Alliott Verdon Roe
Encyclopedia
Sir Edwin Alliott Verdon Roe OBE
, FRAeS
(26 April 1877 – 4 January 1958) was a pioneer English pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro
company. After experimenting with model aeroplanes, he made flight trials in 1907-08 with a full size biplane at Brooklands
and became the first Englishman to fly an all-British machine a year later with a triplane on Walthamstow Marshes
.
Roe was born in Patricroft
, Eccles
, now in the City of Salford
. The son of a doctor, he left home when he was 14 to go to Canada where he had been offered training as a surveyor. When he arrived in British Columbia
he discovered that a silver slump meant there was little demand for surveyors and he spent a year working odd jobs.
Once he returned to Britain he served as an apprentice with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and later tried to join the Royal Navy
and study marine engineering at King's College London
but, although he passed the technical and mathematics papers, was rejected for failing some of the general subjects. As well as dockyard work, the young Roe joined the ship SS Jebba of the British & South African Royal Mail Company as fifth engineer on the West African run. He went on to serve on other vessels, finishing his Merchant Navy
career as third engineer aboard SS Ichanga. It was during this time that he first turned his mind to the possibility of actually building a flying machine.
Gradually he developed his interest in birds and in flight, and began to construct flying models, winning a Daily Mail
competition with a prize of £75
for one of his designs in 1907, against fierce competition. With the prize money and the use of stables at his brother's house in West Hill, Wandsworth
, he was soon to build a full size aeroplane based on his winning model, the Roe I Biplane
, which he tested at Brooklands in 1907-08. A green plaque was unveiled by Wandsworth Council and members of the Verdon-Roe family on 28 October 2011 at the site of Roe's first workshop in West Hill.
When the Wright brothers
made the very first flight in a heavier than air machine at Kitty Hawk
, North Carolina, he was almost immediately in correspondence with them. He cycled to Le Mans
to meet them when they made their first, very impressive, European flights. He applied for and took a job with the Royal Aero Club
. He then found a job in the USA with a firm trying to build a gyrocopter. The machine was a failure and Roe came back to Britain; but not discouraged.
Walthamstow Marsh
was the location of Roe's later attempts to build and fly his early aeroplanes. Despite many failures, Roe continued his experiments and there is now a blue plaque
commemorating his first successful flight (in July 1909) on one of the railway arches he worked from.
With his brother Humphrey, he founded the A.V. Roe Aircraft Co. on 1 January 1910, at Brownsfield Mill, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester. His most popular model, the 504
, sold more than 8,300, mainly to the Royal Flying Corps
and later to the Royal Air Force
for use by training units. In 1928, he sold his shares and bought S. E. Saunders Co., and formed Saunders-Roe
.
He was knighted in 1929 and changed his surname by deed poll to Verdon-Roe in honour of his mother in 1933. During the 1930s he was a supporter of Oswald Mosley
. He was a great believer in monetary reform
and thought it was wrong that banks should be able to create money by "book entry" and charge interest on it when they lent it out. In this respect he shared the same enthusiasm for reform as the American poet Ezra Pound
, who also wrote for the Mosley press.
During the Second World War, two of his sons were killed in action whilst serving with the Royal Air Force
. Squadron Leader Eric Alliott Verdon-Roe aged 26, in 1941 and Squadron Leader Lighton Verdon-Roe DFC
aged 22, in 1943.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRAeS
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(26 April 1877 – 4 January 1958) was a pioneer English pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
company. After experimenting with model aeroplanes, he made flight trials in 1907-08 with a full size biplane at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
and became the first Englishman to fly an all-British machine a year later with a triplane on Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land — strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle....
.
Roe was born in Patricroft
Patricroft
Patricroft is a district of Eccles, England, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.-History:Patricroft may derive its name from 'Pear-tree croft', or more likely, 'Patrick's Croft'. In 1836, James Nasmyth, in partnership with Holbrook Gaskell, built the Bridgewater Foundry in...
, Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, now in the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. The son of a doctor, he left home when he was 14 to go to Canada where he had been offered training as a surveyor. When he arrived in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
he discovered that a silver slump meant there was little demand for surveyors and he spent a year working odd jobs.
Once he returned to Britain he served as an apprentice with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and later tried to join the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and study marine engineering at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
but, although he passed the technical and mathematics papers, was rejected for failing some of the general subjects. As well as dockyard work, the young Roe joined the ship SS Jebba of the British & South African Royal Mail Company as fifth engineer on the West African run. He went on to serve on other vessels, finishing his Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
career as third engineer aboard SS Ichanga. It was during this time that he first turned his mind to the possibility of actually building a flying machine.
Gradually he developed his interest in birds and in flight, and began to construct flying models, winning a Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
competition with a prize of £75
Daily Mail aviation prizes
Between 1907 and 1925 the Daily Mail newspaper, initially on the initiative of its proprietor Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, awarded numerous prizes for achievements in aviation. The newspaper would stipulate the amount of a prize for the first aviators to perform a particular task in...
for one of his designs in 1907, against fierce competition. With the prize money and the use of stables at his brother's house in West Hill, Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, he was soon to build a full size aeroplane based on his winning model, the Roe I Biplane
Roe I Biplane
|-See also:* I * II Triplane* III Triplane* IV Triplane-External links:*...
, which he tested at Brooklands in 1907-08. A green plaque was unveiled by Wandsworth Council and members of the Verdon-Roe family on 28 October 2011 at the site of Roe's first workshop in West Hill.
When the Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
made the very first flight in a heavier than air machine at Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk or Kittyhawk may refer to:Places*Kitty Hawk, North Carolina*Kitty Hawk, is an area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base*Kitty Hawk Air Society, an Honor Society for the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps programAirlines...
, North Carolina, he was almost immediately in correspondence with them. He cycled to Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
to meet them when they made their first, very impressive, European flights. He applied for and took a job with the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
. He then found a job in the USA with a firm trying to build a gyrocopter. The machine was a failure and Roe came back to Britain; but not discouraged.
Walthamstow Marsh
Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land — strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle....
was the location of Roe's later attempts to build and fly his early aeroplanes. Despite many failures, Roe continued his experiments and there is now a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
commemorating his first successful flight (in July 1909) on one of the railway arches he worked from.
With his brother Humphrey, he founded the A.V. Roe Aircraft Co. on 1 January 1910, at Brownsfield Mill, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester. His most popular model, the 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
, sold more than 8,300, mainly to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and later to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
for use by training units. In 1928, he sold his shares and bought S. E. Saunders Co., and formed Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
.
He was knighted in 1929 and changed his surname by deed poll to Verdon-Roe in honour of his mother in 1933. During the 1930s he was a supporter of Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
. He was a great believer in monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
and thought it was wrong that banks should be able to create money by "book entry" and charge interest on it when they lent it out. In this respect he shared the same enthusiasm for reform as the American poet Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, who also wrote for the Mosley press.
During the Second World War, two of his sons were killed in action whilst serving with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Squadron Leader Eric Alliott Verdon-Roe aged 26, in 1941 and Squadron Leader Lighton Verdon-Roe DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
aged 22, in 1943.