Geoffrey de Havilland

Sir Geoffrey de Havilland
Sir Geoffrey de Havilland
Born	July 27, 1882 (age 144); High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Died	May 21, 1965 (aged 82); Watford Peace Memorial Hospital, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation(s)	Aviator, aerospace engineer
Years active	1909–1955
Known for	Founder of de Havilland aircraft company; designer of Mosquito and Comet aircraft

Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, Template:Postnominals (27 July 1882 – 21 May 1965), was a pioneering English aviator and aerospace engineer who established the de Havilland aircraft company. This firm is renowned for creating the Mosquito, often regarded as one of the most adaptable combat aircraft ever developed, and for introducing the Comet, the first jet airliner to enter commercial production.

Early life

Geoffrey de Havilland was born at Magdala House, Terriers, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, as the second son of The Reverend Charles de Havilland (1854–1920) and his first wife, Alice Jeannette (née Saunders; 1854–1911). His education included attendance at Nuneaton Grammar School, St Edward's School, Oxford, and later the Crystal Palace School of Engineering from 1900 until 1903.

Following his engineering studies, de Havilland initially embarked on a career in automotive engineering, focusing on the construction of cars and motorcycles. He began with an apprenticeship at engine manufacturers Willans & Robinson in Rugby, Warwickshire. Subsequently, he served as a draughtsman at The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited in Birmingham, a position he left after one year. Afterward, he worked for two years within the design department of Motor Omnibus Construction Company Limited located in Walthamstow. During this period, he designed his first aero engine prototype, which was produced by the Iris Motor Company based in Willesden.

In 1909, shortly after marrying, de Havilland committed himself fully to the design, construction, and piloting of aircraft—a vocation that would define his professional life.

Aviation career

File:GeoffreyDeHavillandBluePlaque.jpg

Commemorative plaque at 32 Baron's Court Road, Barons Court, London

File:First flying and administrative officers of the Royal Flying Corps RAE-O790.jpg

de Havilland (extreme left) alongside fellow Royal Flying Corps officers, circa 1913

Funded by a loan from his maternal grandfather,^[1] de Havilland spent two years constructing his initial aircraft. Unfortunately, during its maiden brief flight at Seven Barrows near Litchfield, Hampshire in December 1909, it crashed.^[2] He then constructed a new biplane, successfully flying it for the first time from a field near Newbury in September 1910.^[3] This achievement is now commemorated by a memorial plaque. His subsequent aircraft designs proved increasingly successful; notably, in 1912 he set a British altitude record of 10,500 feet (3,200 m) piloting a model he designed, the B.E.2. Geoffrey was responsible for the design while his brother Hereward served as test pilot.

In December 1910, de Havilland joined HM Balloon Factory at Farnborough, later renamed the Royal Aircraft Factory. He sold his second aeroplane—used during his self-taught flying lessons—to this employer for £400. This aircraft became known as the F.E.1, marking the first official Royal Aircraft Factory designation. Over the following three years, he contributed to designing several experimental aircraft at the "Factory". On 2 September 1912, he was commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps.^[4]^[5] Subsequently, he was appointed a reserve officer on 24 November and confirmed in rank on 25 December.^[6]^[7]

In December 1913, de Havilland took on the role of aircraft inspector for the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate.^[8] Dissatisfied with leaving design work behind, he accepted a position as chief designer at Airco in Hendon in May 1914. There he developed numerous aircraft models identified by his initials, DH. Many of these designs were extensively utilized during the First World War by the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force. Throughout the conflict, de Havilland maintained his service within the RFC.

On 5 August 1914, he received promotion to lieutenant and simultaneously was appointed as a flying officer within the RFC.^[9]^[10] For a short period, he was stationed at Montrose on Scotland's east coast to conduct war duties. Piloting a Blériot, his mission involved safeguarding British maritime traffic against German U-boat threats.^[11] After several weeks, he was relieved from this assignment and resumed work with Airco while nominally remaining enlisted until war’s end.^[12] On 30 April 1916, he advanced to captain and took on responsibilities as a flight commander.^[13]^[14]

Following Airco’s acquisition by armaments firm Birmingham Small Arms Company in early 1920—and its subsequent closure due to financial insolvency that July,^[15]—de Havilland partnered with former Airco owner George Holt Thomas to establish de Havilland#de Havilland Aircraft Company employing several ex-colleagues. Impressed with their craftsmanship and designs, investor Alan Samuel Butler—who later became company chairman—financed acquisition of facilities including an airfield at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware. Here, de Havilland and his team developed and produced numerous aircraft models such as the de Havilland Moth#Moth family. He also frequently served as test pilot for company-built planes.

In 1928, a Canadian subsidiary named De Havilland Canada was launched to manufacture Moth aircraft for North American markets. During World War II, production expanded significantly to supplement British manufacturing capacity without risk from enemy air attacks. Post-war, De Havilland Canada designed and produced several original models,^[16] many achieving notable success.

The company relocated its operations to Hatfield Aerodrome in Hertfordshire in 1933.

In 1944, de Havilland acquired his associate and engine designer Frank Halford’s consultancy firm, founding the de Havilland Engine Company with Halford appointed head engineer. Halford had previously developed various engines for de Havilland including the de Havilland Gipsy and its successor, the de Havilland Gipsy Major. His inaugural gas turbine design entered production as the de Havilland Goblin, which powered de Havilland’s first jet aircraft—the de Havilland Vampire#Vampire.

De Havilland maintained control over his company until its purchase by the Hawker Siddeley Company in 1960. His principal financial supporter, Alan Butler, remained actively involved as chairman until retiring in 1950.

Retirement and death

File:Geoffrey de Havilland statue Hatfield.jpg

Statue at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

De Havilland resided at 'Longcote' on Tanglewood Close in Stanmore.^[17]

Although he stepped back from day-to-day operations in 1955, he retained the role of company president. He remained an active pilot until reaching 70 years old, with his last flight being in a DH85 Leopard Moth, registration G-ACMA.^[1] At the age of 82, he passed away due to a cerebral haemorrhage on 21 May 1965 at Watford Peace Memorial Hospital in Hertfordshire.

Honours

De Havilland was appointed an OBE (Military Division) during the 1918 Birthday Honours,^[18]^[19] and later received a CBE (Civil Division) in the 1934 Birthday Honours.^[20] His contributions during the World War I were recognised with the award of the Air Force Cross (AFC) in the 1919 New Year Honours.^[21] He was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 1944 New Year Honours,^[22] with the investiture conducted by George VI at Buckingham Palace on 15 February 1944.^[23] In November 1962, he was appointed to the prestigious Order of Merit (OM).^[24] Throughout his career, de Havilland earned numerous gold and silver medals both nationally and internationally, along with honorary fellowships from various scholarly and engineering institutions. Notably, he received the Gold Medal from the Royal Aero Club twice, in 1947 and again in 1963.

In recognition of his lifetime achievements, de Havilland was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 1972.^[25]

A statue commemorating de Havilland was unveiled in July 1997 near the entrance to the College Lane campus of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. As a benefactor, he had donated land adjacent to the A1 to Hertfordshire County Council in 1951 for what became Hatfield Technical College, a predecessor institution of the university. The statue's unveiling ceremony was conducted by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Additionally, the university’s De Havilland campus (often called De Hav) is named in his honour.

Family

File:De-havilland-first-flight-memorial-stone.jpg

De Havilland Memorial Stone near Seven Barrows Field and Beacon Hill from A34

Actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were first cousins to Geoffrey de Havilland; their fathers—Charles and Walter de Havilland, respectively—were half-brothers. His younger sibling, Hereward de Havilland, also gained recognition as an early aviator and test pilot. Sir Anthony de Havilland (born 1969) descends directly from James de Havilland (1553–1613), who relocated from Guernsey to Poole in Dorset and obtained a trade license there.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]}

In 1909, Geoffrey married Louise Thomas, formerly employed as a governess to his sisters. Together they had three sons: Peter, Geoffrey Jr., and John. Tragically, two of these sons lost their lives while serving as test pilots flying de Havilland aircraft. His youngest son, John, died in a mid-air collision involving two Mosquito aircraft near St Albans in 1943.

Geoffrey Jr. completed inaugural flights for both the Mosquito and the de Havilland Vampire. He was fatally injured in 1946 piloting the jet-powered DH 108 Swallow during a dive approaching or exceeding the speed of sound. Following these losses, Louise suffered a nervous breakdown and passed away in 1949. In 1951, Geoffrey remarried Joan Mary Frith (1900–1974), with whom he remained until his death.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]}

Template:Chart top Template:Tree chart/start

Template:Tree chart

Template:Tree chart/end Template:Chart bottom

Posthumous Release

In 1975, Peter and Anne de Havilland republished the 1961 autobiography of de Havilland, titled Sky Fever. The original edition had been issued by Hamish Hamilton.

External links

Template:De Havilland aircraft

Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 159: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

[ODNB-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ODNB

[2] Roots in the Sky – A History of British Aerospace Aircraft, Oliver Tapper (1980), ISBN 061700323 8; pp. 7–8. "de Havilland first became airborne in December 1909 but his biplane broke up as soon as it left the ground and crashed immediately, the only salvable item being the engine which itself had been designed and built by de Havilland."

[3] Roots in the Sky, p. 8

[4] Template:London Gazette

[5] Template:London Gazette

[6] Template:London Gazette

[7] Template:London Gazette

[8] Template:London Gazette

[9] Template:London Gazette

[10] Template:London Gazette

[11] Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

[12] Sky Fever. The autobiography of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland (1961), ISBN 1-84037-148-X; p. 96.

[13] Template:London Gazette

[14] Template:London Gazette

[15] The Aircraft "Deal", BSA company meeting. The Times, Tuesday, 12 Apr 1921; p. 17; Issue 42692

[16] GlobalSecurity.org

[17] Liverpool Daily Post Monday 23 June 1947, page 4

[18] Template:London Gazette

[19] Template:London Gazette

[20] Template:London Gazette

[21] Template:London Gazette

[22] Template:London Gazette

[23] Template:London Gazette

[24] Template:London Gazette

[25] Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]