Rye Harbour Image Library

Picture No:	119
Courtesy of:	Nanny Pat
Year:	1912

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Retrieval of disabled seaplane at Rye Harbour

This is a postcard sent by Spencer Caister - Pat Gawn's father - to Pte A Luff, then in barracks at Shoreham. Part of the message reads 'this waterplane was disabled and laid in front of our house for a week and I was there when this photo was taken. That is me underneath the cross...Spencer'

The seaplane dates from about 1912 - it looks like one of the Short Bros. series. Interesting is the complexity of the engine. I hope we can identify more of the people in the very animated image. We will also try to identify the background so we know where it was beached.
Picture Added on 06 April 2006.

Comments

This chimes in with the History of the 1st Brede Scout Troop. They camped at Rye Harbour with Baden-Powell when a seaplane came down. B-P made one of the Scouts stand guard over it all night. Sadly I do not know the exact date but I do have documentary evidence in a cutting from the Sussex Express of July 3rd 1931 when, at the 21st Anniversary of Brede Scouts, the story was re-told by the founder a Miss Amoore who was there at the time. Jonathan Rhodes (SL 1st Brede Scouts)
Added by Jonathan Rhodes. on 03 April 2009.

Further research tells me that the Scout Camp I talked above happened after June 1915 (when B-P's daughter was christened) and before 1917 when the Baden-Powells moved from Ewhurst to Horley and by which time Miss Amoore had handed over the Scout Troop to the local Rector. If I get any closer to the actual date, I'll post again.
Added by Jonathan Rhodes. on 06 April 2009.