Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
George Hedley Stainforth, (22 March 1899 – 27 September 1942) was a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
pilot and the first man to exceed 400 miles per hour.
Early life
George Hedley Stainforth was the son of George Staunton Stainforth, a
solicitor.
He attended
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...
and
Weymouth College
Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth C ...
.
He joined the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
before joining the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
.
Career
George Stainforth joined the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
on 15 March 1923 and was posted to
No. 19 Squadron RAF
Number 19 Squadron (sometimes written as No. XIX Squadron) is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to operate the Supermarine Spitfire. It currently operates the UK's Control and Reporting Centre from RAF Boulmer. No. 1 ...
on 10 April 1924. He was promoted after four years to
flight lieutenant on 1 July 1928, and was posted to the
Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) was a British military research and test organisation. It was originally formed as the Marine Aircraft Experimental Station in October 1918 at RAF Isle of Grain, a former Royal Naval Air Serv ...
(MAEE) for duties with the
High Speed Flight, also known as ''The Flight''.
1929 Schneider Trophy
Stainforth was serving with ''The High Speed Flight'' in 1929, as pilot of the
Gloster VI
The Gloster VI was a racing seaplane developed as a contestant for the 1929 Schneider Trophy by the Gloster Aircraft Company.
The aircraft was known as the ''Golden Arrow'', partly in reference to its colour, the distinctive three-lobed cowling ...
entrant. The aircraft was withdrawn for technical reasons shortly before the competition, which was then won by his teammate
Flt. Lt. H. Waghorn in a
Supermarine S.6.
On the following day, 10 September 1929, Stainforth took the
Gloster VI
The Gloster VI was a racing seaplane developed as a contestant for the 1929 Schneider Trophy by the Gloster Aircraft Company.
The aircraft was known as the ''Golden Arrow'', partly in reference to its colour, the distinctive three-lobed cowling ...
up for an attempt at the record over a measured mile course. He achieved a top speed of 351.3 mph and a ratified world absolute speed record, averaged over four runs of 336.3 mph.
This record was held but briefly, as a later run by the racing seaplane
Supermarine S.6 managed to raise it to over 350 mph.
1931 Schneider Trophy and the 400 mph barrier
Flight Lieutenant Stainforth was also one of the team in 1931 when the Trophy was won for the third time in a row, and thus the competition won outright. Following the Trophy triumph on 16 September, he had the chance to once again break the
airspeed record
An air speed record is the highest airspeed attained by an aircraft of a particular class. The rules for all official aviation records are defined by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which also ratifies any claims. Speed records ...
. His first attempt was made in
Supermarine S.6B S1596, in which he achieved 379 mph. Following a minor taxiing accident during testing though, he caused S1596 to turn over and sink. Although she was recovered by divers the next day, he now transferred to S1595. This was another S.6B, which could also be fitted with the same specially prepared 2,600 bhp
Rolls-Royce R
The Rolls-Royce R is a British aero engine that was designed and built specifically for air racing purposes by Rolls-Royce Limited. Nineteen R engines were assembled in a limited production run between 1929 and 1931. Developed from the Rolls-Ro ...
"sprint" engine, serial R27 and airscrew for the record attempt. The engine was using a specially prepared fuel mixture of
petrol
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...
,
methanol and
ethyl. Starting the engine was uneasy and there was considerable danger of engine explosion.
On 29 September 1931, the record attempt was made. Due to the aircraft having no flaps, Stainforth took off from the water after a very long run up. The record was established at a height of 400 m.
He made a perfect record run over the four timed miles in opposing directions and achieved an average of , being the first man in the world to exceed 400 mph.
For this achievement he was awarded the
Air Force Cross on 9 October 1931.
Stainforth later went on to break another record, this time by flying upside down for 12 minutes.
Career after ''The Flight''
Leaving the MAEE in 1935, Stainforth spent a short period as
Adjutant aboard . He was promoted to
squadron leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
on 1 June 1936, served with
No. 802 Squadron in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force and was posted as the Officer Commanding
No. 30 Squadron RAF in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
. In February 1939, he returned to
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at ...
Upavon as Officer Commanding ''Examining and Handling Flight''. On 12 January 1940, he was promoted to
wing commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
and commanded
No. 600 Squadron RAF. In June 1940, Stainforth and
Stanford Tuck, the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
, were posted to
Farnborough in south central England. His task was to take part in comparison trials of a captured
Messerschmitt Bf 109E and a
Supermarine Spitfire Mark II. The tests began with Stainforth flying the Messerschmitt and Tuck flying the Spitfire in level flight, dives and turns, and at various speeds at different altitudes.
[
Stainforth was appointed as Officer Commanding No. 89 (Night Fighter) Squadron in October 1941. At the end of that year, the squadron was posted to the Middle East, and on the night of 27 September 1942, Wing Commander Stainforth was killed in action while piloting Bristol Beaufighter serial ''X7700'' at Gharib, near the ]Gulf of Suez
The Gulf of Suez ( ar, خليج السويس, khalīǧ as-suwais; formerly , ', "Sea of Calm") is a gulf at the northern end of the Red Sea, to the west of the Sinai Peninsula. Situated to the east of the Sinai Peninsula is the smaller Gulf of ...
. He was buried with full military honours, at the British Cemetery Ismailia
Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...
, Egypt.
Following his death, a dossier was compiled by his friends detailing many of his achievements, recorded remarks and memories of him by distinguished officers and men who served with him during his lifetime. It also includes extracts from his own thoughts and writings. A copy of the dossier has been presented to the Royal Air Force Museum
The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. The museum is a non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Defence and is a registered charity.
The museum is split into two separate sites:
* ...
at Hendon.
The Stainforth Trophy
The Stainforth Trophy was originally presented in 1974 to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007 when it merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air C ...
, Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Smallwood by members of the No. 89 Squadron Reunion Club, to commemorate the long and distinguished career, both as an aviator and as a Royal Air Force officer, of Wing Commander George Hedley Stainforth. The Trophy had been commissioned and paid for, anonymously, by a Mrs Stella Sketch who died in May 2000. The Stainforth Trophy is awarded annually by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007 when it merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air C ...
to the operational station within the Command which has produced the best overall performance and is their most prestigious trophy. The Stainforth family are still represented at the presentation.[
]
Design
The Stainforth Trophy was designed by Robin Beresford. The trophy depicts in silver three supersonic aircraft and spiralling vapour trails soaring into the stratosphere.[ The artist also tried to display an awareness of the achievements of the ]Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, also known as the Schneider Trophy, Schneider Prize or (incorrectly) the Schneider Cup is a trophy that was awarded annually (and later, biennially) to the winner of a race for seaplanes and flyin ...
Team in the design, being aware that these achievements resulted in the improved design and development, by R. J. Mitchell, of the Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
, which played such a major role in Britain's victory in the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. In the design of the trophy, the artist has tried to show the Earth as seen by the astronauts, vapour trails ending in arrows to depict high speed altitude flight, and with an outward sweep to infinity, which suggests that the sky is literally the limit of man's achievement in the air. Into his design, he has incorporated a star and its orbit to evoke the achievements of science and the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
motto '' Per ardua ad astra''.
Trivia
Cigarette cards
The image of G H Stainforth appeared in a number of Cigarette Card Sets including:
* Lambert & Butler's ''Famous British Airmen & Airwomen''
* Carreras: ''Famous Airmen and Airwomen'' (issue year 1936). 50 Cards. Named as Flight Lieutenant GH Stainforth.
* Carreras: ''Famous British Fliers'' (issue year 1956). 50 Cards. Named as GH Stainforth.
* Park Drive cigarettes ( Gallaher Ltd): ''Champions 1st series'' (issue year 1934). Number 38 – G H Stainforth
Stainforth Weather Vane, Greenhill Gardens, Weymouth
The weather vane
A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...
was originally presented to Weymouth College
Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth C ...
in 1932 (at that point known as Weymouth Grammar School, later renamed Weymouth Secondary School) as a memorial to Stainforth, its former pupil, who had set the world air speed record the previous year. Made of hardwood and covered in a copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
sheath, the vane was erected above Weymouth College chapel in 1932, but moved for safety at the start of World War II. It was later presented to the borough council and placed in Greenhill Gardens in May 1952. In 1996, the vane had to be taken down after the effects of years of sea spray and coastal winds had taken their toll, but it has since been restored and is now back in the gardens.
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stainforth, George
People educated at Dulwich College
English aviators
Royal Air Force wing commanders
British air racers
Schneider Trophy pilots
Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II
1899 births
1942 deaths
People from Bromley
People educated at Weymouth College (public school)
British aviation record holders
Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
Military personnel from London