Henri Biard

Ghost-writer?

Biard was friends with Frank S. Stuart, the invisible ghost writer who wrote Jasper Maskelyne’s White Magic (1936) and Magic Top Secret (1949).
Stuart may well have ghosted Wings?
If so, I would expect this ‘biography’ to be loose with the truth.
They also co-wrote ‘Modern Aviation’ (1952) after the war.
Archie Stuart, Frank’s son, remembers Biard landing his biplane near the village where they lived.
Those interested in the fabrication of war myths are welcome to check out my website: maskelynemagic.com

Does he have a website? If so a hyperlink would be useful.

opps….. my apologies!

http://www.aviationbookhouse.co.uk/

I use Brian Cocks – one of THE best second-hand and collectable aviation book dealers around!

Does he have a website? If so a hyperlink would be useful.

Try just:- www.greatwarci.net – then go to War in the Air & there he is! Worked just now
Bill

……….and for me too. Thank you.

Worth a read if you can find a copy alas a bit rare, one on offer via Abe- Books for £77!!!

I use Brian Cocks – one of THE best second-hand and collectable aviation book dealers around!

Yes it is sort of an autobiography, flying memoirs would be a more accurate description.
Very little relating to his background or family, other than he describes himself as ‘half French’. Mention also of him being in France at the start of WW1, his Grand Fathers farm house in northern France being torched by the advancing German forces.

Alas the book is not dated, published by Hurst & Blackett Ltd. I reckon it must be circa 1935, the text a bit 1930s Boys Own in style.

Worth a read if you can find a copy alas a bit rare, one on offer via Abe- Books for £77!!!

Cheers, Chumpy.

Try just:- www.greatwarci.net – then go to War in the Air & there he is! Worked just now
Bill

Born 1 January 1892 Godalming, Surrey. Henry Charles Amedie de la Faye Biard. Died 18 January 1966 Charminster, Dorset. Have a look at “The Channel Islands & The Great War” website (www.greatwarci.net/air).
HTH,
Bill

Thanks Bill (and to everyone else who has responded) for the information. Unfortunately the website – at least via the hyperlink – appears to have limited access (or did it just deny this to me!).

Chumpy, can you please let me know the year of publication of Henri Biard’s biography ‘Wings’. Is it an autobiography?

Born 1 January 1892 Godalming, Surrey. Henry Charles Amedie de la Faye Biard. Died 18 January 1966 Charminster, Dorset. Have a look at “The Channel Islands & The Great War” website (www.greatwarci.net/air).
HTH,
Bill

It would seem that Henri Biard was born in 1892, a quote from the opening lines from his biography ‘Wings’……’A youngster of Seventeen sitting on the railway bank at Brooklands in 1909’

He certainly made it through to 1934 it would seem, the photo again from Wings. In the latter chapters he mentions of having to undergo surgery (circa 1931). This as a result of the lasting effect of injuries received during the crash of the Supermarine S4 in the 1925 Schneider contest in Baltimore.

So it would appear that maybe he had a few health issues, I’m sure the fags helped also!

Chumpy.

The website freebmd.org.uk has him born in Guildford in March 1892. The transcrptions are a lot patchier post-WW1 and i can’t quickly establish a death date.

Much on the internet regarding Supermarine and his involvement with the Schneider Trophy races but very little about the man and his life. There were oblique references about Guernsey but no more. Equally these references seem to suggest that he survived beyond 1935. Indeed the prompt to this thread was a reference in a book by Harald Penrose to him retiring from aviation to run a pub! Any more input, anyone?

All I got is this, from 1928 and 1933 ‘Who’s Who in Aviation’ – he does not appear in my 1935 copy, so I presume his demise was before that edition went to print. No B or D though!

BIARD, Henry Charles

b. Godalming, Surrey; R.A.C. Av. Certif. No. 218. Learnt to fly at the Grahame-White School, 1911-1912, later instructor at Grahame-White School, during War served in R.N.A.S.; from June, 1919, to date test pilot to Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd., won Schneider Race on Supermarine racer ” Sea Lion” at Naples, 1922; third in Schneider Race on Supermarine racer “Sea Lion” at Cowes, 1923; obtained World’s Speed Record for seaplanes on Supermarine racer S.4, 1925 , went to America to fly Supermarine racer in Schneider Race, crashed during water trials. Add. Roseneath, Station Road, Sholing, Southampton, later 111 Portsmouth Road, Woolston.

The Supermarine ‘Putnam’s’ refers to him as a Channel Islander. Perhaps his parents were from there, or early life spent there?

All I got is this, from 1928 and 1933 ‘Who’s Who in Aviation’ – he does not appear in my 1935 copy, so I presume his demise was before that edition went to print. No B or D though!

BIARD, Henry Charles

b. Godalming, Surrey; R.A.C. Av. Certif. No. 218. Learnt to fly at the Grahame-White School, 1911-1912, later instructor at Grahame-White School, during War served in R.N.A.S.; from June, 1919, to date test pilot to Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd., won Schneider Race on Supermarine racer ” Sea Lion” at Naples, 1922; third in Schneider Race on Supermarine racer “Sea Lion” at Cowes, 1923; obtained World’s Speed Record for seaplanes on Supermarine racer S.4, 1925 , went to America to fly Supermarine racer in Schneider Race, crashed during water trials. Add. Roseneath, Station Road, Sholing, Southampton, later 111 Portsmouth Road, Woolston.

A quick thumb through my (scant) reference material reveals that he was born on one of the Channel Islands – but you probably already knew that.