Harry Busteed

[MikeW]

Australian Harry Busteed may not have been an Ace, but he was a very important man within the RNAS, achieving a great deal in a long career that started with the Bristol Aircraft Company prior to WW1, and ending with him coming out of retirement to command Barrage Balloon batteries in WW2. Whilst researching the life of this exceptional man, I have come across a "funny" that I need help with.

For the early 20s, I have come up with the following:

From January to December 1921 he was commanding officer of the Marine & Experimental Establishment, Isle of Grain, then C.O. at Gosport. *

From October 1923 to November 1925 he was with Coastal Area Command, supernumerary for the commissioning of HMS Furious.

In December 1925 he joined HMS Furious as Senior Fleet Air Arm Officer.

How could he be Senior Fleet Air Arm Officer on Furious, when he was a member of the RAF? ??? Or am I missing something here?

One for Andrew or Steve perhaps?

The situation of the RN and RAF in the 1920s and early 1930s was odd; the RN owned the ships but the RAF owned the aircraft and supplied the aircrew. This had terrible consequences for the Fleet Air Arm, which finally gained complete independence about 1937. One such result was RAF putting Fleet aircraft development on a back burner. Compare what the various fleets had as a torpedo bomber in 1941 - the Americans had the TBD (not very hot but an identifiable monoplane), the Japanese had a comparable type, and the FAA had Swordfish ! For an excellent memoire see Hugh Popham, "Sea Flight" (if you can lay hands on a copy).

[Dave_Kent]

Hello:

There is also a good description of the evolution of the FAA in the inter-war period in

FLEET AIR ARM, P. K. Kemp, 1954

in a chapter entitled "The Struggle for Control"

Dave

G'day Mike,

Harry was quite a man. His service on the Furious according to a brief of his service records I obtained at the AWM, his offical posting was Senior Air Force Officer. This seems to tie in with what Hugh wrote.

Another good yarn about Harry was during WW1, he experimented lauching seaplanes from railway flat wagons. Testing the idea himself he rated the experience as "Great fun".

[MikeW]

thanks everyone - I'll amend my records to Senior RAF Officer on Furious.

An interesting snippet that came out of my researches, is that he was refused "royalties" for his inventions involved with arrester gear.

Despite a remarkable career, he seems to have been treated quite shabbily by the RAF.


Mike

[stevedrew]

Mike,
Yes, indeed, our Harry was a most remarkable man. One of the first 100 to receive his Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 94 - gained on 13/6/1911 at the Bristol School, Salisbury plain), his date of entry into the Air Service was 3rd August, 1914. He was appointed to First Reserve RFC on 4/10/1913.

Harry served at Pembroke III (for Grain, RNAS) - 3/8/14
He was CO at Hendon from 13/9/15
Eastchurch "D" flight from 14/8/16
Grain Repair Depot from 1/3/17
CO of Grain Repair Depot from 1/4/18

He was confirmed as a Flt Lt on 28/11/14 (seniority 3/8/14)
Appointed as Flt Cdr on 25/6/15
Appointed as Acting Sqn Cdr on 31/12/16
Appointed as Sqn Cdr on 31/12/16
And appointed as Wing Cdr on 1/1/18 (seniority - 31/12/17)

On 4/8/16, he was injured (superficially) whilst attempting to stop a runaway horse at Hendon. He was appointed OBE on 4/1/18.

He was described as "a very sound and practical Aeronautical Engineer, exceptionally good test pilot, and excellent Commander" by the CO Grain.

(All information above comes from his Service Record, RNAS).

Steve Drew