Air Commodore William Helmore Proceedings of the Chemical Society. May 1936.London Gazette issue 35586Proceedings of the Chemical Society. June 1942. "The congratulations of the Society have been conveyed to Group Captain W. Helmore on his receiving the honour of C.B.E." (1 March 1894 – 18 December 1964London Gazette issue 43237) was an engineer and Royal Air Force officer who had a varied and distinguished career in scientific research with the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Aircraft Production during the Second World War, as a broadcaster, and for two years as Member of Parliament for Watford 1943–1945.
Early life Helmore was educated at Blundell's School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He served in the First World War as a Royal Artillery officer and then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer and pilot. One result of this experience was his book Cavalry of the Air. After the war he went to Christ's College, Cambridge, and obtained a first class (honours) degree in mechanical sciences.
Post WWI In 1922, Helmore was granted a permanent commission as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force and developed his interest in scientific research in aviation. He was also involved in the development of aerial refuelling, serving as co-pilot and hose handler on Sir Alan Cobham's pioneering flight from Portsmouth, England, to India on 22 September 1934,USAF:75 Years of Inflight Refueling also inventing the electrolytic process of forming flame or explosion traps. In 1931 Helmore was awarded the Groves Prize for Aeronautical Research.
Helmore was promoted squadron leader on 1 October 1928 and wing commander on 1 July 1935, but retired from the RAF at his own request on 1 March 1937 to devote himself to research at Cambridge. He returned to the active list in August 1939 and was promoted honorary group captain on 21 May 1941 and later honorary air commodore.
World War II As senior scientific adviser to the Chief of Air Staff from 1939, Helmore was chiefly concerned with defeating the night bomber. Helmore with aeronautical engineer L.E. Baynes, nicknamed "The Baron", worked on the development of the Turbinlite, a 2,700 million candela (2.7 Gcd) searchlight fitted in the nose of Douglas Havoc night fighters. The light was intended to be used to illuminate attacking enemy bombers for defending fighters to then shoot down. Unfortunately certain practical difficulties brought the idea to nothing, but much of his work was subsequently incorporated in the Leigh light, an anti-submarine aircraft searchlight, which with the aid of radar was particularly deadly to German U-boats.
For the last four years of the war he was technical adviser to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, and was responsible for a number of other valuable inventions and, in 1942, he was selected as one of the eight members of the Brabazon Committee which sought to identify aircraft for Britain's post war transport needs.
Helmore's contribution, to Britain's war effort was not confined to scientific research. He had earlier broadcast such events as the Schneider Trophy air races and reviews, and during the war his accounts of the RAF's work were heard frequently. His most notable commentary was when he broadcast an eye-witness account of the D-Day landings in Normandy, the first 'live', (recorded live onto transcription disc for transmission later), broadcast from over the invasion fleet on 6 June 1944, reporting overhead from an RAF B-25 Mitchell bomber.Historic D-Day Reports broadcast on BBC Radio
Helmore was Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford 1943–1945.
Post war After the war Helmore entered industry, being technical director to Castrol, a scientific consultant to ICI and director-general of the Aluminum Association.
In 1947 Helmore was invited by the Minister for Civil Aviation to become the chairman of the Brabazon Committee, to consider the certification of aircraft and approval of equipment. In addition he was the vice-chairman of a committee set up to review the licensing, recruitment and training of civil aviation personnel.
Helmore was a keen yachtsman, owning the schooner Allegro from 1929 to 1963.
Helmore married twice. His obituary in The Times records that he left two sons and three daughters of his first marriage but other reports say he had four children, Peter, Patrick, Peggy and Pamela. Peggie, his eldest daughter married Cuthbert Scott in 1942.Church Times, obituary for the Revd Cuthbert ScottIndependent, obituary for the Revd Cuthbert ScottUnit Histories
Patents
, Assigned to Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
, Assigned to CCWakefield &Co Ltd
, Assigned to H.M.Hobson (Aircraft and Motor) Components Limited
, Assigned to H.M.Hobson (Aircraft and Motor) Components Limited
, Assigned to Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
, Assigned to CCWakefield &Co Ltd
, Assigned to CCWakefield &Co Ltd
References
Obituary of Air Commodore W. Helmore, The Times, 20 January 1964 (pg. 14; Issue 55913; col C)
External links
Full details of military career