The first plane I ever flew
First World War Audio Archive
The first plane I ever flew
Transcript
Airmen wearing heavy mitts.
oh, it was January 1918, by this time. And I went down the corridor two doors and was sworn into the British Army and they gave me a temporary commission as an airman in training. And I went to Oxford and took a few weeks course, a couple of weeks there at Oxford. I guess about 6 weeks, and then was posted to #25 training squadron at Tetford in Norfolk for actual flying training. And so, I took all the training and managed to get through it alright. And the first airplane I was ever in and the first airplane I ever flew was a Maurice Farman “Shorthorn,”Photograph of Pilot wearing a heavy fur coat.
which is a funny looking beastie. If you go to the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, you will see an example of one there and I think it’s the only, there are only two left in the world right now. It was a pusher and a big canoe-shaped gondola out in front and open cockpits, of course, and so forth. Anyway, and it flew at about 45 miles an hour and had a maximum speed of about 60. However, I got off that pretty quickly, after three or four hours I think and got onto the DH6. And then actually I flew about six different kinds of airplanes, all rather ancient, until I came to the DH4 and the DH9. And I eventually qualified and on the 1st of April 1918, I have a commission, temporary commissionPilot getting commission in front of a plane.
in the Royal Airforce because it came into being on that day. So, I was posted, shortly after that, I was posted, to #211 squadron just outside Dunkirk in France and I flew with 211 until, well, it was demobbed in 1919. I was one of the survivors.Description
Mr. Dickins describes getting his commission in the Royal Flying Corps and outlines the various aircraft which he flew.
Clennell Haggerston ‘Punch’ Dickins
Clennell Haggerston ‘Punch’ Dickins was born in Portage la Prairie on January 12, 1899. He interrupted his education at the University of Alberta in 1917 by enlisting in the 196th Battalion, having already completed an officer training course. After being sent to England, he joined the 21st Reserve Battalion. His brother, an observer with the Flying Corps, convinced him to join the Air Force. Mr. Dickins jumped from the Canadian to the British Army in order to facilitate a transfer to the Air Force. Once there, he trained at Tetford in a Morris Marmon Shorthorn. His active duty was with 211 Squadron at Dunkirk. Mr. Dickins and his gunner are credited with 7 enemy aircraft destroyed, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he spent time in the RCAF, with whom he did aerial photo-survey work. However, most of his civilian career was spent flying in Canada’s North, adapting aircraft for Arctic flight. He became one of Canada’s most famous bush pilots and a pioneer in aviation. Mr. Dickins and his wife Connie (nee Gerrie) lived in Gold Pines, Ontario. Mr. Dickins died on August 2, 1995.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 2:19
- Person Interviewed:
- Clennell Haggerston ‘Punch’ Dickins
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- First World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Europe
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- 196th Battalion
- Rank:
- Second Lieutenant
- Occupation:
- Pilot
Attestation
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