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At the time of the 1911 census he was a scholar at the United Services College in Windsor which confirms his place of birth as Aldershot. The DSO database for the college states he was the son of Major General SS Long www.haileybury.com/medals/dso USC.htm Selden Herbert Long was named as the sole executor of the estate of Sidney Selden Long when he died on 31st January 1940.
www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34864/pages/3386/page.pdf

His Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate states that he was born 6th Oct 1895. His certificate was taken on Maurice Farham Biplane at the Military School, Brooklands on 25th January 1915. At that time he was a 2nd Lieut in the Durham Light Infantry. His address was given as 136 Shooter's Hill, Blackheath.
His Wikipedia entry refers to the MC citation:

Before ever scoring an aerial victory, he won the Military Cross (gazetted on 29 October 1915). The citation to the MC tells the tale:

"For conspicuous gallantry on several occasions, notably the following: —

"On 10 September 1915, he went out to attack an observation balloon shed with a 100-lb. bomb, but, being heavily fired at by an anti-aircraft battery, he silenced the guns with this bomb and returned for another one, with which he attacked the balloon. He only narrowly missed it as it was being deflated beside the shed.

"On 23 September he made two determined attacks on trains from 500 feet, breaking the rails in two places. On the first occasion he returned to the attack three times, and finally climbed to 1,000 feet in order to make better use of his bomb sight; on the second occasion he made most of his return journey at 1,000 feet in order better to examine villages, roads, etc.

"On 25 September he attacked a train at 500 feet under heavy rifle fire, and damaged the line. Late in the afternoon of 25 September he heard that trains were moving at 25 miles distance, and, in spite of darkness and bad weather, he volunteered to attack them. Heavy rain prevented his reaching them, so he turned to attack Peronne station, descending to 500 feet and coming under heavy anti-aircraft gun fire. This fire prevented his reaching the station, but he climbed to 1,500 feet and attacked a "Rocket" battery, silencing one of its guns."

The National Probate Calendar shows that he died on 12th December 1952 at Tamboers-Kloof Nursing Home In Cape Town, South Africa. His address in London was given as The International Sportsmens Club, Upper Grosvenor Road. Probate was granted to Marion Beatrice Long.

He also received the DSO
For great skill and daring in piloting his machine. He shot down an enemy machine, which fell in our lines, and the same day he forced another hostile machine to land in the enemy's lines. Later, he shot down another enemy machine, which fell in our lines.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 12 March 1917 (29981/2476)

His 9 aerial victories, (4 of them shared), are listed here:-
www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/long.php

The first, in August 1916, was with 29 Squadron. All the rest were with 24 Squadron and came between November 1916 and April 1917.
All came while flying a DH2 - those with 24 Squadron all while flying the same plane, (A305)

According to the biographical notes in Above The Trenches, he commanded a squadron in the United Kingdom but managed to obtain a posting back to France and joined No 46 Squadron as a flight commander on 5 July 1917. He was made acting Commanding Officer in August but by the end of the month had been posted to command No 28 Training Squadron. He later commanded No 111 Squadron in Palestine.
www.theaerodrome.com/forum/5875-post7.html

From Page 51 of Pusher Aces of World War One by John Guttman
"That same day (25th January 1917), Captain Selden Long downed an LVG from Flt Abt (A)216 in flames between Baupaume and and Clery, its crewman Ltns d R Ernst Erdmann and Gunter Kallenbach, jumping to their deaths. Long destroyed another two seater near Baupaume 48 hours later, kiling Vzfw Willy Lang and Ltn Kurt Brandt of Flt (A) 233.
books.google.co.uk/books?id=is-ij4XZRTIC&pg=PA51&...

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Posted to No.28 Training Squadron, Castle Bromwich on 28/8/17 as Acting Squadron Commander. In that capacity he gave evidence at Coroner's Inquiries into two training fatalities which occurred while he was there. Posted to RFC Middle East on 2/1/18 embarking on 8/1/18. National Archive and other sources are as follows. Air1/369/15/231/9 & Air1/11/15/1/38 & C. Thornton - Warwickshire Coroner's Docs. & G.V.L. Lewis - Birmingham Coroner's Docs. & Air 76 & Erdington News 13/10/17

I believe the title of his book was actually "In the Blue", not "Into the Blue".

Mervyn Joseph Pius O'Gorman. He was the son of Edmund A O'Gorman of Harrogate. Mervyn was born in Ireland, then educated at Downside before going to University College Dublin, and from there in 1891 to the City and Guilds Central Institution in London to study Electrical Engineering He worked extensively in the electrical cabling industry - on projects with the Fowler Waring Cabling Company in Ostend, Grenoble and Paris as well as on the installation of electrical supplies in Britain. He was recruited into the 'aircraft' industry when on the Board of the glass manufacturers Pilkingtons, by R B Haldane, the Secretary of State for War, and appointed Superintendent of the Royal Balloon Factory at Farnborough in 1909 where airships were being constructed. Before the outbreak of war, from 1909-1913, under Mervyn O'Gorman's superintendence serious 'heavier than air' experimentation to develop 'military aircraft' was conducted - and, amongst other pioneering engineers, he brought Geoffrey de Haviland to the factory. Aircraft were designed in two broad types - 'pushers' with rear mounted propellors (FE 1), and 'tractors' with forward mounted propellors (SE 1 and BE1). In 1913, O'Gorman was made a Commander of the Order of the Bath, CB. In 1915 the catastrophic losses of ponderous and frequently unarmed British BE2c aircraft on the Western Front, outperformed and outflown by German Fokker Eindecker E1, resulted in a Parliamentary enquiry. What became known as The Air Enquiry published its findings in June 1916 and Mervyn O'Gorman, a man of principle, resigned from the Royal Aircraft Factory. He continued to act as a consultant engineer to the Director-General of Military Aviation for the rest of the war. In 1919 Lieutenant Colonel Mervyn O'Gorman held his commission in the Royal Flying Corps. After the war O'Gorman was Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Chairman of the Air Accident Investigation Committee, and of the Civil Air Transport Committee. He also worked with the League of Nations Air Transportation Committee. A keen automobile enthusiast, as Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club he proposed a handbook of motoring rules which was later adopted by the government and first published in 1931 as The Highway Code. Mervyn O'Gorman was also interested in the development of colour photography. He died on 16th March 1958 at his home at 21 Embankment Gardens, Chelsea, London, aged 76.

Hello Just thought I'd let you know that one of our curators, Colin Harding, has selected this photograph as his February Flickr Favourite on our blog. - Emma

National Probate Calendar shows that he died on 16th March 1958 at 21 Embankment Gardens, Chelsea. Estate valued at £163,224. The 1911 census shows him at this address aged 39 and described as Superintendent HM Balloon Factory & Consulting Engineer. He had been married for 13 years to Frances Catherine O'Gorman (aged 57) and they had no children. National Probate Calendar shows his wife's name as Florence Catharine. She predeceased him in 1931.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Did O'Gorman learn to fly?

Harry Russell BRADDON Please refer to www.awm.gov.au/research/people/nominal_rolls/first_world_... and mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au/details-permalink.aspx?barcod...

His Australian Army records can be seen here. recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3108176 On his enlistment form he stated he had been been born Ashfield, Cumberland ( The Archive itself states Ashfield is in New South Wales), and was then 22 years and 10 months old, (form dated 17.1.1916). His occupation was Barrister. he gave his next of kin as his father, Henry Yule Braddon of "Rohini", Turramurra, New South Wales. His educational qualification was a Law Degree from Sydney University.He was born 20th March 1893. At his medical he was 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 132lbs, had brown hair, a dark complexion and Hazel eyes. Initally a Gunner, he was promoted Corporal on the 1.4.1916 and then Acting Sergeant on the 5.7.1916. His commission application is dated the 1.8.1916, at which point he was serving with the 116th Howitzer Battery. His fathers address is now given as c\o the Australian Trade Commission, 61 Broadway, New York, USA. He sailed from Sydney on the 30.9.1916, and arrived at Plymouth in the UK on the 19.11.1916. Initially he attended what looks like a "Range Finder" Course, before leaving for France on the 23.4.1917, arriving at Etaples the same day. He then bounced between various holding camps and units, finally being taken on the strength of the 13th battery on the 19.5.1917. He seems to have spent most of September and October in hospital being treated for P.U.O.(aka Pyrexia of unknown Origins which is doctors speak for you've got a fever but we don't know whats causing it !) During this time his promotion to Lieutenant was confirmed. After a convalescence, he was posted on the 25.10.1917 to 14th Battery, stationed in Belgium. 1918 was broken up by attending the Gas School, a period as Orderley Officer and spells of leave, either in the UK or Paris. His health deteriorated towards the end of the year (internal piles claimed another victim), and following the ceasing of hostilities he went before a medical board. There is a form covering assistance with finding him post-war employment - he was found a place on a course with The Council for Legal Education, Lincolns Inn, London in May 1919, but unfortunately the course was cancelled after three weeks. The report from his tutors was that he had made very good use of his time and opportunities, gaining very useful experience. On the 20.5.1919 it looks like he sailed for America at his own expense - he had been given a 90 days leave of absense conditional on him reporting in Sydney by the end of that period. He actually appeared before a discharge medical board in Sydney at the end of August 1919, and made a statement that he had suffered no disability as a result of his war service. His discharge was confirmed. He also had a brother Paul Dudley Braddon, a Medical Student who served with the Australian Army Service Corps. recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.a... He too was commissioned and served in France.He returned to Australia in March 1919. The New South Wales State Archive has a picture of a Doctor Paul Dudley Brannon, although its not currently available to view on line. search.records.nsw.gov.au/items/387570;jsessionid=5C1286A... The is an article in a newspaper from 1963 following Paul's death, here. news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19630829&... It states he was the son of Sir Henry Braddon, a well known Sydney businessman. The Braddon family is a well known Australian family, one of whose members helped frame the first Federal Constitution and had a Canberra suburb named in his honor. The National Archives of Australia have the same picture of Harry posted on Flickr :-) www.flickr.com/photos/national-archives-of-australia/6456... From a family genealogy site. Henry Yule Braddon (son of Amy Georgina Palmer) was born 27 April 1863 in India, and died 8 September 1955 in Woollahra Sydney N.S.W.. He married (1) Bertha Mary Mathews Russell on 2 September 1891 in Strathfield Sydney. He married (2) Voilet Mary Inglis {nee Wheelihan} on 31 August 1944 in Paddington Sydney N.S.W More About Henry Yule Braddon and Bertha Mary Mathews Russell: Marriage: 2 September 1891, Strathfield Sydney. More About Henry Yule Braddon and Voilet Mary Inglis {nee Wheelihan}: Marriage: 31 August 1944, Paddington Sydney N.S.W.. Children of Henry Yule Braddon and Bertha Mary Mathews Russell are: Henry Russell Braddon, b. 1893, Sydney, d. 20 December 1932. Paul Dudley Braddon, b. 30 March 1894, d. 8 July 1963. familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/e/a/James-W-Neave/W...

Presumably related to Russell Braddon the novelist.

In the 1963 article reporting on Doctor Paul Braddon, it mentions that "Author Russell Braddon, a nephew of Dr Braddon will share about £70,000 from the estate with his sister"

Moominpappa06 Rohini St is a main street in Turramurra, a Northern Sydney suburb.