Oscar Colin Morison

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Oscar Colin Morison
Born(1884-11-22)22 November 1884
Died17 May 1966(1966-05-17) (aged 81)

Oscar Colin Morison (1884–1966) was an early English aviator who served in the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

Life[edit]

Morison was born at Dulwich, London on 22 November 1884.

Aviator[edit]

Morison gained his Royal Aero Club aviators certificate (No. 46) on 31 December 1910 at Brooklands Aerodrome using a Bleriot monoplane.[1] He flew exhibition flights in the early days of aviation in England. In 1911 he entered the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Air Race but failed to start. On 7 March 1911 he became the first aviator to fly into Shoreham Aerodrome in a Bleriot monoplane.[2] In May 1911 he was in a well publicized air-race with Graham Gilmour from Shoreham Aerodrome to the eastern boundary of Brighton at Blackrock, Morison taking the straight course passed the winning post one minute before Gilmour.[3]

He married Margaret Cleaver at Brighton in 1912.[4]

Military service[edit]

With the outbreak of the First World War, Morison was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps as a Second Lieutenant, in May 1916 he transferred to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.[5] Morison was promoted Temporary Major in the Royal Air Force when it was formed in 1918.

Morison rejoined the RAF in 1940 with a temporary commission for the duration of hostilities.[6]

Later life[edit]

Morison died on 17 May 1966 in Bournemouth, being styled as a "Gentleman".[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 46 record card.
  2. ^ "A Brief Year by Year History of Shoreham Airport". Brighton Shoreham Airport. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Racing in Biplanes". Dundee Courier. 15 May 1911.
  4. ^ General Register Office index of marriages registered in October, November and December 1912, - Name: Oscar C Morison * Margaret V Cleaver, District: Brighton, Sussex, Volume: 2B Page: 499.
  5. ^ "No. 29619". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 June 1916. p. 5808.
  6. ^ "No. 34830". The London Gazette. 26 April 1940. p. 2479.
  7. ^ "No. 44014". The London Gazette. 7 June 1966. p. 6658.