Mexborough and Swinton Times, June 16th 1933
Wombwell Veteran Takes to Flight
Air-Minded at Sixty
Wombwell has a modest airman. At sixty he takes a trip into the clouds like going for a walk and thinks nothing of it, being thoroughly “air-minded.” Sergt. Albert Ernest Greaves, 5 Foulstone Row, is attached to Sir Alan Cobham’s air “circus” which will be paying a visit to Wombwell this summer.
Sergt. Greaves is the last person in the world to blow his own trumpet, but another member of staff sends a letter telling us all about him. He knows Sergt. Greaves as a “working pal” and a regular reader of this paper. Sergt. Greaves is an old soldier. He joined the Army thirty years ago and saw service in Ireland, Egypt, India, Africa and Mauritius. At the outbreak of the Great War, he rejoined in the 3rd Yorks and Lancasters, and saw service in Egypt and France.
At the end of the war Sergt. Greaves returned to his normal occupation, and was working at Cortonwood when Sir Alan Cobham’s air “circus” visited Wombwell last year. His application for a job as a checker was successful, and since that time he has been a regular member of the staff. Altogether he has visited 175 towns where flying exhibitions have been arranged. Already this year the “circus” has visited most of the principal towns in the South and the Midlands. The letter states: “We are running two shows this year, and one of them is sure to come to Wombwell. Sir Alan was pleased with the attendance at Broomhill last year, end all the staff had a pleasant time at the Horseshoe Hotel, which they again propose to visit. Referring to Sergt. Greaves as a man who is thoroughly at home in the air, the writer states: “He had the honour of travelling with Sir Alan Cobham in Mr. Mollison’s ‘plane from Bangor to Rhyl. Three bad air pockets were encountered, and the first one threw Greaves completely out of his seat. He was the last man to put on his belt, which had something of a steadying effect. When he told Sir Alan that he had never flown before except for observation purposes in France, Sir Alan congratulated him upon the calm way in which he went through the experience.
On another occasion Sergt. Greaves had the experience of a forced landing near Dundee. A thick fog completely obscured vision and the plane bad to come down. A flight over the mountains from Inverness to Perth was one of his coldest experiences. Strong icy winds almost blew the controls out of the hands of the pilots. On one occasion he was a passenger on a plane which flew 105 miles, from Blackpool to Wigton in Cumberland. in 70 minutes. The writer mentions that this year they have already visited 43 towns in Cornwall and Devon, and have now returned to the Midlands. “At Southend-on-Sea Miss Amy Johnson and Mr. Mollison flew over to see us and gave autographs to all and sundry.” Mrs. Greaves told a “South Yorkshire Times” representative that her husband was very fond of flying. Nothing suited him better than being with Sir Alan Cobham, and he was always keen to go up. They have three sons and one daughter, and one of them is married. This week the “circus” is at Birmingham. from which place they go on to Brighton. The date of the Wombwell visit is not yet fixed.
Air-Minded at Sixty
Wombwell has a modest airman. At sixty he takes a trip into the clouds like going for a walk and thinks nothing of it, being thoroughly “air-minded.” Sergt. Albert Ernest Greaves, 5 Foulstone Row, is attached to Sir Alan Cobham’s air “circus” which will be paying a visit to Wombwell this summer. Sergt. Greaves is the last person in the world to blow his own trumpet, but another member of staff sends a letter telling us all about him. He knows Sergt. Greaves as a “working pal” and a regular reader of this paper. Sergt. Greaves is an old soldier. He joined the Army thirty years ago and saw service in Ireland, Egypt, India, Africa and Mauritius. At the outbreak of the Great War, he rejoined in the 3rd Yorks and Lancasters, and saw service in Egypt and France. At the end of the war Sergt. Greaves returned to his normal occupation, and was working at Cortonwood when Sir Alan Cobham’s air “circus” visited Wombwell last year. His application for a job as a checker was successful, and since that time he has been a regular member of the staff. Altogether he has visited 175 towns where flying exhibitions have been arranged. Already this year the “circus” has visited most of the principal towns in the South and the Midlands. The letter states: “We are running two shows this year, and one of them is sure to come to Wombwell. Sir Alan was pleased with the attendance at Broomhill last year, end all the staff had a pleasant time at the Horseshoe Hotel, which they again propose to visit. Referring to Sergt. Greaves as a man who is thoroughly at home in the air, the writer states: “He had the honour of travelling with Sir Alan Cobham in Mr. Mollison’s ‘plane from Bangor to Rhyl. Three bad air pockets were encountered, and the first one threw Greaves completely out of his seat. He was the last man to put on his belt, which had something of a steadying effect. When he told Sir Alan that he had never flown before except for observation purposes in France, Sir Alan congratulated him upon the calm way in which he went through the experience. On another occasion Sergt. Greaves had the experience of a forced landing near Dundee. A thick fog completely obscured vision and the plane bad to come down. A flight over the mountains from Inverness to Perth was one of his coldest experiences. Strong icy winds almost blew the controls out of the hands of the pilots. On one occasion he was a passenger on a plane which flew 105 miles, from Blackpool to Wigton in Cumberland. in 70 minutes. The writer mentions that this year they have already visited 43 towns in Cornwall and Devon, and have now returned to the Midlands. “At Southend-on-Sea Miss Amy Johnson and Mr. Mollison flew over to see us and gave autographs to all and sundry.” Mrs. Greaves told a “South Yorkshire Times” representative that her husband was very fond of flying. Nothing suited him better than being with Sir Alan Cobham, and he was always keen to go up. They have three sons and one daughter, and one of them is married. This week the “circus” is at Birmingham. from which place they go on to Brighton. The date of the Wombwell visit is not yet fixed.