Contributor: NFNPA Archaeology

East Boldre Spitfires – Cycle Speedway Club

East Boldre Parish Council and the New Forest are after information and photos about the East Boldre Spitfires who were based at East Boldre with a dirt track speedway.

A number of photos and names are coming to light, but it would be great to add additional information such as names, dates and any other stories.

So called the Spitfires because their track was near to Beaulieu WWII Royal Air Force Base. They’re track was actually in the location of East Boldre WWI airfield.

Looking at aerial photos and lidar along with one of the photos it appears that the track was located to north west of the village hall orientated roughly north-east south-west on it’s long axis and was built on the open heathland directly opposite Chapel Lane. This can be seen in the aerial photos above.

The Team raced in the New Forest League.

The photos here have been provided by East Boldre Parish Council through some of the local residents.

Photos 1 – 8 titled: East Boldre Spitfires look like they have been taken at other speedway track venues due to the visible backgrounds

Photos 1 – 5 titled: East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway look like they have been taken at East Boldre due to the village hall or recognisable houses on East Boldre road

Over 100 clubs were registered in Hampshire alone showing the popularity of cycle speedway post WWII.

Names In Photos

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 1 – Left to Right back row: Pip Gregory Ray Dunkason. Pete Warne. Colin Flyn. Arnold Phillips. Basil Crouch. Don Kearl Bill Kitcher. Front Row: Charlie Phillips. Ernie King. Bob Flyn. Tony Kitcher. Mascot. Mike Crouch. Photo taken at the Langley track in the 1950s.

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 2 –

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 3 –

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 4 –

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 5 –

East Boldre Spitfires at East Boldre Speedway 6 – Charlie Phillips is the Marshall.  Arthur Phillips is on the left in the Black Trilby. Larry Abrahams is the small Boy three in from the left.

East Boldre Spitfires 1 – Taken at Langley Lions speedway track. 

East Boldre Spitfires 2 – Back row left to right: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Front Row left to right: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

East Boldre Spitfires 3 – Taken at Langley Lions speedway track Left to Right: Colin Flynn, Morris Crouch, 3, Bill Kitcher, 5, Peter Warne, Ray Dunkanson, Dave Gregory. Front: Mike Crouch (Mascot)

East Boldre Spitfires 4 – Taken at Langley Lions speedway track. Left to right: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Front: 1

East Boldre Spitfires 5 – Taken at Langley Lions speedway track. Left to right: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Front: Mike Crouch (Mascot)

East Boldre Spitfires 6 – Left to right: 1,2,3

East Boldre Spitfires 7 – ?

East Boldre Spitfires 8 – Left: Right:

Cycle Speedway a potted history

This has come from Cycle Speedway Teams through the Years website

The sport of Motor Cycle Speedway was allegedly introduced to this Country in 1928, and it is from these humble beginnings that the sport of Cycle Speedway emerged, with a form of racing taking place before the second World War. However, it was not until the end of this war that the sport emerged in a controlled and recorded manner.

In 1946 Control Boards and Local Leagues were formed throughout the Country, these being run by interested adults, many of whom had their own sons and daughters in the teams. The tracks themselves were built on cleared bomb sites, where previous devastation and despair were replaced by the sounds of enjoyment and laughter. Once the sport got on it’s feet, a number of Councils began to donate corners of recreation grounds on which tracks could be built, some even financing this venture, from the building of the track, to the supply of all the equipment required.

A very early magazine for the sport was called “Cycle Speedway Monthly”, which covered the whole Country, and sold well over 4,000 copies per edition.

An Association was formed on 14th January 1950 at the offices of the News Chronicle, Bouverie Street, London, this being the “National Amateur Cycle Speedway Association”(NACSA). This Association encouraged the boys to take an active part in the sports organisation, and provided the means to unite the sport across the Country, thus enabling for National Competitions to take place.

The “British Cycle Speedway Federation”(BCSF), was formed in London in 1958 by Derek Bacon and Vic Cowell, who between them raised the profile and presentation of Cycle Speedway to a new level. Eventually, after many disagreements over a period of twelve years, the two controlling bodies merged in 1971, forming the ‘Cycle Speedway Council’.

Emery Down Christ Church Graveyard Survey – Sunday 19th August

NFNPA Archaeology
RTI3 After - Christ Church Emery Down

As part of the Our Past, Our Future, Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) Landscape Partnership Scheme the New Forest National Park Archaeology Team have been working with Emery Down to survey the condition of, and record the monuments in Christ Church graveyard. The survey will help accurately map and identify monuments that can be conserved using HLF funds and will ultimately create a database for ongoing management of the graveyard. The other ambition is to make the list of burials and monuments within the graveyard available to the public on this site to help people who are researching their family trees.

As well as hard graft from volunteers we have been using technology to help us reveal the secrets of Christ Church; Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). The process involves taking numerous photos of one monument with a raking light and then letting the computer do the hard work to produce some amazing results. If you are interested in learning more about RTI photography you can do: here. The results produced highlighted how valuable RTI is; as the inscriptions that were once illegible have now been legible, providing a greater resource within the overall survey and documentation process.

We will be returning to Emery Down on Sunday 19th August 2018 at 14:00 to undertake the next survey area. All are welcome to come and give it a go and help compile the graveyard record. If you are interested in joining then email archaeology@newforestnpa.gov.uk for more information.

To see what we have been upto in Christ Church Graveyard to date have a read of the this article on New Forest Knowledge: Revealing the secrets of Emery Down Churchyard

Example of RTI Photography at Emery Down

Equipping the Armada: The Archaeology of Lepe Country Park – Abstract & Video

The following paper was presented at the New Forest Knowledge Conference 2017 entitled: New Forest Historical Research and Archaeology: who’s doing it? Below you will find the abstract of the paper and a video of the paper given if permission to film it was given by the speaker.

Speaker:

Stephen Fisher

Abstract

The coastal country park of Lepe in the New Forest played a significant role in the events of June 1944. In the years and months leading up to D-Day, the waterfront saw extensive preparations, including the construction of massive breakwaters for the famous Mulberry Harbour, purpose built embarkation hards for landing craft and a terminal for the PLUTO pipeline.

Today, the remains of this massive infrastructure can still be found on the shore and eroding from the cliffs behind the beach. One of the earliest archaeological surveys of what remains was undertaken in 1990 and since then numerous investigations have followed, most recently as part of the New Forest National Park Authority’s New Forest Remembers: Untold Stories of World War II project.

Despite the extensive fieldwork, documentary sources for Lepe remain scarce. It is only recently that historical sources pertaining to a First World War gun battery at the site have been identified and these provide only scant detail. Similarly, there are no known plans of the Second World War battery, the PLUTO installation or the Mulberry construction site and, so far, only a handful of blurry wartime photographs of the site have been uncovered.

Lepe is a site where, almost alone, archaeology is providing answers about these installations. What more can survey and excavation tell us and how do they contribute to this site’s story?

You can find out more about Mulberry Harbours and Embarkation and the role of the New Forest during D Day by visiting our main page on D-Day in the New Forest.

The Talk

Eve and the New Forest Holly Harvest

“What a poor old festive season it would be without a touch of holly!” Deep in the New Forest we found the holly harvesters.”

Holly harvesting still occurs today, but this early 1919 film from British Pathe shows various shots of girls harvesting holly in the New Forest in Hampshire. They pull down holly trees by hauling on ropes and cut down single branches. They tie the holly into bunches. Finished holly bunches are loaded on to horse and cart with pitchforks. Horse and cart move off through forest with girls walking alongside. Cute end shot of two young children carrying holly bunches walking towards camera. The film is presumably shot around Christmas time 1919.

Eve’s Film Review

Eve and Everybody’s Film Review was launched in June 1921 as Pathe’s cinemagazine aimed at the female audience, a compliment to their already successful, Pathe Pictorial. The series began with a title competition, asking members of the public to suggest a better name for the magazine. However, it seems as though none was forthcoming, as the title remained, often shortened to Eve’s Film Review, throughout the cinemagazine’s twelve year run. Eve’s Film Review was produced by Pathe’s Periodicals Department, under the direction of Fred Watts, who described the series in a promotional essay, “Just ‘Pic and Eve” in 1928, as ‘a most comprehensive and attractive “light” periodical.’ It was mostly put together from library footage (which likely explains the date of the Holly Harvest film being 1919; before Eve’s Film review was up and running) and the occasional specially shot story.

Eve’s Film Review’s main content, in keeping with its ‘fashion, fun and fancy’ slogan was film of women doing interesting and novel jobs and hobbies, fashion displays and novelty items ranging from excerpts of musicals and plays to slow-motion camera studies of nature. The mixture was lively and varied, reflecting art, home, fashion, stage, recreation and cartoons. Cartoons featured prominently in the series.

This content is copyright of British Pathe. You can find out more about British Pathe and their other videos here

Excavations at the ‘Royal Hunting Lodge’ at Church Place, Denny Wait – Abstract & Video

The following paper was presented at the New Forest Knowledge Conference 2017 entitled: New Forest Historical Research and Archaeology: who’s doing it? Below you will find the abstract of the paper and a video of the paper given if permission to film it was given by the speaker.

Speaker:

Dr Paul Everill, University of Winchester

Abstract

A number of sites across the New Forest are considered to be the remains of medieval hunting lodges, constructed in the 14th or 15th centuries by order of the king. More than half a dozen are described as such by Historic England and are protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments and, in some cases, it is possible to link the surviving earthworks with lodges named in various court rolls. While there are many similarities in the layout of the earthworks, there are also some important differences in both the apparent height of the banks and the presence, or absence, of building material that might indicate significant structures. Geophysical survey and excavation of the scheduled site at Church Place, Denny Wait, in 2016 and 2017 suggests that there is greater variety in the nature and function of these sites than has previously been thought. While the archaeological evidence supports the dating of the site, the absence of confirmed structural remains suggests a more ephemeral and perhaps temporary use of the site. This paper will outline the background to the excavations, and consider the results and possible interpretations arising from them.

The Talk

Exhibitions

From November 2014 to February 2016 the New Forest National Park Authority has been running the New Forest Remembers WWI project telling the story of the New Forest during the First World War 1914 – 1918. This project was funded by the NFNPA and ExxonMobil at Fawley and follows on from our very successful Heritage Lottery funded New Forest Remembers; untold stories of WWII project. The WWI project has enabled us to expand this online archive to include WWI material and hold a temporary exhibition at the New Forest Centre in Lyndhurst running from Feb to 1 May 2016.

Both these projects have held a number of very successful events and exhibitions since January 2012 and we are now able to loan out the exhibition panels and activities*. Full details are below with images of the units and display material above. If you are interested and want to know more please contact us via: communications@newforestnpa.gov.uk.

Heritage Portal leaflet Download.
It focuses on the WWII material of the site but all the links within it will take you to the current expanded portal covering both WWI and WWII in the New Forest.
Leaflet download – Interactive Portal, our online archive

New Forest Remembers WWI project material

WWI Exhibition
On display from 6 Feb – 1 May 2016 at the New Forest Centre Lyndhurst was the New Forest Remembers WWI exhibition. Discover personal stories, photos and documents revealing the role of the New Forest during the Great War of 1914 to 1918 and the impact it had on local residents.

During May 2016 the panels were on display in the reception area of the New Forest National Park Authority, Town hall, Lymington.

Travelling Exhibition
The New Forest Remembers WWI project travelling exhibition panels with display boards/stands are available to book to visit your venue please contact us for more details or to request a loan.

  1. 700×900 (Intro panel) New Forest Remembers: untold stories of World War I
  2. (900×900) The Indian camp at Ashurst
  3. (900×900) Treating the wounded
  4. (900×900) The dogs of war
  5. (900×900) The latest technology of war
  6. (900×900) Commemoration, honouring and remembering
  7. (900×900) ‘The loss of man and boy’
  8. (900×900) Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War
  9. (900×900) Redlynch’s call to arms
  10. (900×900) Training for the trenches
  11. (900×900) Transformed by war
  12. (900×900) The troops start to arrive
  13. (900×900) Waterside auxiliary hospitals
  14. (400×400) (Exit panel) Continue your journey…

(Panel dims in mm)
New Forest Remembers; untold stories of WWII project material

Station Panels

Created for the 2012 New Forest Show and used again for our temporary exhibition at the New Forest Centre in 2013 these eight panels focus of different locations in the forest.

  1. Ashley Walk – Experimental bombing range
  2. Brockenhurst – Arrival of evacuees
  3. Burley – Tanks and training
  4. Holmsley – They flew from the Forest
  5. Ibsley Common – Detection of friend or foe
  6. Lepe – The build up to D-Day
  7. Setley Plain – Prisoners of War
  8. Wilverley Plain – Digging for victory

Panel dimensions:  height 2100mm (6’ 11”) x 900mm (2’11”) wide

Station Panel Quiz Boxes
Each station panel can be enhanced with the addition of a discovery box.  These reproduction British and USA WWII Military Ration boxes each contain a coded clue to the answer to a question. The clues are related to each station and visitors are encouraged to visit each station to gain all the coded answers before deciphering to gain the final answer. Two boxes can be set up to hold objects under a Perspex screen and two are interactive with the remainder full of rations (inserted screen image). Quiz sheet available (while stocks last) including answer cards.

Temporary Exhibition Intro panel
This panel was made for our Temporary Exhibition at the New Forest Centre in 2013 and introduces the project and the online archive the Interactive Portal.
Panel dimension: 900mm (2’11”) square

Mapping Data Display Unit

Made for our Temporary Exhibition at the New Forest Centre in 2013 this display unit is a gentle introduction to GIS (Global Information Systems) ‘Teaching old maps new tricks’. A fixed back-lit base map shows the 1909 OS map of the New Forest and surrounding area. There are four transparent panels that can be pulled across the base map showing different layers of data.

  1. LiDAR (find out more about our LiDAR)
  2. Modern day aerial photography
  3. National Mapping program data
  4. War Diary points

Please note

  • This unit is very heavy and must be fixed to a wall or very sturdy exhibition surface.
  • The unit requires power via a normal 3-pin plug.
  • It is possible to replace, with new graphics, the base map and pull across panels. If you are interested in this please contact us via: communications@newforestnpa.gov.uk.

Unit dimensions:  height 1110mm (3’ 8”) x 1800mm (5’11”) wide x 170mm (7”) thick

Travelling Exhibition

The New Forest Remembers WWII Project’s Travelling Exhibition is now available for loan. Explore five topics ranging from airfields to Home Guard and find out about sites you can visit in the Forest and still see and touch the remains of this ‘Most Secret’ of places only 70 years ago.

This exhibition consists of eight panels with a minimum loan of two panels (panels 1 and 8) and a preferred loan period of no less than one month.  Display boards also included.

  1. Introduction
  2. Flying high
  3. Women at war
  4. Wartime children
  5. D-Day began in the New Forest
  6. Home Guard
  7. We will remember them
  8. Reminders of the past

Panel dimensions:   900mm (2’11”) square

Exposed woodwork at Hurst Spit

In October 2017 stormy conditions revealed a large amount of woodwork and stone slabs was reported by a member of the public on the seaward side of Hurst spit. After a few visits with New Forest District Council Coastal Team during which as many of the points were recorded Storm Brian made an appearance at the end of October and recovered the finds with gravel.

We then began the research to see what they might have been; old pier sections, bits of coastal defence or something more interesting. The big break through came when looking at an 1824 French coastal chart of the New Forest Coast based on a 1781 survey by Lieutenant Murdoch Mackensie available from Old Hampshire Mapped. Lt Murdoch MacKenzie’s uncle, Murdoch MacKenzie, was commissioned by the Admiralty, 1750, to make surveys of the coasts of Great Britain. He retired 1770 having done the coast of Ireland and the west coast of England down to Pembroke. Lt MacKenzie took over where his uncle had stopped, continuing south to the Bristol Channel and to Lands End; then surveying the Thames estuary. However the manuscript charts were not engraved for many years and were finally released to the public later in the 19th century.

The coastal Chart records a Saltern set behind Hurst Spit with its own wind pump, though it is marked as a ruin. When we geo-rectified this chart onto modern mapping and then overlaid the points recorded NFDC they aligned with the northern edge of the marked saltern. As well as the lines of vertical timbers there were also groupings of vertical stakes recorded which roughly tie in with the location of the marked wind pump marked on the map.

Further research and conversations brought to light a series of photos taken by Jude James in 1989 that showed more lines of vertical timber supporting stone slabs exposed on the seaward side of Hurst Spit, which was the old southern edge of the saltern.

In Daniel Defoe’s 1704 book ‘The Storm’ used accounts sent in from people across the country to record and popularise the great storm of 1703. Across the New Forest some 4,000 oak tress were lost in the storm and a letter from Mr James Baker in February 1704 recorded the following amongst other observations: By the flowing of the Sea over Hurst Beach, two Salt-terns were almost ruin’d belonging to one Mr. Perkins. The only salterns these could be are the ones identified on the Mackenzie Chart.

Another source of information was the work of one of our volunteers: Wiseman, W. 2001: The Lymington Salt Industry, Hampshire: An Appraisal. Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, King Alfred’s College, Winchester. The saltern in question is known as Gates Saltern, that later becomes known as ‘The Mount’. The saltern was originally situated well to the east of Hurst Spit up to 1720, but by 1758/9, the shingle had moved up to the saltern’s seawall. When the sea breached the spit, part of the site was destroyed by flooding. This happened again in 1774/5, causing works to close until 1777. Further flooding occurring in 1778/9, led to the site finally being forced to close down in 1781. By 1797 only rubble was left on the site, which was visible until 1989, when a violent storm rolled the spit right over the site and it became exposed on the seaward side. The site was then recorded as either lost to the sea or reburied, luckily recent reveals show it was the latter. It is also very possible that the saltern here was linked with the 6 salinae’s recorded in the Doomsday book; none were recorded at Lymington, but they were recorded at Hordle, which is interesting as the present day parish does not extend far enough east to take in land suitable for salt making. However, until the middle of the 20th century Hordle parish did extend eastwards to include Hurst Spit. The Salterns recorded in Doomsday, were presumably those which lay in the original lee of the shingle bank.

Using the scale on the chart suggests that Hurst spit has rolled back a little less than 1/8 of a nautical mile which would roughly translate into about 200 metres.

By the end of October the woodwork had been re-covered by shingle movement, but was once again visible in April 2018 with a few more timbers missing.

If you have any photos of exposed woodwork or features at Hurst or even places like Calshot or Milford please do get in touch.

You can find out more about the New Forest salt industry and it’s history in this overview article: New Forest Salterns – An Overview

Film Clip – Beaulieu Airfield – D-Day

Video clip was originally found on a French website possibly because of the place name. In reality it shows 365 USAAF Group HELL HAWKS taking off on or around D-Day from Beaulieu in the New Forest. There were originally two separate films of outtake clips which were reedited to make a more coherent documentary style account. It is the only film available showing the actual operation of the airfield. American representatives of the Hell Hawks were contacted.

For further reading and articles on Beaulieu Airfield please visit: Beaulieu Airfield Overview

Beaulieu Airfield (Hampshire) USAAF Station AAF 408 365th Group ‘Thunderbolts’ D-Day 1944

In his book ‘Hampshire Airfields in the Second World War’ Robin J. Brooks says about the 365 Fighter Group, ‘This unit operated from the first light of dawn to the last ray of sun in an effort to wear down the enemy before the Allied invasion in June 1944. One week after the invasion, they had gone’. Therefore there is scant record of their contribution on D-Day except for this film clip.

Original article uploaded by: Kingsley (Kip) Miller

 

Here are the  YouTube videos (DDay-Overlord channel) with original/additional footage.

365th Fighter Group – Beaulieu – UK – 08/06/1944 – DDay-Overlord

365th Fighter Group – Beaulieu – 06/1944 – DDay-Overlord

 

 

For a World Air Speed Record – 1928

In September 1927 Mario de Bernardi had been representing Italy at the Schneider Trophy in Venice, but was forced to retire his Macchi M.52 racing seaplane due to engine issues. The British won the 1927 competition, but a month later on 4th November 1927, Mario de Bernardi broke the world air speed record in Venice in his Macchi M.52 achieving 479.290 kilometres per hour (297.817 mph) over a course of 3 kilometres (1.9 miles).

Thus began the competition to break the 300mph barrier with the main protagonists being the British World War I flying ace Flight Lieutenant Samuel Marcus ‘Kink’ Kinkead and the Italian Mario de Bernardi.

British Pathe has footage of Samuel Kinkead’s preparations at Calshot

For World’s Air Speed Record – 1928

FILM ID:718.37

Full titles read: “For World’s Air Speed Record – The man and the machine… Flight Lt. Kinkead and that “miracle of speed” the Supermarine Napier S.5.” Calshot, Hampshire.

Description: M/S of a small seaplane, the Supermarine Napier S.5, being wheeled out of an aircraft hangar. A man, probably Flight Lieutenant Kinkead, climbs into the cockpit and helps another man to pour petrol in the tank; others check different areas of the plane. Two men check the propellor; Kinkead works the propellor from the cockpit.

Nice M/S of Kinkead standing at the base of his plane. We see him chatting with some other men beside the plane; this seems to be a press conference with reporters, photographers and cameramen standing around the plane. Another shot of the plane being wheeled out, Kinkead filling petrol and talking to reporters.

300 Miles An Hour? – 1928

FILM ID:720.06

Full titles read: “300 Miles an hour? – Bad luck mars first attempt of Flight Lt. Kinkead & R.A.F. wonder ‘Plane to beat World record.” Calshot, Hampshire.

Description: M/S of Flight Lieutenant Kinkead climbing into the cockpit of his plane, the Supermarine Napier S.5.; L/S of the plane being wheeled down a ramp into the sea. L/S of the plane picking up speed for takeoff, then slowing down – something is wrong!

L/S of the plane being towed back towards the quay by a boat; Flight Lt Kinkead is seen climbing from the plane and onto the shoulders of a waiting rescue man, standing thigh-deep in the water. The man carries Kinkead on his shoulders to the quayside ramp (oh, the shame!), where he jumps down and walks off – it looks quite comical.

Tragedy

After a further number of failed attempts, including another one captured by British Pathe. Flt. Lt. Kinkead’s seaplane fails at first test prior to air speed record attempt at Calshot, Hampshire

On 12th March 1928,  Samuel Kinkead took off in a Supermarine Napier S.5. from RAF Calshot in the New Forest. The nation watched on as he attempted to become the first pilot to break the 300 mph barrier, but the flight was to be his last. As Kink increased his speed and flew low across the water, tragedy struck. The plane inexplicably nosedived, and one of the Great War’s most celebrated pilots died instantly as he struck the water. A verdict of death by misadventure was passed at the inquest into the accident. You can read about Kink’s burial at Fawley on this site here: Samuel Kinkead – Funeral of a WWII Flying Ace

British Pathe have some footage on their website showing ‘The exclusive pictures of the actual departure from Calshot of Flt. Lt. Kinkead on the attempt to break the world’s record which ended in the tragic death of the gallant airman.’

The 300mph Barrier

Mario de Bernardi went on to set yet another world speed record on 30th March 1928, flying a Macchi M.52R racing seaplane 512.776 kilometres per hour (318.624 mph) at Venice, becoming both the first person to exceed 500 kilometres per hour (310 mph) and the first person to exceed 300 miles per hour (480 km/h).

Later in 1928 Flying Officer David D”Arcy Alexander Greig of the British High Speed Flight raised the World Air Speed Record to 319.57 mph in the Supermarine S5

World’s Air Speed Record – 1928

FILM ID:746.07

Full titles: “World’s Air Speed Record for Britain? – Flight-Lieut. d’Arcy Greig, in his “Flying Bullet” the tiny Super-Marine seaplane, travels over six miles a minute in first tests.” Calshot, Hampshire.

Description: M/S of Flight Lieutenant D’Arcy Greig, in his RAF uniform. M/S of the seaplane being wheeled out of an aircraft hangar and worked on by men prior to the takeoff. M/S of Greig getting into the cockpit, wearing flying gear. The plane is wheeled down a ramp and into the sea at Calshot.

L/Ss of the plane starting off and moving across the water; we don’t see it actually take off – the next shot shows the plane flying through the air. M/Ss of the plane on the water again, as Greig gets out of the cockpit and the plane is brought in towards the ramp by some men. Greig climbs onto the shoulders of one of the men and is carried to dry land; he looks quite happy.

319.5 MPH – 1928

FILM ID:748.24

Item title reads – 319 1/2 miles an hour! Flight Lieutenant D’Arcy Greig reaches highest speed ever flown and wins for Britain honour of building world’s fastest aeroplane. Calshot, Hampshire.

Intertitle – ‘The Pathe Gazette leaves nothing to chance! For 43 days our cameraman waited at Calshot to obtain these history making pictures.’ L/S as the aeroplane taxis over the sea. M/S as Greig is carried up the ramp and applauded. C/U profile of him talking. L/S of the aeroplane

Description: Various shots of the aeroplane on land. M/S of Greig in the pilot’s seat, various shots as the propellor turns. M/S as it speeds across the water before taking off. L/S as it passes the ‘Aquitania’ ship, L/S as the aeroplane takes off. Various shots of Greig in pilot’s seat. L/S as the aeroplane flies through the air. M/S as it is wheeled out of the hangar. M/S of him stood in front of it. C/U of him in Royal Air Force uniform. M/S as he climbs into pilot’s seat.

M/S of aeroplane taxiing across water. M/S as he climbs out when the boat is on the water, someone carries him to shore on their shoulders. M/S of him in aeroplane again, it is pushed out and speeds off over the water. Various shots of men pushing it. M/S as it is wheeled into the sea and pulled along by a boat. Various shots of the aeroplane in action. M/S as Greig is given three cheers by fellow airmen. L/S of aeroplane flying and on the water. M/S of Greig stood up in it, he steps out and is carried across to shore again. Various shots of him, he laughs. Various shots of the aeroplane on the sea and at take off.

Note: the latter part of this item appears to be cuts.

Forest Figures: Eleanor Ruth Dent

Eleanor Ruth Dent is mother to Dionis M Macnair.

Eleanor Ruth Dent was born in 1899 in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. She came to Burley in the New Forest, Hampshire in 1907 as Burley had the reputation of being the best climate in the UK with the cleanest air.

At the start of the First World War, Eleanor Ruth Dent was still a school girl at 15 years old. Along with her mother; Mary Violet Dent and neighbour Mrs Clough, she helped at Blackmoor convalescent House; looking after Belgian soldiers and refugees evacuated to the village. While her mother looked after the housekeeping Eleanor Ruth assisted with occupational therapy. She ran the small industries making toys and pictures with the men which they could sell.

She wrote an extraordinary account of the Belgians’ experience in the New Forest entitled the ‘“The Chronicles of the Belgians” dedicated ‘To mother and Mrs Clough as a souvenir of the Belgians who were the cause of much laughter during the sad years 1914-1915’. In the Chronicles she describes the various Belgians who arrived at Blackmoor, their daily routine and activities and events. She also included some illustrations. Looking after the Belgians for a bright young person (who later become a prominent illustrator of children’s books) proved to be a mixed and sometimes frustrating if important life experience. Whilst writing The Chronicles of The Belgians, she also edited and illustrated a children’s magazine called “The Pierrot” which was circulated all over the UK.

At the end of the First World War, at just 18 years old, Eleanor Ruth married a young submariner, John MacNair. She went on to have a long and adventure-filled life until her death on 24th July 1984. She is buried with her husband at the same church in Burley in which they were married. Eleanor and John’s daughter Dionis have made a number of photo albums and diaries available to New Forest Knowledge for scanning and transcribing.

Further articles on New Forest Knowledge relating to Dionis McNair and her mother Eleanor Ruth Dent