Air Battalion Royal Engineers facts for kids

The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was a super important group in British history! It was the very first flying unit of the British Armed Forces. This means they were the first to use airplanes, which are called "heavier-than-air" craft.

The Air Battalion started in 1911. Just one year later, in 1912, it became part of the Royal Flying Corps. This group then grew into the famous Royal Air Force (RAF) that we know today.

How the Air Battalion Started

In 1911, people were getting really excited about flying! The War Office, which was in charge of the army, decided it was time for Britain to have its own military flying unit.

They took the old School of Ballooning, which had been around since 1888, and made it much bigger. On April 1, 1911, the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers officially began.

Who Joined the Air Battalion?

The new battalion started with 14 officers and 150 other soldiers. Officers could come from any part of the army. However, the other soldiers were chosen specifically from the Royal Engineers.

To become a pilot, you had to already have a special flying certificate. This certificate came from a private flying school called the Royal Aero Club. The training cost about 75 British Pounds, which was a lot of money back then! But if you passed the course, the army would pay you back.

What the Air Battalion Did

The Air Battalion had its main office, called headquarters, at Farnborough Airfield. It was split into two main groups, called companies.

No. 1 Company: Airships

• Location: Farnborough
• Equipment: Airships (like big balloons that could be steered)
• Commander: Captain Edward Maitland

Captain Maitland was a real pioneer! He was already very experienced with balloons and airships. He also helped invent the parachute. In 1913, he even made the first parachute jump from an airship!

No. 2 Company: Airplanes

• Location: Larkhill on Salisbury Plain
• Equipment: Airplanes (called aeroplanes back then)
• Commander: Captain John Fulton

Captain Fulton was a mechanical engineer from the Royal Field Artillery. He loved military flying from the very beginning. He even went to the world's first air show in 1909 in France! He earned his pilot's certificate, number 27, on November 15, 1910.

Early Flights and Records

On September 17, 1911, a pilot named Lt. Reginald Archibald Cammell had an accident. His Valkyrie monoplane crashed at Hendon airfield. This was the only fatal accident in the Air Battalion's history.

A few months later, on February 14, 1912, Lt. Barrington-Kennet set an amazing record! He flew a government-bought airplane, a two-seater Nieuport monoplane, for 249.5 miles. This flight took 4 hours and 32 minutes, which was a huge achievement for the time!

Becoming the Royal Flying Corps

In October 1911, something important happened. Italy used aircraft in a battle against the Ottoman Empire in Tripoli, Libya. This showed the world how useful airplanes could be in war.

Because of this, the British government decided they needed a stronger plan for military flying. A special group recommended creating a separate flying corps. So, on April 13, 1912, the Royal Flying Corps was officially formed!

The Air Battalion then became the "Military Wing" of this new Royal Flying Corps on May 13, 1912.

Squadrons Formed

• No. 1 Company of the Air Battalion became No. 1 Squadron RFC on April 1, 1911.
• No. 2 Company of the Air Battalion became No. 3 Squadron RFC on April 1, 1911.
• A smaller part of No. 2 Company also became No. 2 Squadron RFC on May 13, 1912.

Images for kids

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  ASL Valkyrie

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  Nieuport IV

• 

  Breguet III

See also

• Bertram Dickson – first British serviceman to fly in 1910, pre-dating the Air Battalion