N.S.11 SIGHTINGS

As well as the official logs for N.S.11, there are newspaper reports, photographs and eye-witness accounts of the airship being seen all over the country, often far away from its ‘natural habitat’ of the North Sea. Many of these reports are helping to fill in the gaps in N.S.11’s known official logs. As to how many of these journeys were officially sanctioned, it is difficult to say. Certainly, its trip over London just weeks before the airship was lost was, but we are less certain about Warneford’s flyover of his former workplace in Crewe. This page is a work in progress – more ‘spots’ will be aded as information comes to light.

Thursday, 28 November 1918

Aberdeen

“CHEERIO, EVERYBODY!”
Naval Airship’s Greeting to Aberdeen

The naval airship N.S. XI, passed over Aberdeen today. In war time – that is before the armistice was signed – the naval airmen were always too intent on serious business to pay any attention the people on earth. There is a difference now, and the airmen do not belong, as it were, to another world.

As N.S. XI passed over the “Evening Express” Office it dropped a paper which fell in Broad Street. It proved  to be an official signal form, which read : – 

NAVAL SIGNAL
From N.S.XI. to Aberdeen
Cheerio, Everybody!

Aberdeen Evening Express
Thursday 28 November 1918

An airship marked N.S.11 on its sides was seen about mid-day on Thursday slowly proceeding up the Dee Valley. The huge monster was flying very low. Men could easily be seen moving about and many who viewed an airship for the first time had a magnificent view presented them of the unusual spectacle.

Aberdeen Evening Express
Saturday 30 November 1918

Tuesday, 27 May 1919

Crewe

There was much excitement in Crewe on Tuesday afternoon, May 27, when the airship NS11 visited the town en-route for Ireland. The Mayor had been
advised that the airship would pass over Crewe, and that the officer in
charge would be Flight Commander Walter Warneford, son of the former Crewe Works manager, and a former premium apprentice in Crewe Works. At around 2.30pm the airship was sighted over Crewe Station, as many townsfolk gathered in the streets to watch its course. The airship then made a circuit of the Works, flying fairly low, and Warneford was seen to wave to workers below, before NS11 continued on its journey, heading off in the direction of Coppenhall and Leighton.

Newspaper to be confirmed
Date to be confirmed

Tuesday, 27 May 1919

Runcorn

Airship at Runcorn. A large aluminium painted airship approached Runcorn on Tuesday afternoon, but before it actually reached the town it turned round, and headed for Liverpool. The air vessel, which was following the course of the river, and which was operating at no great height, was very plainly seen, its red, white and blue distinguishing marks on nose, rudders and elevators standing out in relief. Probably the craft was the NS11, which earlier in the day was cruising over the New Brighton neighbourhood, and when at Eastham passed over the ferry boats in midstream.

Runcorn Guardian
Friday 30 May 1919

Tuesday, 27 May 1919

Merseyside

Residents on Merseyside were delightedly excited on Tuesday at the sight of one of the monster airships of the Navy. Coming from the east it made the river its guide and passing Runcorn and Widnes, through Hale and Speke to Garston and Liverpool, it attracted the attention of thousands of people who admired its graceful lines. Flying at a low level the red, white and blue circles on her aluminium-painted gasbag became visible, as also her distinguishing mark, N.S.11. As she neared Garston her details became discernible, and one could both see the propeller working, hear the engines, and plainly perceive the ship’s crew staring down from the gondola. Passing down the river the airship looked a splendid sight, shining as she was in the sun. Keeping her course in the mid-stream, she sailed slowly past Seacombe and Egremont, passing gradually into the haze in the direction of New Brighton. She later returned across country travelling  further north. 

Runcorn Weekly News
Friday 30 May 1919

Tuesday, 3 June 1919

Lymington, Hampshire

An unusual spectacle was witnessed in the early hours of Tuesday morning of a monster airship, which passed over Lymington. It was the N.S. 11 naval airship, of which Captain Stafford Harris, RAF, son of Captain Harris, RN, of Quadrille Court, was the aviator¹. At periodical intervals the airship showed powerful searchlights, and the spectacle was seen by many residents, who were awoke by the droning of the engines.

Hampshire Advertiser
Saturday 7 June 1919

Tuesday, 3 June 1919

Gloucester

Considerable interest was aroused in Gloucester and its vicinity early on Tuesday event by the passage of an airship over the city. We believe it is the first lighter-than-air machine which has been seen in this locality since the voyage of the Willows airship (which was a dirigible balloon) from Cheltenham to Cardiff in July, 1910. The airship, which was marked N.S.11, travelled so slowly and at so low an altitude that a fine view was had of its aluminium -coloured, torpedo-shaped body, and members of the crew were plainly visible – one sitting with his legs dangling from the gangway connecting theb fore-carriage with the engine-house. The machine came from the direction of Bristol, and when the north-end of the city was reached, it continued its cruise in a northerly direction at increased speed.

Gloucester Journal
Saturday 7 June 1919

Tuesday, 3 June 1919

Tewkesbury

On Tuesday evening an Airship (N.S.11) passed close to Tewkesbury about 6 p.m. and was plainly seen from the town. It approached from  a southerly direction over the Tredington and Walton Cardiff district at a low altitude, and went off towards Worcester. Its appearance aroused much interest in the neighbourhood.

The Tewkesbury Register and Agricultural Gazette
Saturday 7 June 1919

Tuesday, 3 June 1919

Kenilworth

AN AERIAL VISITOR – Kenilworth had a surprise visit on Tuesday evening, when a beautiful airship sailed slowly over the town. To many, this was one of the first sightings of this kind of vessel, as as it sailed low, and the evening was fine, it was a delightful as well as instructive visit.

Coventry Herald
Friday 6 June 1919

AIRSHIP N. S.11 – The airship N.S.11 which was struck by lightning while cruising over the North Sea, sailed over Kenilworth a few weeks ago. Coming into view from the direction of Warwick, where a letter dropped was picked up by a resident, the airship proceeded towards Coventry.

Coventry Herald
Friday 18 July 1919

Tuesday, 3 June 1919

Coventry

Although Coventry citizens have had the opportunity of seeing scores of aeroplanes hovering about over their heads, it has rarely been their privilage to see an airship in flight over the city. On Tuesday, however, at about 7.30 p.m., a splendid opportunity was afforded of seeing the dirigible N.S.11 pass over the town. The airship was flying quite low, at a moderate pace, and every detail could be plainly seen. It passed over the C. and N.W. Cricket Ground at a very low altitude, and the occupants of the gondola could be plainly seen, and waved as they passed over. It seemed to be flying in the direction of Rugby.

Coventry Herald
Friday 6 June 1919

A letter dropped from an airship in the neighbourhood of Coventry on Tuesday morning last was delivered at noon the same day to the lady at Warwick to whom it was addresses. “Finder, please post,” had been written on the envelope before being dropped.

Coventry Herald
Saturday 7 June 1919

July 1919 – exact date to be determined

Clacton on Sea

The airship NS11, which was destroyed by fire during a storm off the Norfolk coast on Tuesday morning, flew over Clacton a few days previously. when Mr Reg Prewett and Mr V C Child took some excellent photographs of her when flying very low over the town.

Clacton Graphic and East Coast Illustrated News
Saturday 19 July 1919

N.S.11 at Clacton-on-Sea, probably 1919. The photograph was taken by Reg Prewitt or Victor Cheeld, from the roof of the Castle Restaurant, which he owned. With kind permission of Clacton & District Local History Society. 

1. 1. Stafford Berkeley ‘Bunny’ Harris entered the Royal Naval Reserve as Probationary Midshipman in August 1912, and initially served during the Great War with H.M.S. Otway. Harris was posted as Acting Sub Lieutenant for service with H.M.S. Hercules (battleship) in February 1916. Subsequent service included with H.M.S. Princess Royal, before transferring to the Royal Naval Air Service. Harris advanced to Lieutenant in January 1918, and served at Luce Bay Airship Station throughout 1918. Stationed at the latter he was engaged on Anti-Submarine Patrols in airships operating over the Irish Channel and the North Sea.

   Harris transferred to the Royal Air Force as Lieutenant Dirigibles in April 1918, and was Flying Officer Airships from August the following year. From the N.S.11 logs we know he flew on her as 2nd Officer on 5 March 1919. After the war he was posted to the R.A.F. Airship Base at Howden, from which he was sent No. 1 F.T.S. Netheravon for further instruction. Harris gained his ‘Wings’, and also qualified from a Specialist Course on Meteorology, in 1920.
   

   He was posted as a Flight Lieutenant and pilot to 27 Squadron (DH9A’s) at Risalpur, India, in November 1921. Harris flew with the Squadron on operations to Waziristan, from 1922, and illustrations of some of these early style of operations against dissident tribesmen may be found in the diary writings of Albert Cowton. The latter served as a Sergeant in Harris’s ‘A’ Flight at the time, and his diary was later published under the title With the First in the Field.  

   One of his daughters is actress Rosemary Harris, whose own daughter is actress Jennifer Ehle.