John Wofgang Goethe

In 1914 the RNAS was a new branch of the Navy. It worked with the latest technology and actively recruited men with engineering backgrounds in order to maintain its aircraft and engines.

The Royal Naval Armoured Car Division used an RNAS depot at Wormwood Scrubbs, in London, and started adapting commandeered motor car chassis. These were predominantly Rolls-Royce, Talbot, Wolseley and later Lancaster. *

*from a signboard next to the armoured car

Cerne Abbas is a charming and quaint village that is world renowned for the Cerne Giant, a 180 ft high ancient chalk figure carved out into the steep sloping hillside above the village.

The origins of the Giant, now owned by the National Trust, are a mix of fact and speculation. Some believe that he represents the Roman god Hercules or that he is a Pagan fertility symbol. There is no known historical record before 1694, however recent studies suggest the giant was first made by the Saxons between AD 700 and 1100.

The village of Cerne Abbas grew around a great Benedictine Abbey, which was founded in AD 987 however the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century sadly saw the Abbey destroyed. Remains of the Abbey can still be seen today and are well worth a visit. Despite the loss of the Abbey the village managed to not just survive but prosper; Cerne’s fresh underground water supply fuelling a highly successful brewing trade. The quality beer was sold as far afield as London and was even exported to the Americas. Due to this industry, Cerne Abbas at one time boasted no fewer than 15 public houses with a population of only 1500. Waterpower also gave rise to many other small industries including milling and silk weaving.

Herman Melville

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

The original Short S27 was equipped with a Gnome rotary engine. This replica in the Fleet Air Arm Museum is fitted with a similar Gnome Le Rhone engine and representative propeller to illustrate the appearance of the aircraft in service.*

Early aircraft wings were usually covered with a fabric such as linen. This fabric was painted with a special paint called dope to seal the fabric. If you added too many layers of dope the aircraft would be to heavy to take off!

Both sides in WW1 developed incendiary bullets that would set fire to fabric covered wings. As engines tended to leak oil and fuel and the wings are very flammable this could leave you in the hot seat if you were hit. *

Dashboard & Wicker Seat, Westgate Seaplane Station

These items came from unknown World War 1 aircraft based at the Seaplane Station in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.

The dials have been removed, but the engravings can still be seen on the dashboard. Once removed from the aircraft the dashboard appears to have been converted for domestic use. The added sections look to have been made to hold stationery!

Seats in WW1 aircraft were made from light and weatherproof material, It is likely the pilot would have had a cushion to sit on. This would have been made of leather and padded with light material, such as horsehair and fabric.*

*information provided next to the exhibit

• More information on the Short S27 can be found here.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Burrow Mump is a hill and historic site overlooking Southlake Moor in the village of Burrowbridge within the English county of Somerset. It is a scheduled monument, with the ruined church on top of the hill a Grade II listed building.

The hill stands at a strategic location overlooking the point where the River Tone and the old course of the River Cary join the River Parrett. Although there is some evidence of Roman visitation, the first fortification of the site was the construction of a Norman motte. It has been called King Alfred’s Fort, however there is no proof of use by Alfred the Great. A medieval church was built on the hill in the 15th century. The current ruined church on top of the hill was built in 1793. The land and ruin were donated to the National Trust in 1946 as a war memorial.

Burrow Mump is also known as St Michael’s Borough or Tutteyate.^[4] Both words ‘burrow’ and ‘mump’ mean hill.^[5]

The hill is 24 metres (79 ft) high,^[1] and stands at a strategic point where the River Tone and the old course of the River Cary join the River Parrett, above the surrounding low lying land of the Somerset Levels.^[2] It is made of Triassic sandstone capped by Keuper marl ascribed to the Mercia Mudstone Group.^[2][3]

Information source – Wikipedia