Today In History:  26 July  [1910]   --  Capt. Dawes becomes the first British Army officer pilot

Capt. George. W. P. Dawes becomes the first British Army officer to be awarded an aviator"s certificate in England, when he qualifies for certificate No.17 on a Humber Monoplane at Wolverhampton, England. Dawes was a Flight Commander in No 2 Sqn RFC when it flew to France in August 1914. On 22 August he was flying as observer with Major Longcroft in a BE2a, when the first German aicraft seen in the war, an Albatros biplane, was encountered over the RFC aerodrome at Maubeuge.

PHOTO: 1910 Humber monoplane (Le Blon Type) - designed by Hubert Le Blon. Exhibited at the 1910 Olympia Air Show. The narrow body was designed to be ridden on, like a horse-back or a fairy on a Dragonfly, thus saving weight.

Photo Attribution:  Public Domain  via Wikimedia.