John Herbert James
Early aviator
John Herbert James (1894-1944) and his brother Henry Howard James (1891-1958)were the first men in Pembrokeshire to build and fly their own aeroplane. They did this on 25 September 1913 and gained the county’s first Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificates.
Their plan was to build and fly their aeroplane from their home town of Narberth. Several local people assisted with its manufacture including Mary Ann and Charlotte James who helped their brothers by stitching the wing fabric.
The first flight resulted in disaster with the biplane dropping 60 feet to the ground and Hebbie James was lucky to escape with only cuts and bruises.
Another attempt was made on Saturday, 22 November, when a short flight was achieved. On 20 April 1914, a flight of twenty minutes was recorded without mishaps and, the following day, Hebbie James achieved his ambition of flying over his home town of Narberth.
See Also
- [1] Culture Net Cymru