seen a person aloft in the sky.
Plus of course the aeroplane display invariably presented a far more immediate sense of 'dash and daring' - and still does of course.
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