Air Battalion Royal Engineers
Encyclopedia
The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces
to make use of heavier-than-air craft. It evolved into the Royal Flying Corps
which in turn evolved into the Royal Air Force
.
issued instructions for the School of Ballooning
, which had originally been formed in 1888, to be expanded into a battalion
. An order was issued on 28 February 1911 for the formation of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers
effective 1 April the same year. The initial establishment was 14 officers and 150 other ranks
. Officers could be selected from any branch of the service whereas other ranks were selected from the Corps of Royal Engineers.
Pilots had to already have earned a Royal Aero Club
certificate from a private flying school. The GBP 75 charge for flight training was reimbursed only if the student passed the course.
and a headquarters located at Farnborough
. The commander of the Air Battalion was Major Sir Alexander Bannerman. No. 1 Company
was equipped with airship
s and was under the command of Captain Edward Maitland
. No. 1 Company was located with the headquarters at Farnborough. Maitland was an experienced balloon
and airship pioneer. He also helped pioneer the parachute
and in 1913 made the first parachute jump from an airship. No. 2 Company
was equipped with aeroplanes and was commanded by Captain John Fulton. No. 2 Company was located at Larkhill
on the Salisbury Plain
. Fulton, a mechanical engineer from the Royal Field Artillery, had been an early enthusiast of military flying and had attended the world's first air show
at Rheims in 1909. He had earned his pilots certificate, number 27, on 15 November 1910.
used aircraft in combat against the Turks
in Tripoli
. This led to the formation of a sub-committee of the British Imperial Defence Staff to recommend policy for the future of British military flying. The committee recommended the formation of a separate flying corps and on 12 April 1912 the Royal Flying Corps was created.
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
to make use of heavier-than-air craft. It evolved into the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
which in turn evolved into the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Establishment
In 1911, following the growth in early aviation activity, the War OfficeWar Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
issued instructions for the School of Ballooning
School of Ballooning
The School of Ballooning was a training and test centre for British Army experiments with balloons and airships. It was established at Chatham in Kent in 1888. The School moved to Stanhope Lines, Aldershot in 1890 when a balloon section and depot were formed as permanent units of the Royal...
, which had originally been formed in 1888, to be expanded into a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. An order was issued on 28 February 1911 for the formation of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
effective 1 April the same year. The initial establishment was 14 officers and 150 other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
. Officers could be selected from any branch of the service whereas other ranks were selected from the Corps of Royal Engineers.
Pilots had to already have earned a Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
certificate from a private flying school. The GBP 75 charge for flight training was reimbursed only if the student passed the course.
Structure and activities
The battalion comprised two companiesCompany (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
and a headquarters located at Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
. The commander of the Air Battalion was Major Sir Alexander Bannerman. No. 1 Company
No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
was equipped with airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s and was under the command of Captain Edward Maitland
Edward Maitland (aviator)
Air Commodore Edward Maitland Maitland CMG DSO AFC FRGS was an early military aviator who served in the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers, the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force....
. No. 1 Company was located with the headquarters at Farnborough. Maitland was an experienced balloon
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
and airship pioneer. He also helped pioneer the parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
and in 1913 made the first parachute jump from an airship. No. 2 Company
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
was equipped with aeroplanes and was commanded by Captain John Fulton. No. 2 Company was located at Larkhill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
on the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
. Fulton, a mechanical engineer from the Royal Field Artillery, had been an early enthusiast of military flying and had attended the world's first air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
at Rheims in 1909. He had earned his pilots certificate, number 27, on 15 November 1910.
Creation of the Royal Flying Corps
In October 1911, the ItaliansItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
used aircraft in combat against the Turks
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. This led to the formation of a sub-committee of the British Imperial Defence Staff to recommend policy for the future of British military flying. The committee recommended the formation of a separate flying corps and on 12 April 1912 the Royal Flying Corps was created.
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Aeronautics
- Royal Engineers Museum Origins of the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force
- Royal Engineers Museum Early British Military Ballooning (1863)