John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Brabazon of Tara
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| Minister of Aircraft Production | |
| In office 1 May 1941 – 22 February 1942 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | The Lord Beaverbrook |
| Succeeded by | John Llewellin |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 3 October 1940 – 1 May 1941 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | John Reith |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Leathers |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport | |
| In office 11 November 1924 – 14 January 1927 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Earl Russell |
| In office 8 October 1923 – 22 January 1924 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | Wilfrid Ashley |
| Succeeded by | No appointment until November 1924 |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 27 April 1942 – 17 May 1964 Hereditary peerage |
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| Preceded by | Peerage created |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Baron Brabazon of Tara |
| Member of Parliament for Wallasey |
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| In office 27 October 1931 – 27 April 1942 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Burton-Chadwick |
| Succeeded by | George Reakes |
| Member of Parliament for Chatham |
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| In office 14 December 1918 – 10 May 1929 |
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| Preceded by | Gerald Hohler |
| Succeeded by | Frank Markham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 February 1884 London, England |
| Died | 17 May 1964 (aged 80) Longcross, Surrey, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1919 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches (2) Knight of the Legion of Honour (France) |
John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara (born February 8, 1884 – died May 17, 1964) was an amazing English aviation pioneer and a Conservative politician. He was the very first Englishman to fly a powered airplane in England. During the Second World War, he served as Minister of Transport and Minister of Aircraft Production.
Contents
John Moore-Brabazon: Aviation Pioneer and Politician
Early Life and Discoveries
John Moore-Brabazon was born in London. His father was Lieutenant Colonel John Arthur Henry Moore-Brabazon. John went to Harrow School and then studied engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge. He didn't finish his degree, but he spent his university holidays working for Charles Rolls as an unpaid mechanic. After Cambridge, he became an apprentice at Darracq in Paris. In 1907, he won a car race called the Circuit des Ardennes.
First Flights and Records
Moore-Brabazon first flew an airplane by himself in November 1908 in France. He used a Voisin biplane. On May 2, 1909, he became the first Englishman living in England to make an official airplane flight in England. This happened at Shellbeach on the Isle of Sheppey. He flew distances of 450 feet, 600 feet, and 1500 feet.
Just two days later, on May 4, 1909, he was photographed with famous aviation pioneers. These included the Wright Brothers and Charles Rolls. A documentary called A Dream of Flight was made in 2009. It celebrated 100 years since his first flight on the Isle of Sheppey.
On October 30, 1909, he flew a circular mile in his Short Biplane No. 2. He won a 1,000 pound prize from the Daily Mail newspaper. As a joke, on November 4, 1909, he put a small pig in a basket. He tied it to his airplane's wing. This might have been the first time a live animal flew in an airplane!
On March 8, 1910, Moore-Brabazon became the first person to get a pilot's license in the UK. His car even had the license plate "FLY 1". However, his friend Charles Rolls died in a flying accident a few months later. Because of this, Moore-Brabazon's wife convinced him to stop flying.
War Hero and Innovator
When the First World War began, Moore-Brabazon returned to flying. He joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in December 1914. He quickly moved up in rank.
He served on the Western Front. There, he helped a lot with developing aerial photography. This was important for taking pictures from the air to help with military plans. In April 1918, the RFC joined with the Royal Naval Air Service. They formed the Royal Air Force. Moore-Brabazon became a temporary lieutenant-colonel. He was promoted to the full rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1919.
He received the Military Cross medal in 1917. He was also mentioned twice for his brave actions. France also honored him with the Knight of the Legion of Honour medal.
A Unique Boat Design
In 1934, Moore-Brabazon designed a special boat. It was a Bembridge Redwing yacht. He added a gyro-rig to it. This meant it had rotating blades instead of traditional sails. The blades were painted red to follow the boat class rules. This boat was quite unusual and might have been the first "auto-gyro" boat. Today, you can see it at the Classic Boat Museum on the Isle of Wight.
Serving in Government
Moore-Brabazon became a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP). He represented Chatham from 1918 to 1929. Later, he represented Wallasey from 1931 to 1942. He also served as a junior minister in the 1920s.
During Winston Churchill's wartime government, he took on important roles. In October 1940, he became Minister of Transport. In May 1941, he became Minister of Aircraft Production. As Minister of Transport, he suggested using Airgraphs. These were tiny photographs of letters. They helped reduce the weight of mail sent to soldiers fighting far away.
He had to leave his government role in 1942. This was because he made comments that were not helpful to the war effort. Britain was fighting alongside the Soviet Union. His comments about the Soviet Union were not acceptable at that time.
Later Achievements and Legacy
In April 1942, Moore-Brabazon became Baron Brabazon of Tara. This meant he joined the House of Lords. In 1943, he led the Brabazon Committee. This committee planned how to develop British aircraft after the war. He was involved in creating the Bristol Brabazon. This was a huge airliner that first flew in 1949. It was the largest airplane ever built entirely in Britain.
In 1949, he became the first Commodore of the House of Lords Yacht Club. He was also a very good golfer. He was captain of the the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews from 1952 to 1953.
In 1955, at 71 years old, he won the Cresta Run Coronation Cup. This is a famous sledding race. He went very fast, at about 71 kilometers per hour!
Moore-Brabazon was president of the Royal Aero Club. He received their gold medal in 1958. He also led the Air Registration Board. In 1953, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire. In 1960, he created the Brabazon Cup. This award is given to women for their achievements in aviation.
He married Hilda Mary Krabbé in 1906. They had two sons. His eldest son, Derek, took over his title.
John Moore-Brabazon is buried in Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens in Buckinghamshire.
