HAROLD BLACKBURN 1879-1959

 

MR H. BLACKBURN YORKSHIRE PILOT- 1914 Collection of Philip E. Robinson, 4-7-05

 

	Wars of the Roses Air Race 1913	Sheffield Aviation Week 1914	Harold Blackburn & Boy Scout 1914

 

	The Royal Aero Club Year Book 1911	Blackburn Family Tree

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Harold Blackburn +aviation" using Google, (4-3-06), you will find about 37 links..

British Civil Aviation in 1913      This page on the RAF Museum website offers a brief reference to Harold as follows:   17 September      "A 70 year old woman, Mrs Leigh, is taken flying by Harold Blackburn when he demonstrates his new Type l monoplane at Ripon in Yorkshire."        If time permits, you may want to read the rest of the many highlights which are listed. In addition, I suggest that you visit the homepage of the site and take advantage of the many features which are available.You can access the site by clicking on the title above.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS - BOY SERVICE 1917 by John Ross Hardback 192 pages Illustrated £9.50 ISBN 0 7212 0830 4      "As a schoolboy in 1914 when war broke out the author was already fascinated by the pioneer aviators. He was there when Harold Blackburn flew his monoplane at the very first Sheffield Aviation week. He tried to join as a ‘boy learner’ the Royal Flying Corps when he left school, but was unsuccessful. Eventually he was taken on as one of the first cadets in 1917. His first book, The RFC to the RAF, India 1919 deals with his time in India, this book fills in the early gaps."      This book is out of print, but used copies may occasionally be found by using Google.

 

Harold Blackburn as born 19 January 1879 and died April 1959 (precise day unknown). He was borm in Dymock, Gloucestershire, but his family soon moved to Yorkshire where he later began his association with Robert Blackburn.      Harold Blackburn joined the RFC in 1914 and served at least part of the war in Palestine fighting the Turks. He was awarded the Military Cross and (after the RFC became the RAF) the Air Force Cross. In the early 1920s he was based at RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire and his last post, as a Wing Commander, was commander of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath. He retired from the RAF in 1929 and moved to Jersey, Channel Islands. He was evacuated to Britain in 1940 but later returned to Jersey, where he died about 1960 (I will see if I can get a more accurate date). Personal communication from Mike Hallett, 8-27-08   Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this Early Flier, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back