The Airshipmen: A Novel Based on a True Story. A Tale of Love, Betrayal & Political Intrigue.

by David Dennington

  “Weight shall not exceed ninety tons—leaving sixty tons of lift for passengers, fuel, stores and ballast. The top speed will not exceed seventy miles per hour—four times the speed of a passenger liner! High fuel loads and high speeds will give these airships the range and power necessary to reach all corners of the globe.

  “The first ship, designated Howden R100, will be constructed for the government by Vickers Aircraft at Howden in Yorkshire under a fixed-price contract. Those in charge of constructing Howden R100 will report directly to, and be administered by, the Royal Airship Works Staff.”

  Thomson paused, remembering his meeting with Wallis as he gestured grandly to the three men standing with him at the podium. They smiled serenely while a series of camera flashes started again.

  “The second ship, designated Cardington R101, will be built by the government team here at the Royal Airship Works.”

  Murmurs of excitement were building.

  “This ship will be one of a new class in design. Now, before introducing the Royal Airship Works team, I will say this: The acceptance of the New British Airship Program is a rejection of the ‘Burney Scheme,’ which proposed Vickers build six airships costing tax payers a whopping four million eight hundred thousand pounds. A proposal far too grandiose, and meaning Vickers would have a complete monopoly—an unacceptable state of affairs, if I may say so.”

  Thomson seemed to have the approval of most, but not all.

  “In the early stages, it will be my intention to enlist the help of private enterprise—not in competition, but in a spirit of cooperation—each assisting and improving the performance of the other.”

  He paused and looked down for a moment. “I may take a risk when I say I don't believe even the most aggressive businessmen will be wholly inspired by sordid motives—in other words, by greed—when they assist the government in the conquest of the air! The earlier pioneers in aviation made sacrifices at first, but in the end, they made money—lots of money. In order to make a success of this venture, sacrifices will have to be made by private enterprise—for the Common Good.”

  There were a few shouts of “Hear, hear” and weak applause.

  “Under the Burney Scheme, if the first ship crashed, all would be lost. Under our plan, if we lose one of the ships, we will still have the other ship plus the experts, the designers and the engineers. We would still have our air routes, our infrastructure and the will and determination to carry on with this project to see it through.”

  There were frowns on some faces. Some found his line of reasoning hard to follow, but they’d go along—jobs were all that mattered.

  “At the end of the day, we’ll learn that state enterprise in industry, business, finance, transportation and communication will be enormously more efficient than private enterprise. This program will be a learning experience. State enterprise will be the cornerstone of our socialist policies. I will now introduce you to the team.”

  Thomson gestured grandly toward the three men standing behind him. “Wing Commander Reginald Colmore as Deputy Director of Airship Development and will be overall administrator of the Airship Program. Colmore has had fifteen years experience in this industry. During the war, he developed an effective anti-submarine patrol strategy using airships in conjunction with surface ships and aeroplanes to hunt down the enemy. So effective was his brainchild that the system was set up around the entire coast of Britain. Wing Commander Colmore has been involved from the inception of this program and assisted in writing the specifications. He has a proven track record as a fine leader.”

  Colmore stepped forward and bowed his head slightly while receiving gentle applause. Thomson had assessed him to be a rather humble, well-bred man of grace and charm. They said Colmore didn’t possess a mean bone in his body. Thomson had reservations—perhaps he wasn’t forceful enough. Furthermore, although Colmore thoroughly understood airships, he’d made it known he believed they had their limitations.

  Can he give me one hundred percent?

  “Now I introduce Major Herbert Scott. Most of you know this man and why he is such a valuable asset.” Thomson smiled and so did Scott, who took a pace forward. Thomson thought of him as hard driving when the going got tough, but he had a reputation for recklessness. Thomson was well aware of past instances of this. He’d been in command of the Parseval PL-18 when she crashed into her shed in Barrow in 1915. That was in fog—ages ago. He’d also been in command of R36 when she was badly damaged during mooring operations at Pulham in 1921.

  Despite all that, he’s a man who’ll inject momentum into this team. He’ll need holding in check. Men like this—prepared to take risks—built the Empire.

  “This man is a true pioneer in British aviation and a man to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. He was the first man to fly the Atlantic, as the captain of Airship R34, making the return journey between Scotland and the United States in 1919. Major Scott will be in charge of testing and flying the aircraft and training personnel. He’ll make sure we have the best men in our fleet.”

  Thomson looked across briefly at Lou who showed no reaction. The applause this time was loud, with a few cheers, delighting Scott who waved to the audience.

  “Last, but not least, I want to introduce Colonel Vincent Richmond, who will head up management of the design team. The design of Cardington R101 will be in this man’s hands.”

  Richmond, average height, slightly rounded, with a head of dark, shiny, Brylcreemed hair, stepped forward to give the audience a curt nod and a begrudging, crooked smile from thin lips. Thomson also had reservations about Richmond. He sensed the man was confident, perhaps overconfident. His colleagues considered him pompous. Thomson knew he was ambitious, which made him glad. He really didn’t care about his other traits.

  He has a high opinion of himself, no doubt. We’ll see what he’s made of. What good would these people be, if they weren’t confident and ambitious? Competence and leadership are what we need.

  This position would carry not only immense responsibility and pressure, but the stigma of failures by previous government designers. None of this seemed to phase Richmond. This was a man who sensed his time had come and was ready for the challenge. Richmond received meager applause. Thomson went on, squinting over his pince-nez spectacles, smiling at reporters.

  “As soon as construction and testing are complete, each ship will be required to make an intercontinental flight—Howden R100 to Canada, Cardington R101 to India.”

  This caused a buzz of excitement. Thomson beamed with pleasure.

  At this point, the BBC technician signaled that the broadcast segment was coming to an end. Thomson paused while the radio announcer wrapped things up with a few words to the radio audience after which, Thomson continued with his press conference.

  “If you have any questions, gentlemen, I’d be pleased to answer them.”

  An eager reporter leapt to his feet.

  “Tom Brewer, Daily Telegraph. Lord Thomson, the feeling in this country, after so many crashes and loss of life, is that airships are totally unsafe.”

  Thomson held up his right hand as though directing traffic and lifted his chin defiantly, staring over the reporter’s head. The man had become invisible.

  “Good, good. A wise, thoughtful question, indeed, sir—one this government will take seriously. One thing I stress above all else: ‘Safety First’ is the unbreakable rule!” Thomson put on a determined frown and shook his finger at the ceiling. “And ‘Safety Second’ as well, by Jove!”

  An overweight reporter in a khaki raincoat stood up next.

  “Bill Hagan, Daily Mail. Lord Thomson, there were reports that Barnes Wallis was going to head up this program. What happened? He is the best airship engineer in the country, is he not?”

  Thomson’s memory of his encounter with Wallis at Chequers tasted like acid reflux in his throat. He covered his mouth and coughed, carefully formulating an answer. He hadn’t realized that meeting had got out.

  “We considered a
lot of people for the position and discussed all possibilities at length. We have a wonderful team of experienced men and I know the two teams will work well together toward a successful outcome.” Thomson hoped no one sensed any lack of conviction.

  A thin, well-dressed reporter in a Savile Row suit was next.

  “William Haines, The Times. My question is directed to Colonel Richmond,” he said, turning the pages of his notepad. “What do you think about having jurisdiction over Vickers? Are you confident in overseeing Barnes Wallis?”

  Ouch!

  Richmond glanced at Thomson as though for help. Thomson ignored him. “I don’t think this will be an issue. Mr. Wallis will not need supervision from me, or this team. As you say, he’s a superb engineer and we can all expect wonderful things from him.”

  This answer seemed to satisfy everybody. Richmond had been magnanimous. Thomson noticed him biting his lip and screwing up his eyes as he stepped away from the podium. Another reporter raised his hand. He had a Yorkshire accent.

  “You say Vickers is building their ship for a contract sum. Do you know ’ow much your airship will cost and will you be able to build it for the same money?”

  Thomson answered. “We don’t know exactly, no. The airship has not even been designed, but the Cardington ship will certainly cost less—since it’s being built at cost with no profit involved.” He spat out ‘profit,’ grimacing. He pointed at the next reporter. A short, rotund Londoner stood up.

  “Edmund Jones, Daily Mirror. Colonel Richmond, the last airship broke in half, killing forty-four people. How do you know your airship won’t do the same?”

  Richmond stepped forward. “I’ve spent a great deal of time studying the R38 mishap. It's possible that sacrifices were made for lightness. I assure you, the strength of this airship will be our top priority. We’ll go back to basics. Through strength we shall achieve safety—and, I should add, absolutely no expense will be spared in that regard.”

  A tall reporter wearing a scruffy raincoat and a five o’clock shadow had been pacing around impatiently at the back of the hall. It was George Hunter. Thomson pointed to him.

  “George Hunter, Daily Express. Lord Thomson, you say you don’t care much for the idea of Vickers getting a monopoly on the airship business. The way you’ve set all this up means government will have the monopoly. Is there really any difference?”

  Thomson tried to hide his irritation. “Certainly. Government is entirely different. We represent the people and the Common Good—that’s Common with a capital C and Good with a capital G.”

  George Hunter followed up. “But if a private company messes up, they go out of business, or are not hired again—ever! Things don’t work that way with government, do they? Government just carries on as if nothing happened.”

  This infuriated Thomson.

  Who is this man? Must be one of Burney’s people!

  “I’m not sure if I should dignify your statement with a rebuttal, sir.”

  The team on the podium appeared distinctly uncomfortable, nervously shuffling their feet. Tension became palpable. The angry reporter wouldn’t let it go. He stalked down the center aisle to the foot of the podium, raising his arms and yelling up at Thomson.

  “Do any of you people remember the horror of R38—any of you?”

  Thomson recovered and did a commendable job of composing himself, his expression heartsick. “Yes, sir. All of us do. In fact we have someone in this room who remembers that awful day only too well.”

  Many of the reporters had already turned to gauge Lou’s reaction. Thomson’s gaze was followed by the rest of the people in the room, including Inspector Fred McWade, whom Lou noticed for the first time at the front. The man in the Harris Tweed jacket stared intensely at Lou. Their eyes met.

  Who the hell is this guy?

  “I want to present Lieutenant Louis Remington of the United States Navy, who has graciously agreed to be here today and who will be assisting us with these projects. Would you be kind enough to stand up, Lieutenant?”

  Thomson didn’t mention Lou’s connection with R38. It wasn’t necessary. Lou got out of his chair, standing as though for inspection. He didn’t smile and hadn’t been expecting this. Thomson continued. “We take this whole matter very seriously indeed, especially concerning safety. As I said, safety in the design of these airships will be our main concern. I don’t think the lieutenant would be working with us if he didn’t believe that to be true. Thank you, Lieutenant Remington.”

  Lou sat down.

  “Now, one final thing I wish to say: If I thought the ships being constructed under this program were unsafe, I wouldn’t fly in them myself. It’s my intention to be on board Cardington R101 for her maiden voyage to India. You can put that in your diaries gentlemen. And you can take it to the bank!”

  A boffin-like reporter in a striped shirt and tussled frizzy hair stood up and referred to notes through gold wire glasses. “Sir—John Jacobs, Aeroplane Magazine. What did you say the useful lift will be?”

  “Sixty tons,” Thomson answered.

  “Sixty tons?”

  “Yes,” Thomson said.

  “Sixty tons,” the reporter repeated, scribbling the number down. “When you spoke of the government’s Cardington R101, I got the impression you were saying this ship would be the more advanced ship—hence the higher designation number—with more innovation—a different class to Howden R100. Is that the case?”

  “Oh no, I didn’t mean to imply that at all, no, no. I’m sure the Howden ship will be as strong and as safe,” Thomson replied. The Aeroplane Magazine reporter didn’t seem entirely satisfied with the answer, skepticism registering in his face as he began to sit down. But he had another thought and stood up again, referring to his notes. “You said, ‘In the early stages you’d enlist the help of private enterprise.’ What will you do after that—nationalize them?”

  This was irritating. “No, no. That’s all too far off to contemplate,” Thomson said with a wave of his hand. The reporter scratched his head and sat down again. A few less serious questions were asked and Thomson answered with patience and humility until all topics were exhausted. He began a series of closing statements, but before he’d finished, photographers were packing up their equipment and reporters were snapping their notepads shut, ready to head for the telephones to file their reports.

  “Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” Thomson shouted over their noisy departure. He smiled happily, watching them rush off, not irritated by their rude exit. He knew there’d be a big spread in the papers the next morning. And that was really all that mattered.

  After the conference, Colmore introduced Lou to Col. Richmond whom Lou found aloof and cold. Lou wasn’t sure of the reason. Perhaps it was Lou’s connection with R38, which they didn’t discuss, or maybe it was because he was based in Howden with ‘the enemy.’ Later, he put it down to the man’s nature combined with the superior attitude of design engineers. While Lou was talking with Richmond, he noticed the Harris Tweed guy hovering near the door, looking his way. He seemed to have something on his mind. The next time Lou looked, the man had disappeared.

  After that, Lou spent an hour with Scott going over the Howden renovations. He’d draw up a preliminary schedule of items to submit within two weeks for review. It’d be necessary to meet with Vickers to introduce Lou and to discuss these improvements. After that, estimates would be submitted. Lou pulled out his notepad and tore off the top sheet.

  “Major, here are two names and addresses. One is Walter Potter who flew with me on R38. The other is a fella named Binks—I like the looks of him. They both need jobs.”

  “Potter, oh yes, I remember him. We’ll certainly fit him in somewhere.”

  “What about Binks?”

  “Yes, all right, give it to me. I’ll take care of them both,” Scott said gruffly, taking the sheet of paper.

  Although irritated at being used by Thomson as a prop, Lou left Cardington in good spirits. These were heady days, but he k
new the euphoria couldn’t last. In the meantime, he’d make the most of it. Close to the cottage, he could even pop home for lunch and make love to Charlotte! The coming months would pass without much pressure. This was going to be fun.

  While Lou was riding the bus to Bedford Station to catch his train home, Charlotte was on her way to Ackworth Station from her parents’ house. She’d listened to Thomson’s speech on the wireless with her mother. The sky was threatening. As she walked along Station Road, she recognized the figure approaching, shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets. From a distance, except for his posture, he had an uncanny resemblance to her husband. Her heart thumping, she doubted this encounter was an accident. As he drew close, he stopped and leered, his eyes bulging and bloodshot.

  “Hello, my lovely.”

  “Get away from me, Jessup!”

  “No baby yet, then? Been a long time now, hasn’t it?”

  “Shut up and go away.”

  “I heard you’ve been tryin’. They bin talkin’ about you in the village. My sister’s been tellin’ me all about it.”

  That little bitch Angela. I’ll strangle her!

  “Now I’d like to help you out, my love. I guess he just ain’t doin’ you right.”

  “Leave me alone! You evil bast—”

  “Uh-uh-uh! Mummy wouldn’t like you using that kind of language. Come on, sweet pea, give me a kiss. You know you find me irresistible. Try me. I’ll have you knocked up in a week.”

  Jessup took her by the upper arm and leaned in to kiss her. Charlotte, repulsed by his beery breath and body odor, wrenched herself away, breaking her heel. With the broken shoe in one hand, she ran awkwardly toward the station. Jessup roared with laughter as she fled.

  “I’ll get you, you high and mighty little cow,” he screamed after her!

  12

  OH, SHENANDOAH!

  May 1924 – October 1924.

  As soon as Lou got back to Howden things moved rapidly. He arranged for a caravan to be delivered as a temporary office and for telephones to be installed in accordance with Scott’s instructions. A couple of weeks later, Barnes Wallis showed up unannounced. Lou liked him. He appeared quiet and unassuming. Lou had the feeling he was a man easily misjudged on first impression. Wallis and Lou went around the aerodrome as he’d done with Scott, but more thoroughly. Wallis took in every detail. They examined the buildings and utilities in need of refurbishment or replacement, including the sewage plant, water treatment plant, water storage tower and electrical generating shop. Wallis surveyed a brick building he’d use to manufacture helical tubing for framing the ship. They inspected the hydrogen plant located next to the shed. That needed work.