James Fitzmaurice (pilot)
Encyclopedia
James Fitzmaurice DFC
(6 January 1898 – 26 September 1965) was an Irish
aviation pioneer. He was a member of the crew of the Bremen
, which made the first successful Trans-Atlantic aircraft flight from East to West on 12–13 April 1928.
On 23 May 1902, at the age of four, Fitzmaurice moved with his parents to a house on Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Ireland. Fitzmaurice attended St. Mary's, a Christian Brothers
School in Maryborough (Portlaoise) until shortly before his 16th birthday. In 1914 he joined the Irish National Volunteers
. Later that year, he enlisted in the Cadet Company of the 7th Battalion of the Leinsters. He was then 16 years of age although the "required" minimum age was 19. Fitzmaurice was taken out by his father for being underage.
(a cavalry unit). He was sent to France
, was wounded, and was twice recommended for a commission
. He arrived in France circa May 1916. He was then posted to another English unit, the 7th Battalion of the Queen's Royal (West Surrey) Regiment of Foot
as an acting sergeant. It was part of the 55th Brigade in the British 55th (West Lancashire) Division. In July 1916, he fought in the Battle of the Somme
.
On his 19th birthday in January 1917, Fitzmaurice held the rank of Corporal, was an acting Sergeant, and commanded Platoon No. 13 of D Company, 7th Queen's. He was approved for a commission in May. On 8 June, Fitzmaurice left for England "to take up commission". He was sent for training to Cadet College and gazetted to the 8th (Irish) Battalion
, King's (Liverpool Regiment) as a Second Lieutenant on 28 November 1917. Fitzmaurice was then posted to the School of Military Aeronautics at Reading
. 1 June 1918 Fitzmaurice began his "practical flying training" at Eastbourne Aerodrome. On 28 October 1918, having completed his elementary training at Eastbourne
, Fitzmaurice was posted to the No. 1 School of Fighting and Aerial Gunnery at Marske-by-the-Sea
, near Middlesbrough
. He completed his training as a fighter pilot and was posted to sail to France on 11 November 1918, the day that the Armistice with Germany
became effective. His sailing was cancelled when the Armistice was announced.
, flying the mails with 110 Squadron
. He served in the "Army of Occupation" until 1919. In May 1919, he was selected to undertake the first night mail flight (Folkestone
to Boulogne
). In 1919, he was selected for a Cape to Cairo flight (which did not materialize). From September to November 1919, Fitzmaurice commanded the 6th Wing Working Party of the RAF. He was assigned the task of removing useful material from six aerodromes which had been deactivated. In December he was demobilised and spent most of the following 18 months selling insurance for the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company
.
In about May 1921, Patricia Fitzmaurice was born. She was the only child of Violet and James Fitzmaurice. Fitzmaurice was recalled in May 1921 after 18 months and was attached to 25 Squadron
. He accepted a Short Service Commission for four to six years. In August 1921 Fitzmaurice resigned his RAF commission.
Sometime during his service in the RAF, Fitzmaurice adopted the accent used by English officers
. He apparently retained this distinctively non-Irish accent for the remainder of his life. While his new accent may have helped his career in the RAF, it was probably a net disadvantage when he was promoting any of his business schemes in Ireland.
In February 1922, Fitzmaurice joined the Irish Air Corps
following the formation of the Irish Free State
. Early in 1923 he was promoted to Captain. On 25 October 1925 he was promoted Acting Commandant and was appointed second-in-command of the Irish Air Corps
, with headquarters in Baldonnel
. He was later promoted Commandant on 1 September 1927.
Fitzmaurice made his first attempt to fly the Atlantic in 1927, when in the Princess Xenia (a Fokker Vila
aircraft) piloted by Captain Robert Henry MacIntosh, who got financial backing from an American millionaire William Bateman Leeds and his co-financier Captain Anthony (Wilfred Heyman) Joynson-Wreford. Captain Joynson-Wreford was to have been the navigator on the flight but unfortunately had to stand down due to the recurrence of an old war injury. Having received the meteorological forecast indicating, that even though the first 200 miles off the Irish coast were poor, the rest of the route to America was clear, so they decided to proceed with the attempt. A large crowd watched their take off from Baldonnel at 1:30 p.m., however, the weather off the coast of Galway
was turbulent and got worse until visibility was virtually nil. It seemed suicidal to continue so they turned back and landed at Beale Strand near Ballybunion
in County Kerry
. Fitzmaurice was co-pilot of the Xenia with Maurice W. Piercey for the five and a half hour flight that only took them 300 miles off the Irish coast.
On 12–13 April 1928, Fitzmaurice flew in the crew of the Bremen on the first transatlantic aircraft flight from East to West. The crew consisted of:
Köhl made a "perfect three-point landing" on a shallow, ice-covered, water reservoir (which James called a "lagoon") at Greenly Island. Just as the Bremen came to a stop, it broke through the ice. The tail then projected about 20 feet (6 m) into the air. Everybody got wet but everybody was safe.
authorised the President
, Calvin Coolidge
, to confer the United States Distinguished Flying Cross
on the fliers.
In recognition of their trans-Atlantic flight achievement, Fitzmaurice and his two companions were bestowed the Freedom of the City of Dublin on June 30, 1928.
issued a postage stamp
commemorating Fitzmaurice as part of a series of four stamps of Irish aviation pioneers in the same year when his daughter, Patricia, unveiled a bronze bust of Fitzmaurice in the foyer of Mountmellick
County Hall.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
(6 January 1898 – 26 September 1965) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
aviation pioneer. He was a member of the crew of the Bremen
Bremen (aircraft)
The Bremen is a German Junkers W33 type aircraft that made the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west between April 12 and April 14, 1928....
, which made the first successful Trans-Atlantic aircraft flight from East to West on 12–13 April 1928.
Early life
Fitzmaurice was born in Dublin, Ireland on 6 January 1898. Considering the customs in his father's family, he was probably baptized "James Michael" and added the name "Christopher" at confirmation. His parents were Michael FitzMaurice and Mary Agnes O' Riordan. The family was then residing at 35 Mountjoy Cottages on Dublin's North Circular Road.On 23 May 1902, at the age of four, Fitzmaurice moved with his parents to a house on Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Ireland. Fitzmaurice attended St. Mary's, a Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
School in Maryborough (Portlaoise) until shortly before his 16th birthday. In 1914 he joined the Irish National Volunteers
National Volunteers
The National Volunteers was the name taken by the majority of the Irish Volunteers that sided with Irish Parliamentary Party leader John Redmond after the movement split over the question of the Volunteers' role in World War I.-Origins:...
. Later that year, he enlisted in the Cadet Company of the 7th Battalion of the Leinsters. He was then 16 years of age although the "required" minimum age was 19. Fitzmaurice was taken out by his father for being underage.
World War I
In 1915, Fitzmaurice enlisted in the British Army, 17th Lancers17th Lancers
The 17th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War...
(a cavalry unit). He was sent to France
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, was wounded, and was twice recommended for a commission
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
. He arrived in France circa May 1916. He was then posted to another English unit, the 7th Battalion of the Queen's Royal (West Surrey) Regiment of Foot
Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...
as an acting sergeant. It was part of the 55th Brigade in the British 55th (West Lancashire) Division. In July 1916, he fought in the Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
.
On his 19th birthday in January 1917, Fitzmaurice held the rank of Corporal, was an acting Sergeant, and commanded Platoon No. 13 of D Company, 7th Queen's. He was approved for a commission in May. On 8 June, Fitzmaurice left for England "to take up commission". He was sent for training to Cadet College and gazetted to the 8th (Irish) Battalion
Liverpool Irish
The Liverpool Irish is a unit of the British Territorial Army, raised in 1860 as a volunteer corps of infantry. Conversion to an anti-aircraft regiment occurred in 1947, but the regimental status of the Liverpool Irish ceased in 1955 upon reduction to a battery...
, King's (Liverpool Regiment) as a Second Lieutenant on 28 November 1917. Fitzmaurice was then posted to the School of Military Aeronautics at Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. 1 June 1918 Fitzmaurice began his "practical flying training" at Eastbourne Aerodrome. On 28 October 1918, having completed his elementary training at Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, Fitzmaurice was posted to the No. 1 School of Fighting and Aerial Gunnery at Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea
Marske-by-the-Sea is a village in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.It is located on the coast, in an area sometimes referred to as East Cleveland, between the seaside resorts of Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea although it is not...
, near Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
. He completed his training as a fighter pilot and was posted to sail to France on 11 November 1918, the day that the Armistice with Germany
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
became effective. His sailing was cancelled when the Armistice was announced.
After the war
Fitzmaurice married Violet "Bill" Clarke on his 21st birthday. He continued to serve in the Royal Air ForceRoyal 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...
, flying the mails with 110 Squadron
No. 110 Squadron RAF
-Formation and World War I:No. 110 Squadron RFC was formed on 1 November 1917, at Rendcomb, Gloucestershire and was equipped with B.E.2c aircraft. The squadron moved to Kenley the following year and re-equipped with the DH.9A - the first squadron to employ this aircraft. Its original complement of...
. He served in the "Army of Occupation" until 1919. In May 1919, he was selected to undertake the first night mail flight (Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
to Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
). In 1919, he was selected for a Cape to Cairo flight (which did not materialize). From September to November 1919, Fitzmaurice commanded the 6th Wing Working Party of the RAF. He was assigned the task of removing useful material from six aerodromes which had been deactivated. In December he was demobilised and spent most of the following 18 months selling insurance for the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company
North British and Mercantile Insurance
The North British and Mercantile Insurance Company was a British based company founded in 1809 in Edinburgh and absorbed as a subsidiary of the Commercial Union in 1959...
.
In about May 1921, Patricia Fitzmaurice was born. She was the only child of Violet and James Fitzmaurice. Fitzmaurice was recalled in May 1921 after 18 months and was attached to 25 Squadron
No. XXV Squadron RAF
No. 25 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Until April 2008 the squadron operated the Panavia Tornado F3, from RAF Leeming.-The first years:...
. He accepted a Short Service Commission for four to six years. In August 1921 Fitzmaurice resigned his RAF commission.
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
. He apparently retained this distinctively non-Irish accent for the remainder of his life. While his new accent may have helped his career in the RAF, it was probably a net disadvantage when he was promoting any of his business schemes in Ireland.
In February 1922, Fitzmaurice joined the Irish Air Corps
Irish Air Corps
The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...
following the formation of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. Early in 1923 he was promoted to Captain. On 25 October 1925 he was promoted Acting Commandant and was appointed second-in-command of the Irish Air Corps
Irish Air Corps
The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...
, with headquarters in Baldonnel
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...
. He was later promoted Commandant on 1 September 1927.
Fitzmaurice made his first attempt to fly the Atlantic in 1927, when in the Princess Xenia (a Fokker Vila
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
aircraft) piloted by Captain Robert Henry MacIntosh, who got financial backing from an American millionaire William Bateman Leeds and his co-financier Captain Anthony (Wilfred Heyman) Joynson-Wreford. Captain Joynson-Wreford was to have been the navigator on the flight but unfortunately had to stand down due to the recurrence of an old war injury. Having received the meteorological forecast indicating, that even though the first 200 miles off the Irish coast were poor, the rest of the route to America was clear, so they decided to proceed with the attempt. A large crowd watched their take off from Baldonnel at 1:30 p.m., however, the weather off the coast of Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
was turbulent and got worse until visibility was virtually nil. It seemed suicidal to continue so they turned back and landed at Beale Strand near Ballybunion
Ballybunion
Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. Fitzmaurice was co-pilot of the Xenia with Maurice W. Piercey for the five and a half hour flight that only took them 300 miles off the Irish coast.
Bremen flight
- Captain Hermann KöhlHermann KöhlHermann Köhl was a German Aviation pioneer and pilot of the first trans-atlantic flight in the East-West direction....
(1888–1938), pilot - Captain James Fitzmaurice, (1898–1965) co-pilot
- Baron Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von HünefeldEhrenfried Günther Freiherr von HünefeldEhrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld was a German aviation pioneer and initiator of the first trans-atlantic flight in East-West direction....
(1892–1929), owner
Köhl made a "perfect three-point landing" on a shallow, ice-covered, water reservoir (which James called a "lagoon") at Greenly Island. Just as the Bremen came to a stop, it broke through the ice. The tail then projected about 20 feet (6 m) into the air. Everybody got wet but everybody was safe.
After the flight
On May 2, 1928, the 70th United States Congress70th United States Congress
The Seventieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1927 to March 3, 1929, during the last two years of...
authorised the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, to confer the United States Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
on the fliers.
In recognition of their trans-Atlantic flight achievement, Fitzmaurice and his two companions were bestowed the Freedom of the City of Dublin on June 30, 1928.
Legacy
The Fitzmaurice Flying School was opened in Baldonnel in February 1996 and in April the restaurant in the Kingswood County House Hotel was named after the aviator. In 1998, for the 70th anniversary of the famous flight, a short film was made profiling the life of Fitzmaurice with dramatic reconstruction of the flight. An PostAn Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
issued a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
commemorating Fitzmaurice as part of a series of four stamps of Irish aviation pioneers in the same year when his daughter, Patricia, unveiled a bronze bust of Fitzmaurice in the foyer of Mountmellick
Mountmellick
Other than that its a 15th-century settlement on the narrow Owenass river with an encampment on its banks at Irishtown. Overlooking this valley with its trees and wildlife was a small church called Kilmongan which was closed by the Penal Laws in 1640...
County Hall.
See also
- List of people on stamps of Ireland
- P. A. Ó Síocháin
External links
- Colonel James Fitzmaurice biography
- http://www.mcclintockofseskinore.co.uk/page15.html