1.
Vickers Vimy
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The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed and manufactured by Vickers Limited. Developed during the stages of the First World War to equip the Royal Air Force. Only a handful of aircraft had entered service by the time that the Armistice of 11 November 1918 came into effect, shortly thereafter, the Vimy became the core of the RAFs heavy bomber force throughout the 1920s. The Vimy achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, the using the Vimy Commercial model of the type. A deciated transport derivative of the Vimy, the Vickers Vernon, other record-breaking flights were flown using the type from the United Kingdom to destinations such as South Africa and Australia. The Vimy continued to be operated after the conflict as late as the 1930s in both military and civil capacities. One key area of advancement during the conflict was in the use of fixed-wing aircraft, on 16 August 1917, Vickers was issued with a contract for an initial batch of three prototype aircraft. Pierson discussed the proposed aircraft with Major J. C, on 30 November 1917, the first prototype, flown by Captain Gordon Bell, conducted its maiden flight from Royal Flying Corps Station Joyce Green, Kent. In January 1918, the first prototype was dispatched to RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, unfortunately, the engines proved to be frequently unreliable during these trials, leading to its return to Joyce Green on 12 April 1918. Following these modifications, the prototype was used for years, surviving the war. In August 1919, the prototype was flown from Brooklands to Amsterdam, during early 1918, the second prototype was completed. Unlike the first prototype, it had plain elevators and ailerons that had an inverse tamper, the defensive armament was increased, giving the rear gunner two separate guns to fire, these changes would be standardised on production aircraft. The second prototype was powered by a pair of Sunbeam Maori engine, on 26 April 1918, it was dispatched to RAF Matlesham Heath for official tests, however, testing was interrupted by the loss of the second prototype in a crash following an engine failure. During the first half of the 1918, the prototype was also completed. It was equipped with a pair of 400 hp Fiat A.12 engines, as well as a nose section. On 15 August 1918, the prototype was sent to RAF Martlesham Heath for performance tests. On 11 September 1918, this prototype was lost when its payload of bombs detonated due to a hard landing and it was decided to construct a fourth prototype to test the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine. On 11 October 1918, the prototype flew from Joyce Green to Martlesham to conduct official trials
2.
Billy Hughes
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William Morris Billy Hughes, CH, QC was a British-born Australian politician who was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia, from 1915 to 1923. Born and raised in London, Hughes was the son of Welsh parents, at age 22, he immigrated to Australia and entered into politics. Over the course of his 51-year federal parliamentary career, Hughes changed parties five times and he was expelled from three parties, and represented four different electorates in two states. Originally Prime Minister as leader of the Labor Party, his support of World War I conscription in Australia led him, along with 24 other pro-conscription members, National Labor merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party to form the Nationalist Party. His prime ministership came to an end when the Nationalist party was forced to form a coalition with the Country Party and he was the longest-serving prime minister up to that point, and the fifth longest serving over all. He would later lead the United Australia Party to the 1943 election and he died in 1952 at age 90, while still serving in Parliament. He is the member of the Australian Parliament, and one of the most colourful. William Morris Hughes was born in Pimlico, London, on 25 September 1862 to Welsh parents and his father William Hughes was Welsh-speaking and, according to the 1881 census, born in Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales in about 1825. He was a deacon of the Particular Baptist Church and by profession a joiner and his mother was a farmers daughter from Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire and had been in service in London. Jane Morris was thirty-seven when she married and William Morris Hughes was her only child, a plaque on a guest house in Abbey Road, Llandudno bears testament to his residency. When he was 14 he returned to London and worked as a pupil teacher, in 1881, when he was 19, William lived with his father and an aunt at 78 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London. In October 1884, at the age of 22, he emigrated to Australia, working as a labourer, bush worker and he arrived in Sydney in 1886 and lived in a boarding house in Moore Park and established a common law marriage with his landladys daughter, Elizabeth Cutts. In 1890 they moved to Balmain, where he worked for Lewy Pattinsons pharmacy before he opened a small mixed shop and he was Georgist a street-corner speaker, president of the Balmain Single Tax League, and joined the Socialist League. He was an organiser with the Australian Workers Union and may have joined the newly formed Labor Party. In 1894, Hughes spent eight months in central New South Wales organising for the Amalgamated Shearers Union, while in Parliament he became secretary of the Wharf Labourers Union. In 1900 he founded and became first national president of the Waterside Workers Union, during this period Hughes studied law, and was admitted as a barrister in 1903. Unlike most Labor men, he was a supporter of Federation. In 1901 Hughes was elected to the first federal Parliament as Labor MP for West Sydney and he opposed the Barton governments proposals for a small professional army and instead advocated compulsory universal training
3.
Prime Minister of Australia
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The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the head of government of Australia. The individual who holds the office is the most senior Minister of the Crown, the leader of the Cabinet, the office is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia and exists only through longstanding political convention and tradition. Despite this, in practice it is the most powerful position in Australia. The individual who holds the office is commissioned by the Governor-General of Australia, almost always and according to convention, the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party or largest party in a coalition of parties in the House of Representatives. However, there is no requirement that the prime minister sit in the House of Representatives. The only case where a member of the Senate was appointed minister was John Gorton. Malcolm Turnbull has held the office of Prime Minister since 15 September 2015, the Prime Minister and Treasurer are traditionally members of the House, but the Constitution does not have such a requirement. Before being sworn in as a Minister of the Crown, a person must first be sworn in as a member of the Federal Executive Council if they are not already a member. Membership of the Federal Executive Council entitles the member to the style of The Honourable for life, the senior members of the Executive Council constitute the Cabinet of Australia. The Prime Minister is, like ministers, normally sworn in by the Governor-General. When defeated in an election, or on resigning, the Prime Minister is said to hand in the commission, in the event of a Prime Minister dying in office, or becoming incapacitated, the Governor-General can terminate the commission. Despite the importance of the office of minister, the Constitution does not mention the office by name. The conventions of the Westminster system were thought to be entrenched in Australia by the authors of the Constitution that it was deemed unnecessary to detail them. The formal title of the portfolio has always been simply Prime Minister, except for the period of the Fourth Deakin Ministry, Page was the leader of the smaller party in the governing coalition, the Country Party. He held the office for three weeks until the UAP elected a new leader, Robert Menzies, in August 1941 Menzies resigned as prime minister. In July 1945 John Curtin died suddenly and his deputy, Frank Forde, was sworn in the next day as prime minister, although the Labor Party had not had an opportunity to meet and elect a new leader. Forde served for eight days until Ben Chifley was elected leader, Chifley was then sworn in, replacing Forde, who became Australias shortest-serving prime minister. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming on 17 December 1967 and was declared presumed dead on 19 December, the governor-general, Lord Casey, commissioned the Leader of the Country Party, John McEwen, to form a government until the Liberal Party elected a new leader
4.
George Pearce
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Sir George Foster Pearce KCVO was an Australian politician who was instrumental in founding the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia. Pearce, a carpenter, was born in Mount Barker, South Australia, to James Pearce, a Cornish Australian, whose brother Charles Pearce was MHA for East Torrens 1868–1870. He was educated at Red Hill Public School until he was 11, then worked on farms and later became a carpenter in Adelaide and he joined the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and soon became heavily involved in the union movement. In April 1897 he married Eliza Maud Barrett, in 1893, Pearce helped found the Progressive Political League, a precursor to the West Australian branch of the ALP. Self-educated in politics and economics, in 1901 he was elected to the first Commonwealth Parliament as a Senator for Western Australia and he narrowly missed out on being a member of the first Labor Party Cabinet when Chris Watson became Prime Minister in 1904. In 1908, he became Minister for Defence in the Cabinet of Andrew Fisher and he oversaw the foundation of the naval college at Jervis Bay and Royal Military College, Duntroon. In 1914 Australia entered World War I, upon Billy Hughes ascension as Prime Minister, Pearce was named Deputy Leader of the party. Pearce, along many other of the partys founding members, subsequently followed Hughes out of the party. A few months later, the National Labor Party merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party to form the Nationalist Party, for much of 1916, Prime Minister Hughes was out of the country as a member of the Imperial war cabinet. During this time, over seven months, Pearce was acting minister. Most of the defectors to the Nationalists subsequently faded into obscurity, after Hughes was deposed as Nationalist leader, Pearce accepted a position in the ministry of Hughes successor and rival, Stanley Bruce. He became the inaugural Father of the Senate in 1923 and he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1927. In 1932, Pearce joined the newly formed United Australia Party and he was a Senator for 37 years and three months, a record term. His total service as a minister was 24 years and seven months, at the time of his death, he was the last surviving member of the 1901-1907 Senate, which includes the first Australian Parliament - though MHRs Billy Hughes and King OMalley would outlive him. Pearce died at home in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood, survived by two sons and two daughters, RAAF Base Pearce, the Electoral Division of Pearce and the Canberra suburb of Pearce are named after him
5.
Minister for Defence (Australia)
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The Australian Minister for Defence is currently Senator the Honourable Marise Payne. Senator Payne became the first female Minister for Defence on 21 September 2015 and he retained this position until the fall of his government, and then held the post in the brief government of Arthur Fadden. John Curtin initially followed the arrangement as Menzies in his ministry until 14 April 1942. There had also been a separate Navy portfolio between 1915 and 1921. defence. gov. au
6.
Royal Aero Club
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The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, the Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls, partly inspired by the Aero Club of France. It was initially concerned more with ballooning but after the demonstrations of air flight made by the Wright Brothers in France in 1908. The original club constitution declared that it was dedicated to the encouragement of aero auto-mobilism, as founded, it was primarily a London gentlemens club, but gradually moved on to a more regulatory role. It had a clubhouse at 119 Piccadilly, which it retained until 1961, in 1909 the Club was granted the Royal prefix. From 1910 the Club issued Aviators Certificates, which were internationally recognised under the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale to which the club was the UK representative, the Club is responsible for control in the UK of all private and sporting flying, as well as for records and competitions. The Club established its first flying ground on a stretch of marshland at Shellbeach near Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey in early 1909, a nearby farmhouse, Mussell Manor became the flying ground clubhouse, and club members could construct their own sheds to accommodate their aircraft. Among the first occupants of the ground were Short Brothers and they acquired a license to build copies of the Wright aircraft, and set up the first aircraft production line in the world at Leysdown. On 1 May 1909 John Moore-Brabazon made a flight of 500 yards in his Voisin at Shellbeach and this is officially recognised as the first flight by a British pilot in Britain. The same week the Wright brothers visited the Aero Club flying ground at Shellbeach, after inspecting the Short Brothers factory, a photograph was taken outside Mussell Manor of the Wright Brothers with all of the early British aviation pioneers to commemorate their visit to Britain. On 30 October Moore-Brabazon was also the first to cover a mile in a British aeroplane,2, and so winning a prize of £1000 offered by the Daily Mail newspaper. On 4 November 1909, he decided to take up a piglet and it moved the next year to nearby Eastchurch, where the Royal Navy had established a flying school. Until 1911 the British Military did not have any pilot training facilities, as a result, most early military pilots were trained by members of the club and many became members. By the end of the First World War, more than 6,300 military pilots had taken RAeC Aviators Certificates, after the loss of its Piccadilly clubhouse in 1961, the club was unhappily lodged in the Lansdowne Club at 9 Fitzmaurice Place until 1968. It then moved for a spell to the Junior Carlton Clubs modern building at 94 Pall Mall. In June 1973 the club merged with the United Service Club, all its aviation-related activities were then transferred to the Aviation Council Ltd incorporated on 15 February 1973. Today the Royal Aero Club continues to be the governing and coordinating body of air sport. The governing bodies of the forms of sporting aviation are all members of the Royal Aero Club
7.
British Empire
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The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It originated with the possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23% of the population at the time. As a result, its political, legal, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread, during the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England, France, the independence of the Thirteen Colonies in North America in 1783 after the American War of Independence caused Britain to lose some of its oldest and most populous colonies. British attention soon turned towards Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, after the defeat of France in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Britain emerged as the principal naval and imperial power of the 19th century. In the early 19th century, the Industrial Revolution began to transform Britain, the British Empire expanded to include India, large parts of Africa and many other territories throughout the world. In Britain, political attitudes favoured free trade and laissez-faire policies, during the 19th Century, Britains population increased at a dramatic rate, accompanied by rapid urbanisation, which caused significant social and economic stresses. To seek new markets and sources of raw materials, the Conservative Party under Benjamin Disraeli launched a period of imperialist expansion in Egypt, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand became self-governing dominions. By the start of the 20th century, Germany and the United States had begun to challenge Britains economic lead, subsequent military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of the First World War, during which Britain relied heavily upon its empire. The conflict placed enormous strain on the military, financial and manpower resources of Britain, although the British Empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after World War I, Britain was no longer the worlds pre-eminent industrial or military power. In the Second World War, Britains colonies in Southeast Asia were occupied by Imperial Japan, despite the final victory of Britain and its allies, the damage to British prestige helped to accelerate the decline of the empire. India, Britains most valuable and populous possession, achieved independence as part of a larger movement in which Britain granted independence to most territories of the empire. The transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997 marked for many the end of the British Empire, fourteen overseas territories remain under British sovereignty. After independence, many former British colonies joined the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Kingdom is now one of 16 Commonwealth nations, a grouping known informally as the Commonwealth realms, that share a monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The foundations of the British Empire were laid when England and Scotland were separate kingdoms. In 1496, King Henry VII of England, following the successes of Spain and Portugal in overseas exploration, Cabot led another voyage to the Americas the following year but nothing was ever heard of his ships again
8.
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome
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Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914-1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and in 1919 the first scheduled daily international commercial air services flew to,1909, First reported landing by aircraft on the heath. Early 1910, A hangar was built, to support proposed flying training for army officers, up to 1914, Several landings and departures were reported. 14 October 1914, Ten days after the outbreak of World War I, the RFC progressively increased its presence on the heath. March 1915, About 200 military personnel were receiving intensive training there,30 March 1915,10 Squadron RFC moved in from Farnborough Airfield. May 1915,10 Squadron RFC was replaced by 14 Squadron, August 1915,14 Squadron RFC was replaced by 15 Squadron. All three squadrons were equipped with B. E. 2cs,1 September 1915,24 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath, commanded by Major Lanoe Hawker VC. It was the first single-seat fighter RFC squadron, first equipped with various types such as Bristol Scout and Vickers F. B.5, February 1916,24 Squadron departed to France. 5 November 1915,27 Squadron was formed, using Martinsyde Elephant fighters,15 April 1916,39 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath, starting with B. E. 2cs. 15 May 1916,52 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath, November 1917,85 Squadron commanded by Billy Bishop was briefly based there, equipped with S. E. 5As. December 1917,87 Squadron was briefly based there, equipped with S. E. 5As,1 April 1918, The RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged to form the Royal Air Force. The buildings at Hounslow Heath included four permanent hangars and several Bessonneau canvas hangars, training and communications squadrons of the RAF continued to use Hounslow Heath. 1 May 1919, The ban on non-military flying was lifted, one incoming flight to Hounslow Heath from Bristol, plus one outgoing flight to Lympne Airport, both charters, became the first UK commercial flying journeys between appointed aerodromes. 1 June 1919, The RAF vacated the airfield, and left it entirely in civilian hands,1919, During that first year of civilian operations, several thousand passengers were carried on joy flights. Those flights often employed de-mobbed and modified Avro 504s, operated in military markings but with the name of the owners, e. g. Avro, two of the former RFC permanent hangars were used to house civilian aircraft. The third hangar, nearest to the road from Staines Road, was converted into a customs hall, with prominent external lettering Douane and Customs visible to air. At that time, Hounslow Heath was the only approved aerodrome in the London area with customs facilities, in the following five weeks, various proving flights took place, sometimes without customs clearances or passports. 25 August 1919, Several flights inaugurated scheduled international commercial flights, the first was by an Airco DH. 4A owned by Aircraft Transport and Travel and piloted by E. H
9.
RNAS Calshot
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The station was originally established on 29 March 1913 by the Royal Flying Corps, as Calshot Naval Air Station, for the purpose of testing seaplanes for the RFC Naval wing. The first aircraft to arrive was a Sopwith Bat Boat, in July 1914 the Royal Navy re-formed its air branch, naming it the Royal Naval Air Service, and took over the Calshot base and its development and training functions. Calshot was also used for training on observer kite balloons and airships, in 1917, seaplane training was extended to the new Naval Seaplane Training School at nearby Lee-on-the-Solent. A major rebuild at Calshot then took place when new buildings, offices, the largest hangar – Sunderland Hangar – is now home to the Calshot Activities Centre. By 1918 there were two flights of Felixstowe flying boats and a flight of seaplanes, and together managed to exceed 9,000 hours of patrol flights in a three-month period. Out of 42 U-boats reported,3 were sunk, on 1 April 1918 the RFC and the RNAS combined to form the Royal Air Force and the station became home to the headquarters of No.10 Group RAF. The three flights that were based at Calshot became No.240 Squadron RAF, after the war, the station became home to the RAF School of Naval Co-operation and Aerial Navigation, and on 5 February 1922 was renamed RAF Calshot. RNAS Lee-on-Solent List of seaplanes and flying boats - United Kingdom Seaplane bases in the United Kingdom List of air stations of the Royal Navy List of former Royal Air Force stations
10.
Alexandria
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Alexandria is the second largest city and a major economic centre in Egypt, extending about 32 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country. Its low elevation on the Nile delta makes it vulnerable to rising sea levels. Alexandria is Egypts largest seaport, serving approximately 80% of Egypts imports and exports and it is an important industrial center because of its natural gas and oil pipelines from Suez. Alexandria is also an important tourist destination, Alexandria was founded around a small Ancient Egyptian town c.331 BC by Alexander the Great. Alexandria was the second most powerful city of the ancient world after Rome, Alexandria is believed to have been founded by Alexander the Great in April 331 BC as Ἀλεξάνδρεια. Alexanders chief architect for the project was Dinocrates, Alexandria was intended to supersede Naucratis as a Hellenistic center in Egypt, and to be the link between Greece and the rich Nile valley. The city and its museum attracted many of the greatest scholars, including Greeks, Jews, the city was later plundered and lost its significance. Just east of Alexandria, there was in ancient times marshland, as early as the 7th century BC, there existed important port cities of Canopus and Heracleion. The latter was rediscovered under water. An Egyptian city, Rhakotis, already existed on the shore also and it continued to exist as the Egyptian quarter of the city. A few months after the foundation, Alexander left Egypt and never returned to his city, after Alexanders departure, his viceroy, Cleomenes, continued the expansion. Although Cleomenes was mainly in charge of overseeing Alexandrias continuous development, the Heptastadion, inheriting the trade of ruined Tyre and becoming the center of the new commerce between Europe and the Arabian and Indian East, the city grew in less than a generation to be larger than Carthage. In a century, Alexandria had become the largest city in the world and and it became Egypts main Greek city, with Greek people from diverse backgrounds. Alexandria was not only a center of Hellenism, but was home to the largest urban Jewish community in the world. The Septuagint, a Greek version of the Tanakh, was produced there, in AD115, large parts of Alexandria were destroyed during the Kitos War, which gave Hadrian and his architect, Decriannus, an opportunity to rebuild it. On 21 July 365, Alexandria was devastated by a tsunami, the Islamic prophet, Muhammads first interaction with the people of Egypt occurred in 628, during the Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha. He sent Hatib bin Abi Baltaeh with a letter to the king of Egypt and Alexandria called Muqawqis In the letter Muhammad said, I invite you to accept Islam, Allah the sublime, shall reward you doubly. But if you refuse to do so, you bear the burden of the transgression of all the Copts
