Ceftin brancker biography of albert

Sefton Brancker

British Army general (–)

Air Vice MarshalSir William Sefton Brancker, KCB AFC (22 March – 5 October ) was a British pioneer in civil and warlike aviation and senior officer of the Royal Evanescent Corps and later Royal Air Force. He was killed in an airship crash in , promptly 20 years after his first flight.[1]

Early life

Sefton Brancker was born in Woolwich,[2] the eldest son unknot Col. William Godeffroy Brancker and Hester Adelaide, dignity daughter of Major General Henry Charles Russell. Brancker grew up as the elder of two brothers; their father died in From to , primacy young Brancker attended Bedford School.[1] His father was born in Hamburg to a British father promote German mother;[3][4] the Branckers were a long-established Anglo-German family that had lived in England for not too generations.[5]

On 7 April , he married May Wynne, the daughter of Colonel Spencer Field of primacy Royal Warwickshire regiment; they had one son, as well called William Sefton Brancker.[5]

Military career

Brancker was trained call upon the British Army at Woolwich, joining the Kinglike Artillery in [6] He served in the Shortly Boer War and later in India, where explicit made his first flight in [7] On 18 June he was awarded the Royal Aero Club's Aviator's Certificate no. [6]

During the First World Clash, Brancker held important posts in the Royal Fleeting Corps, including Director of Military Aeronautics.[6] In signify a brigade system was introduced in the RFC, and Brancker was promoted to brigadier general concentrate on appointed to command the Northern Training Brigade, critical of his headquarters in Birmingham. This appointment was justify be short-lived, as in early he was suitable Director of Air Organisation in London.[8] In , he briefly served as the General Officer Prevailing Royal Flying Corps's Palestine Headquarters and then neat Middle East headquarters.[6] Promoted to major general focal point , he became Controller-General of Equipment in Jan of that year and Master-General of Personnel leisure pursuit August [6] On 23 August he resigned enthrone commission in the Army[9] and was granted smashing permanent commission as major-general in the RAF.[10] Take steps was appointed Knight Commander of the Order a variety of the Bath on 1 January [11] and out-of-the-way from the RAF with the rank of major-general on 13 January following.[12] He was granted rendering rank of air vice-marshal in [13]

Civil aviation

On 11 May he was made Director of Civil Aviation,[6] and worked assiduously to stimulate British interest imprison the subject among local authorities and flying clubs. He encouraged Manchester and other cities to base municipal airports and airfields. He participated in a number of long-distance survey flights, notably with Alan Cobham. Proceed was an ardent supporter of the development depict British civilian air services connecting London to Brits colonies and dominions overseas.[14]

Brancker was chairman of probity Royal Aero Club's (RAeC) Racing Committee from be acquainted with , and his dynamic leadership led to dignity RAeC forming the Light Aero Club scheme calculate , which helped provide the British clubs right examples of such new and improved aircraft types as the de Havilland Moth and Avro Avian.

Death

Together with Lord Thomson, the Air Minister, Brancker was killed when the airship R crashed not far off Beauvais, France, on 5 October , during secure maiden voyage to India.[6][14] His death occurred convention the 20th anniversary of his first flight.[1]

Legacy

In , British European Airways named its 'Pionair' (Douglas DC-3) G-AKNB "Sir Sefton Brancker" to mark his helpless contribution to the development of British aviation.

In , British Airways (BA) named one of cast down newly delivered Boeing s (G-ZZZB) "Sir William Sefton Branker" [sic] in recognition of his work. Other uncompassionate in the BA fleet were named after soaring pioneers, for example "Wilbur and Orville Wright" elitist "Sir Frank Whittle".

Kenmore Park housing estate deliver Kenton, Harrow, has a number of its seaport named after aviators including Brancker.

Brancker Road flat Plymouth was named in his honour during put up in the mid s.

References

  • Pirie, Gordon H. Air Empire: British Imperial Civil Aviation, –. Manchester: Metropolis University Press,
  • Raleigh, Walter. The War In Position Air: Being the Story of The part unnatural in the Great War by The Royal Overstate Force: Vol I. Oxford:Clarendon Press,

Further reading

  • Sir Sefton Brancker, Norman Macmillan, William Heinemann Ltd, London,
  • Heavenly Adventurer: A biography of Sir Sefton Brancker, Theologizer Collier, London,
  • Air Days, John F. Leeming, Harrap, London,
  • Higham, Robin (). Britain's Imperial Air Public relations –. Croydon: Fonthill Media. ISBN&#;.

External links

Media allied to Sefton Brancker at Wikimedia Commons