5 November: Alcock and Brown

This date in 1892 saw the birth of Sir John Alcock, who, with Sir Arthur Whitten-Brown, made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1919. Here are some facts about him and his flight:

1. Alcock was born in Manchester and Brown in Glasgow. Both of them served as pilots in the first world war and both were prisoners of war after their planes went down.

2. Before the war, in April 1913, the Daily Mail had offered a prize of £10,000 to “the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight,” in less than 72 hours. The contest was put on hold, however, because of the war, so the historic flight didn’t happen until 14-15 June 1919.

3. Alcock and Brown’s plane was a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber with two Rolls-Royce Eagle 360 hp engines.

4. They weren’t the only people who attempted to earn the prize. However, while the other teams spent time conducting pre-flight tests, Alcock and Brown just went for it. Which was almost their undoing when they barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway.

5. The flight itself was plagued with bad weather: Fog (making sight navigation impossible), Snow, ice (meaning it was very cold in the open cockpit) and Rain; and technical hitches. Their wind-powered generator failed which meant no radio contact. They couldn’t even talk to each other as the aircraft’s exhaust pipe burst, creating a noise so loud it made conversation impossible and the intercom had also failed.

6. The flight from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland lasted 16 hours, at altitudes varying between sea level and 12,000 ft (3,700 m).

7. The landing didn’t go so well, either. They identified what looked like a suitable place to land, which turned out to be Derrigimlagh Bog, near the town of Clifden. Landing in a bog caused severe damage to the plane.

8. On board with them were two Cat mascots called Lucky Jim and Twinkletoes. They also carried a handwritten note from Alcock to his sister, which read: “My Dear Elsie, Just a hurried line before I start. This letter will travel with me in the official mail bag, the first mail to be carried over the Atlantic. Love to all, Your loving Brother, Jack.” The note was valued on Antiques Roadshow in 2017 at £1,000–£1,200.

9. They were presented with their prize by then-Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, and a few days later they were knighted by King George V.

10. Sadly, John Alcock was killed on December 18, 1919 when he crashed in France on his way to the Paris Airshow. Arthur Brown died on October 4, 1948 at the age of 62.

Character birthday

Guy Fawkes, whose parents, Patrick and Sheila Fawkes, named him Guy, almost as a joke, when he was born on November 5th. He grew up fascinated by his namesake and by explosives and bombs of all kinds. His mother died of cancer which could possibly have been prevented; his father committed suicide after his free counselling sessions ended. Guy blamed health service cuts for the deaths of both his parents. This led to his desire to bring down the Government.

He gathered around him others with powers, who all had reason to want the Government to fall.

Their attempt to steal nuclear waste to use to build a bomb was foiled by the Freedom League. The story is told in Who’s That Girl?

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book