On This Day, 12 April 1917

Birmingham Mail

Thursday 12 April 1917

AIRCRAFT EXHIBITION IN BIRMINGHAM

SIR D. HENDERSON AND THE FLYING CORPS

An exhibition aircraft and Zeppelin relics may now be seen at the Birmingham Town Hall. It is of an ambitious character, and has been brought, after a successful season, from the Grosvenor Galleries in London, Birmingham being the starting place of a lengthy provincial tour. The display is of fascinating interest, and serves admirably to illustrate the history and development of aeronautics in which Zeppelins have played so conspicuous a part. Lady Drogheda, whose aim in personally arranging the tour is to benefit the Flying Services’ Hospitals and Lord French’s War Charities, has been greatly favoured by the support given to her enterprise. The British and French Government Departments have contributed trophies of undying interest, such as Lieutenant Warneford’s aeroplane, Zeppelin relics (the largest collection ever assembled), and a fine specimen of German Fokker, the machine designed to outpoint and out fly all Allied types. Photographs, drawings, and paintings illustrative of the achievements of the naval and military flying services add to the general interest. The exhibition will be continued until April 18.

The exhibition was formally opened this afternoon by Sir David Henderson, Director-General of Military Aeronautics, in the presence of a large company. During the last two-and-a-half years, said Sir David, they had heard repeatedly that the Flying Corps and the Naval Air Service were at the point of death, that everything was wrong, that the Germans were ahead us, that we could not stop Zeppelins, and that we could not do our work at the front. He advised them not to believe statements of this kind. Every time anything had been going on at the front the Flying Corps had been there, and without prophesying they would find the same thing in the important time now going on.