On the 7th May 1909, the Admiralty ordered the Navy’s first aircraft, His Majesty’s Air Ship 1. It was a landmark decision that transformed Naval warfare.
To mark the occasion a spectacular midday flypast took place over the UK’s strike carrier, HMS Illustrious, R-06, moored alongside the magnificent Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich. A formation of helicopters over-flew Lusty led by the Royal Navy’s newest type the Merlin, followed by variants of the older Sea King and Lynx. They were closely followed by a fixed-wing element comprising four Jetstreams and four Hawks, with a low cloud-base and a gusting wind meant challenging conditions for flying in such close formation.
On board HMS Illustrious the atmosphere was a mixture of celebration and reflection. His Royal Highness, The Duke of York KG, Commodore in Chief Fleet Air Arm and a distinguished Naval pilot who saw service in the Falklands conflict, was guest of honour as the flypast passed overhead. The Duke spoke warmly of his service in the Fleet Air Arm and the Nation's debt of gratitude to all those who gave their lives in the service of Naval aviation. He also thanked everyone who worked hard to keep the aircraft flying, including the engineers and maintainers, praising the Fleet Air Arm’s commitment and professionalism in the challenging environment in which they operate.
The Duke was welcomed aboard HMS Illustrious by the Commander In Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE who takes over as the 1st Sea Lord in July. Admiral Stanhope expressed his warmest congratulations to the Fleet Air Arm on the occasion of its centenary by saying, “ The Fleet Air Arm is contributing directly to the UK defence commitments worldwide, delivering operational capability on all fronts. While 80% of our squadrons are currently deployed – in Afghanistan, the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Far East, the Caribbean and the North and South Atlantic; the Fleet Air Arm has never been in greater demand, proving its utility and versatility in land operations as well as at sea”.
The Duke also had the opportunity to meet some of the most celebrated Fleet Air Arm veterans whilst on board Illustrious. These included the Royal Navy’s most decorated pilot, Captain Eric Brown; Swordfish pilot John Moffat, famous for crippling the German Battleship Bismarck; Lieutenant Commander Edgar Lee, one of the few remaining survivors of the daring Channel Dash operation in 1942; former Fleet Air Arm pilot Sir George Martin and other veterans from operations in the Falklands War and Afghanistan.
Concluding the celebrations aboard Illustrious, the Duke joined hands with the youngest rating on the ship, AET Jasper, to cut the FLY NAVY 100 birthday cake.
Following a weekend of special events in London and on the Thames, HMS Illustrious finally set sail on May 11th , the ship and its complement of over 900 personnel leaving to take part in the multi-national “Joint Warrior” exercise off the Scottish coast.
GAR wants to interact with its readers so if you have a question for the author or a comment to make on this feature, please click on the button below. The best comments will appear right here on GAR.2010-03-10 - RODNEY PATTISSON
John Moffat did not cripple the Bismarck. He fired at her port side and the damage inflicted was at her starboard side. Proof of this can be seen on U-Tube EXPEDITION BISMARCK Part 8 of 10 clips. Only two piots successfully attacked her starboard side - Lieut Godfrey-Fawsett and Lieut Pattisson, so it had to be one of these and not John Moffat. Signed RODNEY PATTISSON
If you would like to discuss using any of our imagery or feature content please contact us.