On this day 29 May 1918
Published: 29 May 2013
Cdr Charles Samson took off in a Sopwith Camel from a converted seaplane lighter being towed behind a ship off Felixstowe. The first such take-off proved that the renage of shore based fighters could be extended so they could engage Zeppelins.
Designed by Thorneycroft, fifty of these lighters were built by the Royal Engineers. Two are known to have survived, one is in the Fleet Air Museum collection the other remains buried in mud on the River Hamble.