This exhibition ran from 1st September to 1st October 2016
Born in 1897 William Chambers was an electrical engineer
by profession. He joined the Lincolnshire Regiment early in the war. He
applied to join the Royal Flying Corp, and as a young officer learnt to
fly at the Royal Aero Club, obtaining his pilot’s license exactly a
hundred years ago in October 1916. He then served as a photographic
reconnaissance officer with 49 Squadron in Kent.
This exhibition reveals him to have been a
remarkably gifted and brave photographer. His work is a remarkable
testament to the precarious nature of early flight, and the brave men on
both sides who took warfare into the air.
His collection of some 80 large format negatives
taken on service, and an album of photographs, passed through the family
to his nephew, New Longton resident Richard Chambers. A keen
photographer himself, Mr Chambers realised there immense historical
significance and passed them to fellow Leyland Photographic Society
member David Lewis. A recognised master of developing images from early
negatives, David has spent over 200 hours producing the sepia toned
images.
The
exhibition graphically shows the risk intrinsic to early flight:
landing strips were usually rough fields, the aircraft were string bound
wooden struts and canvas, and crashes were very frequent. Around 8000
men were killed in training – more than in actual combat.
On the 15th May 1918, now a captain in the RAF,
William Chambers took off on a routine reconnaissance over France with
his American observer Lt. R.J.Burky. They were shot down by a German
fighter, killing both men. Captain Chambers has no known grave, and is
listed on the Arras Memorial. His pictures were carefully treasured, and
can now be seen in this remarkable exhibition.
