Arthur Bigsworth

Air Commodore Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth CMG, DSO and bar, AFC, (27 March 1885 – 24 February 1961) was a pioneer aviator who had a distinguished military career in the service of the British armed forces.

Early life
Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth was born on 27 March 1885, the son of Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth Sr and Kate Box.

Career
Bigsworth received training as a Mercantile Marine officer, later joining the Royal Naval Reserve as a Sub-Lieutenant, being promoted to Lieutenant on 19 January 1913. He attended the first course at the Central Flying School, gaining his Aviator's Certicate no. 396 on 21 January 1913. He transferred to the Royal Navy at this rank with effect from 1 April 1913, achieving the rank of Wing Commander in the Royal Naval Air Service on 31 December 1916. On 1 April 1918 he was appointed Officer Commanding 10 Group; a year later he was awarded a permanent commission as a Lieutenant Colonel and was appointed Staff Officer First Class (Air) in Headquarters, Mediterranean District. At this point Bigsworth was awarded a Permanent Commission with the RAF and was removed from the Navy Lists while remaining in his post with HQ Mediterranean District, later HQ Mediterranean Group in 1920. After almost three years as Officer Commanding, Armament and Gunnery School at Eastchurch, he returned to the Mediterranean as Air Officer Commanding (AOC), HQ RAF Mediterranean, in which capacity he was appointed as a member of the Nominated Council of Malta. In 1925 he returned to the UK, first to RAF Leuchars (1925), then as Senior Air Staff Office (SASO), HQ Coastal Area (1928), AOC No 10 Group and finally, until his retirement in September 1935, as Director of Equipment at the Air Ministry.

Immediately following his retirement from active service, Bigsworth was appointed to the Directorate of Aeronautical Production and in 1939 was for a short time AOC No 42 (Maintenance) Group.

Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth died on 24 Feb 1961.

It has been claimed that W. E. Johns based some aspects of his fictional hero Biggles (surname Bigglesworth) on the real-life Bigsworth, with whom he had worked at the Air Ministry.

Medals and Honours
Bigsworth had already experimented with night flying, using two 4V lamps attached to his aircraft and no doubt called on this experience on 17 May 1915, when he managed to climb his Avro 504 above Zeppelin LZ39 over Ostend and drop four 20 lb bombs on its envelope, causing considerable damage. LZ39 managed to return to its base, despite damage to five of its gasbags For this feat Bigsworth was awarded the D.S.O.. This was the first night-time attack on a Zeppelin.

On 26 August 1915, Bigsworth was reconnoitering the sea off Ostend in his Farman F.27 when he spotted German submarine, U-14, on the surface and sank it. The citation for the bar to his D.S.O. stated: "Squadron-Commander Bigsworth was under heavy fire from the shore batteries and from the submarine whilst manoeuvring for position. Nevertheless, displaying great coolness, he descended to 500 feet, and after several attempts was able to get a good line for dropping the bombs with full effect." This was the first ever confirmed airborne 'kill' on a submarine.

Major Bigsworth was further "Mentioned in Despatches and Reports for Distinguished Services" on 3 June 1918.

Lt.-Col. (Acting Colonel) Bigsworth was appointed a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. John (CMG), followed on 5 June 1919 by the award of the Air Force Cross (AFC).