Sir Alexander Bannerman, 11th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Major Sir Alexander Bannerman, 11th Baronet (16 December 1871 – 10 March 1934) was a pioneer British military aviator.
Bannerman was born in Brackley
in Northamptonshire
and educated at Wellington College
. He succeeded to the title of 11th Baronet Bannerman
, of Elsick in Kincardineshire
on the death of his father the 10th Baronet on 2 December 1901.
Bannerman served in the Royal Engineers
, seeing active service in the Second Boer War
, and was mentioned in Lord Roberts
' despatches. He was promoted to captain on 26 October 1900.
After the war he returned to England only to depart again in 1903 on a special mission to Japan on behalf of the War Office
. At the start of 1908 Bannerman was sent to the War Office
to work as a general staff officer (third class).
In October 1910, Bannerman left the War Office in order to replace Colonel J E Capper
as the officer commanding the British Army
's School of Ballooning
. In April 1911, when the School of Ballooning was reorganized to become the Air Battalion
, Bannerman served as its commandant. Just before the Air Battalion became the Royal Flying Corps
, Bannerman took flying lessons in order to gain his Royal Aero Club
certificate. He retired from Royal Engineers and Royal Flying Corps service on 28 August 1912.).
He died on 10 March 1934 at the age of 62 in George
in the Cape Province
, South Africa
.
Bannerman was born in Brackley
Brackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and educated at Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
. He succeeded to the title of 11th Baronet Bannerman
Bannerman Baronets
There has been one creation of baronets with the surname Bannerman. It was created in 1682 in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia.-Bannerman of Elsick, Kincardineshire :*Sir Alexander Bannerman, 1st Baronet died 11 April 1711...
, of Elsick in Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
on the death of his father the 10th Baronet on 2 December 1901.
Bannerman served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, seeing active service in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, and was mentioned in Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
' despatches. He was promoted to captain on 26 October 1900.
After the war he returned to England only to depart again in 1903 on a special mission to Japan on behalf of the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. At the start of 1908 Bannerman was sent to the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
to work as a general staff officer (third class).
In October 1910, Bannerman left the War Office in order to replace Colonel J E Capper
John Capper
Major-General Sir John Edward Capper KCB KCVO was a senior officer of the British Army during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century who served on the North-West Frontier of British India, in South Africa and during the First World War, where he was instrumental in the development of the...
as the officer commanding the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's School of Ballooning
School of Ballooning
The School of Ballooning was a training and test centre for British Army experiments with balloons and airships. It was established at Chatham in Kent in 1888. The School moved to Stanhope Lines, Aldershot in 1890 when a balloon section and depot were formed as permanent units of the Royal...
. In April 1911, when the School of Ballooning was reorganized to become the Air Battalion
Air Battalion Royal Engineers
The Air Battalion Royal Engineers was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. It evolved into the Royal Flying Corps which in turn evolved into the Royal Air Force.-Establishment:...
, Bannerman served as its commandant. Just before the Air Battalion became 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...
, Bannerman took flying lessons in order to gain his 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...
certificate. He retired from Royal Engineers and Royal Flying Corps service on 28 August 1912.).
He died on 10 March 1934 at the age of 62 in George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
in the Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.