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WW1 pilots training in the south of England
NAS: GD486/206
Douglas Hume’s first plane crash near Southampton Water
NAS: GD486/179
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Calshot Naval Air Station,
Fawley, Hants.
Friday 19 November 1915
Dear Mother
Oh day of woe! Alas alack & welladay! etc, etc. I have had my first smash today.
I went up in a Schneider for the first time today and got up to 7000 feet - my record now - in 20 minutes. Came down with my engine off at 90 knots - about 110 miles an hour - and landed in a most delightful sea – waves about 4 feet high. Some landing.
I leapt from one wave to another until the starboard float went and jerked the wheel out of my hand, the engine picked up and before I could switch off, the machine slewed round to the right and charged the Calshot light buoy, smashing the prop. So then I got out and stood on the remaining float and when the motor boat dashed up at 19 knots I caught their line and made fast. The moment they began to tow, the machine turned over so I dived overboard right into a wire which has left a nice bump on my head and struck out for the motor boat & clambered on board.
It took us an hour and 40 minutes to tow the machine back, so you may guess I was a bit cold when I got in, and as the tide runs out about 7 knots there was nothing worth saving out of the mess except the engine. As the machine costs about £1500 and the engine £950 that’s £550 damage to my credit!! And there is a Flight Commander now at the CFS [Central Flying School] at Upavon who has 32 smashes to his credit, and boasts of it too!!!
Much love to all
Douglas
NAS: Hume papers: GD486/85
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