After the First World War had ended, aviators coming off the rapid advancement of flight during the war years were looking to keep the momentum going and began setting their sights on new feats to accomplish.
The immediate challenge — and one of great personal risk — was to be the first to fly non-stop from North America to Europe across the cold, turbulent Atlantic Ocean.
It was something, of course, that Capt. John Alcock and Lt. Arthur Brown of the Royal Air Force did on June 14, 1919 after they took off from Lester's Field in St. John's (in the vicinity of the Blackmarsh Road Legion now ) and landed 16 hours and 12 minutes later on a bog at Clifden, Ireland.
Before Alcock and Brown’s success, there were a number of other attempts, many from Newfoundland as it was the closest point.
According to the Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador website, in April 1913, the London Daily Mail offered a £10,000 prize for piloting the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Great Britain and any point in Canada, the United States or Newfoundland. The competition was suspended during the First World War, but reopened when peace was restored in 1918.
In the spring of 1919, four teams arrived in Newfoundland: Australian pilot Harry Hawker and Scottish navigator Kenneth F. Mackenzie-Grieve; British aviators Frederick Raynham (pilot) and C.W.F. Morgan (navigator); the Handley Page Company Group led by British pilot Mark Kerr (Handley Page was an American aircraft manufacturer); and British aviators Alcock (pilot) and Brown (navigator).
As the crews arrived in Newfoundland — their planes were shipped in crates to be assembled near the area where the flight would take off — a young Margaret Carter became friends with many of them, possibly due to the influence of her family. Margaret Carter was the granddaughter of Newfoundland Prime Minister Sir Frederick Carter.
Margaret Carter’s scrapbook from the period contains many photographs of the planes and crews.
These, along with other items, will be part of a special exhibit to open at the Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl on Monday, May 13, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the transatlantic air race.
The exhibit will also highlight Mount Pearl’s connection to the flights.
The Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl is the site of the former HM Wireless building where British navy personnel attempted to decode enemy transmissions during the war years and also to receive distress signals from ships at sea.
Sarah Wade, museum manager, said Alcock and Brown communicated with the facility after takeoff.
Wade said part of the story of the transatlantic air race will be told in the exhibit through Margaret Carter, but there will also be many story boards and historic items — some of which have never been on public display before.
“Margaret Carter’s scrapbook and photos tell an amazing story,” she said.
Wade noted that Margaret Carter had packed a lunch for Alcock and Brown, and a note passed from one to the other during the flight — it was too loud for talk — asked if the other wanted a sandwich.
“She had wrapped the sandwiches in a silk cloth and on June 15, 1915, Alcock and Brown signed and dated the cloth and mailed it back to Margaret,” she said. “We hope to have that silk cloth on display.”
The exhibit will be titled “Field To Flight.”
Also happening in June are the Alcock and Brown Centennial Celebrations 2019, organized by team of local aviation enthusiasts and funding partners.
Aviation History Newfoundland and Labrador have plans to host several events and activities in St. John's to commemorate the 1919 achievement - the first successful, non-stop transatlantic flight.
The planned celebrations will mark the significant accomplishments of Alcock and Brown, and acknowledge how the historic event marked the beginning of the commercial aviation industry worldwide.
In addition, the events will highlight the spirit of adventure and innovation, and the drive to succeed.
A news release stated the upcoming celebration has captured the attention of aviation enthusiasts worldwide. The celebrations will consist of over 20 initiatives supported by the private and public sectors, including a commemorative flight to Ireland, aviators' ball, garden party, downtown festival, commemorative sculpture, city reception, historic stage production and commemorative print.
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