Oswald Watts was a true pioneer of aviation and attracted much coverage during his life and after. Not all of this coverage was accurate and a number of myths and misconceptions have appeared. The author has done a very good job of objectively recounting the life and career of Oswald Watts and his text is supported by many well-chosen images through the body of the book – Most Highly Recommended.
NAME: Combat Over the Trenches, Oswald Watt, Aviation Pioneer FILE: R2646 AUTHOR: Chris Clarke PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword BINDING: hard back PAGES: 306 PRICE: £25.00 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Australian aviators, WWI, World War 1, World War I, First World War, Great War, 1914-1918, European theatre, Western Front, trench warfare ISBN: 1-52671-505-8 IMAGE: B2646.jpg BUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/y9kyrvno LINKS: DESCRIPTION: Oswald Watts was a true pioneer of aviation and attracted much coverage during his life and after. Not all of this coverage was accurate and a number of myths and misconceptions have appeared. The author has done a very good job of objectively recounting the life and career of Oswald Watts and his text is supported by many well-chosen images through the body of the book – Most Highly Recommended. Watts was certainly an Australian pioneer in that he became the first Australian Army officer to qualify as a pilot in 1911. More than a century later, there will be many who have only a vague idea of what happened in the early years of aviation. To put Watts into perspective, the Royal Navy began trials with captive balloons from the 1860s, often employing British Army balloons to spot for naval guns landed and mounted on land carriages. In 1903 extensive trials began with man-carrying kites, flown from a range of vessels from whalers through destroyers, cruisers, to battleships. In that year the Wright Brothers are credited with the first controlled powered flight and airships were becoming practical vehicles. In 1911, the Royal Navy opened the first military pilot training facilities with assistance from the Royal Aeronautical Society. Watts was therefore not only an Australian aviation pioneer but also one of the first pilots, civil or military, to complete training formally as an aviator. Between 1903 and 1911, most pilots were self taught and there were no manuals, these being written be the survivors. His service during the Great War started with the French Air Service, before transferring to the Australian Imperial Force, leading his unit at Cambrai, before taking command of the No 1 Training Wing with the rank of Lt Colonel. However, Watts was a rich and colourful character, with a zest for life and an extensive network of social and political connections. These aspects of his life have generated misconceptions and myths in many of the stories written about him. The author has worked hard and effectively to present a fair and balanced account of the life and times of Oswald Watts. Its a great read.