IWM Collections

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.

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Did O'Gorman learn to fly?

Lieutenant Charles Otway Alexander, born 1 January 1888 in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England. If taken during World War 1, this photo will not be past the summer of 1916, when Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He eventually reached the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 January 1939. Alexander died on 13 April, 1970, aged 82.

Award of the Military Cross announced in the London Gazette, 4 June 1917, p. 5477: www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30111/supplements/5477/ DSO citation from the London Gazette, 16 September 1918, p. 10863: Capt. Alfred Raymond Bare, M.C., N. Lan. R. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Under cover of a heavy barrage the enemy attacked, very quickly surrounding a strong point, where this officer had his company headquarters and one platoon. In face of superior numbers, he put up a stout resistance until forced to retire on to another strong point, where the position was very critical, the officer in charge having been killed. He took command, and after a stiff fight, drove back the enemy. He was twice wounded during the fight." www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30901/supplements/10863/

An officer of the same name was earlier commissioned into the 22nd County of London Regiment: London Gazette, 3 November 1914, p. 8894: "22nd (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (The Queen's); the undermentioned Second Lieutenants to be Lieutenants. Dated 25th September, 1914 : -- Alfred R. Bare. John D. Tate." www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28961/pages/8894/ London Gazette, 12 August 1915, p. 8009: "22nd (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (The Queen's); the undermentioned Lieutenants to be temporary Captains: -- Lawrence J. Clarke. Dated 10th July, 1915. Noel C. Boosey (since died of wounds). Dated 10th July, 1915. Alfred R. Bare, Dated 23rd July, 1915." www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29261/supplements/8009/

A Major A. R. Bare, DSO, MC, ret. appears in the list of retired officers re-employed in the Second World War, 31/7/1943 (Army List, January-March 1944, p 2991): archive.org/details/armylistaprpart221944gre

My Headmistress, Miss Swanton's husband. He made a good Santa every year at the Swan School, Salisbury. (At least, I thought it was him - others say it was Major Higdon - the disguise worked!) I was there September 1964 until July 1968. He was born on the 26th March 1886. (It was both of them! They took it in turns.)

4th Bn. Loyal #.—Lt.-Col. A. R. Bare, D.S.O., M.C. (Maj. ret. pay), resigns his commn. 4th Apr. 1938. www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34509/page/3024/data.pdf THE LONDON GAZETTE, 10 MAY, 1938