Some Historic Pictures

Just as a bit of an update, G-ACDA is now very alive and well and airworthy again. She flew again this year and was at the Sywell Airshow in August!!

My father Oscar Garden set up Skywork Ltd with John Tranum in late 1931. He claimed it was the 1st Flying Circus in the world.
I have a souvenir program of their South African Flying Circus and besides Tranum and my father, there were Capt. E.D.Ayre, Capt. J. Jing, Capt. E.D. Cummings and Mr C.E.F.Riley. Some of their items included ‘Bombing the Bridal Pair’ and ‘Aerial Markmanship by Capt. Dead Eye Dick’! The venture folded on 28th April 1932, and Dad got the Spartan Simmonds he had been flying as his share. (He then went on to do joyriding throughout Africa and the Middle East up to the 12th November 1933.)

If anyone has any more information on this venture can they let me know as I have very little information on it. I am writing a biography on my father’s life (1903-1997) as a pioneer aviator.
Mary Garden

Hi Mary – The aircraft ( a Simmonds Spartan ) was c/n 62,G-ABRB with Skywork(registered 30-09-31)..In October 32 the aircraft was apparently reregistered in Tanganyika as VR-TAJ by your father.

Do you know what happened to the aircraft after November 1933?

http://simmondsspartan.tripod.com/

“The caption you mention seems to me to refer to John Tranum, a well-known Danish-born parachutist who was a regular on the 1930s air displays scene fo a while – but I believe he may have died in an accident before WW2.”

It’s him all right, although the places he traveled often spelled his name in strange ways. I recognize him in the pictures. He was my cousin, from my grandfather’s generation. He died on a chilly spring day in 1935. One branch of the family still talks about him.

JP

I think its wonderful that the thread had renewed interest in it after it was initially posted last year.

My grandfather (Captain Richard Shepherd) would have been pleased.

Oh, if only more threads were like this one.

I find this era fascinating.

John Tranum is my great grandfather

I saw those wonderful photos of John Tranum posted below, and got very excited since I periodically google his name for more information on him. Not much usually comes up (especially in English) and what a surprise to see him so clearly! He is my great grandfather, and I am interested in finding any photos or anything about him really- if anyone has anything more of him, or knows where I could find things about him, please let me know.
It would mean a lot to my grandfather and I.
Thank you!

Hi Mary,
That’s most interesting. There’s a couple of references to your father in ‘Flypast – A record of Aviation in Australia’ by Parnell & BBroughton, AGP, 1988. Have you got them? PM me for details if not.
Best wishes

Hi James,
Had a quick look but don’t think I’ve got the Flypast refs. Presume these relate to his 1930 England-Oz flight and/or years with TEAL.
Would be interested in these.
Mary

Hi Mary,
That’s most interesting. There’s a couple of references to your father in ‘Flypast – A record of Aviation in Australia’ by Parnell & BBroughton, AGP, 1988. Have you got them? PM me for details if not.
Best wishes

After a brief bit of library research, I can add that Tranum apparantly was one of the few professional parachutists in Britain by 1930. Over Easter 1929, he performed a number of public parachute jumps from Avro 504 G-EBWO over the promenade at Caversham Bridge in Reading – one of these resulted in a ducking in the Thames when he misjudged a change in the wind conditions….

On 2nd March 1930 he gave a demo during an air display at Brooklands with a Russell-Lobe parachute – only to drift in strong winds and end up in the famous sewage farm! On 9th June 1930, he parachuted from 3,000ft in front of 20,000 people as part of a 4-hour ‘Air Fete’ at Woodley Aerodrome, Berkshire. Perhaps others know of other appearances by him elsewhere?

My father Oscar Garden set up Skywork Ltd with John Tranum in late 1931. He claimed it was the 1st Flying Circus in the world.
I have a souvenir program of their South African Flying Circus and besides Tranum and my father, there were Capt. E.D.Ayre, Capt. J. Jing, Capt. E.D. Cummings and Mr C.E.F.Riley. Some of their items included ‘Bombing the Bridal Pair’ and ‘Aerial Markmanship by Capt. Dead Eye Dick’! The venture folded on 28th April 1932, and Dad got the Spartan Simmonds he had been flying as his share. (He then went on to do joyriding throughout Africa and the Middle East up to the 12th November 1933.)

If anyone has any more information on this venture can they let me know as I have very little information on it. I am writing a biography on my father’s life (1903-1997) as a pioneer aviator.
Mary Garden

Good enough Aero.

Just don’t try to inflate it to full size. Won’t work!

Cheers!

RE:

Thanks everyone for the reply’s, I really appreciate it. I really appreciate everyone’s information, and I will defiantly try to get my hands on the book.

Just so that you don’t get confused, yes it is a kit. Not a very small box, but not big enough to take me up in it…. :rolleyes: 🙂

😮 😮 yeah well it could’ve been a very big box, or maybe a smaller box with little bits of Tiger Moth inside!! 😀 Neil.

I think Blue Max and I have cornered the market in big boxes with little bits of Tiger Moth inside!!

After a brief bit of library research, I can add that Tranum apparantly was one of the few professional parachutists in Britain by 1930. Over Easter 1929, he performed a number of public parachute jumps from Avro 504 G-EBWO over the promenade at Caversham Bridge in Reading – one of these resulted in a ducking in the Thames when he misjudged a change in the wind conditions….

On 2nd March 1930 he gave a demo during an air display at Brooklands with a Russell-Lobe parachute – only to drift in strong winds and end up in the famous sewage farm! On 9th June 1930, he parachuted from 3,000ft in front of 20,000 people as part of a 4-hour ‘Air Fete’ at Woodley Aerodrome, Berkshire. Perhaps others know of other appearances by him elsewhere?

This picture is currently on e-bay, of Tranum meeting The King at Shell-Mex House in 1933.

It’s e-bay item number is: 8204197881

But move quick, it’s only got an hour to run!

PS. Nothing to do with me, just ran across it looking for more BE-2 bits!

Reading Zero’s thread again, I think he’s saying he has bought a kit (model), which includes markings to represent G-ACDA.

😮 😮 yeah well it could’ve been a very big box, or maybe a smaller box with little bits of Tiger Moth inside!! 😀 Neil.

I think you may be right Steve.

Chiz. 😀

Back to the bike shed, Orville.

Reading Zero’s thread again, I think he’s saying he has bought a kit (model), which includes markings to represent G-ACDA.

I suggest you get a copy of ‘The Tiger Moth’ by Stuart McKay, pub Airlife (out of print now, but try www.abe.com or others…)

Good news. ‘The Tiger Moth’ is due out again imminently in a new edition. Keep an eye on the DH Moth Club website, or get yourself to the DH Moth Rally at Woburn in August and get one signed by Mr. McKay himself!

although from the above there seems to be 2 of ’em (one in Bedford and one in South Africa) plus the American one painted-up to represent it????!! 😀 😮 :confused:

but back to the original pictures in the thread.. good stuff PJ – love to see some more if there are any..??

Neil.

Hi Zero,
Greetings, and welcome to the forum.

Quite the project you’ve got there! If you haven’t already, I suggest you get a copy of ‘The Tiger Moth’ by Stuart McKay, pub Airlife (out of print now, but try www.abe.com or others…)

On p110 there is a photo of what can only be described as a filigree of Tiger Moth hanging from a high voltage pylon. After the engine stopped, “Side slipping roud a tree and preparing to three point in what appeared to be a suitable field, the aircraft collided with a shrouded pylon, became entangled in high voltage wires and burst into flames. The two occupants used the starboard wing as a ladder, stepping to safety, but were forced to watch helplessly while the faithful old prototype disapeared in a cloud of smoke.” The photo is credited to Wiltshire Newspapers.

It is of course G-ACDA, and it was the ‘Prototype DH82A’. It joined “No.1 EFTS at Hatfield in 1933, resplendant in maroon and silver, the house colours of the de Havilland fleet.”

“In October 1940… G-ACDA donned her military coat and became BB724…”

G-ACDB was destroyed in 1941.

G-ACDC still survives and flies as… wait for it… the “oldest surviving DH82A. One pre war DH82 remains airworthy in Sweden, and is acknowledged as the world’s oldest Tiger Moth.”.

This data is from the above book and is dated 1987, so things have changed a bit since perhaps, but that’s an historic reg you’ve got there.

HTH,

Tiger Moth G-ACDA

Excellent! Thanks for sharing.

G-ACDA DH82A Tiger Moth c/n 3175 first on the civil register 6th February 1933 became BB724. It is still current on the register although the CoA expired in 1982.

It was reported as burnt out after forced landing, Rodmarton, near Kemble 27.06.79, which might have explained the difficulty in renewing the C of A. But given that old Tigers never die, I’ll stake a ready bet that someone’s fixing it.

Meanwhile, over in the States, Bill King has been flying his Tiger Moth from Rhinebeck for a number of years, carrying the livery of – you guessed it – G-ACDA!