Herbert Carmichael Irwin facts for kids

Herbert Carmichael "Bird" Irwin (born June 26, 1894 – died October 5, 1930) was an Irish pilot and an Olympic athlete. He was known for flying large airships and for running long-distance races.

During World War I, Irwin flew non-rigid airships for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). After the war, he commanded bigger rigid airships for the Royal Air Force (RAF). He later worked for the Royal Airship Works as part of a big project called the Imperial Airship Scheme.

Herbert Irwin was also a very good runner. He competed in middle- and long-distance races, as well as cross-country running. He even represented Great Britain at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.

His most important aviation job was commanding the airship R101. This was the biggest airship in the world at that time. Sadly, Irwin and 47 other people died when the R101 crashed in northern France. This happened during a flight from Britain to India.

Early Life and Education

Herbert Carmichael Irwin was born in Dundrum, County Dublin, on June 26, 1894. He was the second of four sons. His father, Thomas Frederick Irwin, was a solicitor (a type of lawyer). His mother was Elinor Emily Lindsay Carroll.

Herbert's father and two uncles were famous members of the Dublin University Boat Club, which is a rowing club. Herbert went to St. Andrew's College, Dublin, from 1909 to 1913.

Herbert Irwin's Athletic Achievements

Irwin was a member of the Clonliffe Harriers, an athletic club in Dublin. They even have a trophy named after him, the Irwin Memorial Challenge Cup.

When he was 18, in 1914, he became the Irish four-mile running champion. He also won the Irish senior and junior cross-country championships. After World War I, he competed for Great Britain at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

At the Olympics, Irwin finished second in his semifinal race for the men's 5000 metres. This was his best performance ever in that event. However, he finished twelfth in the final race.

After the Olympics, Irwin continued his running success. He became the Irish mile and four-mile champion in 1921. He was also the RAF (Royal Air Force) mile champion in 1920 and the RAF three-mile champion in 1919, 1920, and 1922.

His fastest times were:

• Mile: 4 minutes, 33.8 seconds (1920)
• Three miles: 15 minutes, 15.6 seconds (1919)
• 5000 metres: 15 minutes, 17.8 seconds (1920 Olympics)

Military and Airship Career

Irwin joined the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service) in 1915. He started as a Probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant. From 1916 to 1917, he commanded non-rigid airships. These included the SS Zero, Coastal, and NS types. He flew them in British waters and the East Mediterranean. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1917. At RNAS East Fortune in Scotland, his airship was known as the "smartest ship."

When the RAF (Royal Air Force) was formed in 1918, Irwin continued to serve. He later commanded the rigid airship R29. His second-in-command on the R29 was Noël Atherstone, who would later be his second-in-command on the R101.

In 1921, Irwin became the captain of the R36. This airship was now considered a civilian aircraft. On a test flight in June 1921, with journalists on board, the R36 had an accident while landing. The airship was badly damaged and never flew again. After this, Irwin became captain of the R80.

Irwin also held ground jobs at RAF Headquarters and the Air Ministry. He was first transferred to the Royal Airship Works (RAW) in 1924. Later, he commanded the RAF School of Balloon Training from 1926 to 1928. He became a permanent Flight Lieutenant in 1926.

Even while working for the RAW, Irwin was studying for his RAF promotion exam. He was also planned to be the commander of the R101's next version, the R102.

The Imperial Airship Scheme

The Imperial Airship Scheme was a plan in the 1920s to create an airship network. This network would connect Britain to its colonies around the world.

Two large passenger airships were built as part of this plan: the R101 and the R100. The R101 was built by the government-owned RAW, and the R100 by a private company. Irwin was involved in this project in two ways. First, he commanded the R33 on test flights to help design the new airships. Later, he became the captain of the R101.

The R33 Airship

Irwin took command of the R33 airship in April 1925. The R33 had been brought back into service for the airship scheme. Under his command, the R33 flew for aerodynamic testing.

However, the R33 broke away from its mooring mast during a strong storm in April 1925. Irwin was not on board at the time. The airship was blown all the way to the Netherlands before returning safely. It then spent six months being repaired. The R33 returned to service later that year but was eventually taken out of service for good in 1928. Irwin transferred back to the RAF in 1926.

The R101 Airship

Early Flights and Issues

In 1929, Irwin returned to the Royal Airship Works to command the new R101. Its first flight was on October 14. However, its second flight on October 18 ended with an incident. The airship had trouble landing and hit the mooring mast. Irwin and his second-in-command, Atherstone, were very upset by this.

Other problems happened on later flights. On November 1, ballast (weight) was released during landing without Irwin's knowledge. On November 3, damage occurred to part of the ship during landing.

Longest Flight and Preparations for India

On November 17 and 18, 1929, the R101 made its longest flight ever, lasting over 30 hours. It flew over England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. As the R101 flew over Dublin Bay, Irwin took control. He flew the airship in "majestic sweeps" over his home city. The R101 also flew over Rhosneigr, where Irwin's mother lived. Everyone was happy with how the R101 performed on this flight.

However, the R101 was not formally given to Irwin yet. He was frustrated because promises made to him about the airship were not kept. He was the "unofficial captain."

Modifications and India Flight Plans

Lord Thomson, who was in charge of air travel, wanted to fly to India on the R101. But the R101 was too heavy for such a long trip. So, changes were made to make it lighter and improve its lift.

In July 1930, Irwin told his superiors about concerns he had. He noticed the outer cover of the airship was "flapping." He also worried about gas valves not working right and "an abundance of holes" in the gas cells.

The R101 then went back into its shed to have an extra section added. It came out on October 1 and made its only test flight before the India trip. This test flight was planned for 24 hours but was cut short to less than 17 hours.

It was decided that the flight from Cardington to Karachi (in what is now Pakistan) would start on October 4, 1930. Lord Thomson and other important people would be on board. Major Scott was in charge of the flight itself, deciding when to fly and the course. Irwin was the airship's captain, responsible for the crew.

Some sources say Irwin was worried about the India flight. He reportedly said, "They're rushing us. We're not ready." However, other historians believe that Irwin and the other main officers were satisfied that the airship was safe to fly. Still, the planned test flights that Irwin himself had designed were not fully completed before the departure.

Personal Life

Herbert Irwin became engaged to Olivia Marjory Macdonald Teacher in early 1925. They were married on September 23, 1926. In Bedford, the Irwins lived at Long Acre, Putnoe Lane. The R101 flew over their house on its final, tragic flight.

After Irwin's death, his wife received a yearly pension and a payment. They did not have any children.

The R101's Final Flight and Irwin's Death

Irwin started his duty before 6:00 AM on October 4, 1930, to prepare for the R101's departure. He had very little rest while getting the airship ready and looking after the important passengers. Even though the captain wasn't supposed to stand watch, there were only three officers available. This meant each had to take three-hour shifts.

Irwin was in charge of the R101's departure from the Cardington mast at 6:36 PM. The weather was not good. Some believe Irwin and Atherstone might have wanted to turn back. But Major Scott likely pushed to continue the flight.

Irwin took his watch at 11:00 PM. Around 1:00 AM, he spoke to some engineers. He said the airship was behaving well. He also discussed ongoing problems with gas leaks.

At 2:00 AM on October 5, Irwin was relieved from his watch and went to bed. The airship was flying in stormy weather over northern France. At this point, he seemed to have no concerns about the flight. However, Irwin might have been tired, and the officers and crew who took over were less experienced. This might have made it harder to handle any problems.

About seven minutes after the watch change, the R101 suddenly went into a dive. It recovered slightly, then went into a second dive. It hit the ground at low speed, crashed into a wood near Beauvais, and caught fire around 2:09 AM.

Out of 54 people on board, 46 died, including Irwin and all the other officers. Two more people died later in the hospital. The investigation after the crash concluded that the airship crashed because it lost a lot of gas.

Funeral and Burial

Irwin and the other victims of the R101 crash received "full state honours." Their bodies were brought to London and lay in state in Westminster Hall. Irwin's body was identified in London. After a memorial service at St. Paul's Cathedral on October 11, the victims were taken by train to Bedford. They were buried in a shared grave in the cemetery of St Mary the Virgin, Cardington.