Aircraft on the Hamilton Bank, Portsmouth, for the fleet review by King George V on 18 July 1914 RMG PW0881

Aircraft on the Hamilton Bank, Portsmouth, for the fleet review by King George V on 18 July 1914

Inscribed and signed by the artist, 'The Aircraft on Hamilton Bank / W L Wyllie 1914'. The Hamilton Bank is a shoal at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. Seaplanes are shown moored off it here to the left and right with units of the fleet dressed overall beyond and a white launch approaching up the centre. The fleet review depicted was on 18 July 1914 as part of a test mobilization between the 17th and 20th, when the British Home Fleets assembled at Spithead. Post-Dreadnought-type battleships can be seen on the left and the armoured cruiser 'Roxburgh' (1904) is on the right. A number of aircraft from the newly created Royal Naval Air Service (formed 1 July 1914) were present and used the shallows of the Hamilton Bank as their mooring station for the review. Land planes flew over the fleet but the seaplanes were able to land on the water and take part in it. The seaplanes belonged to five flights: A Flight - serials 119, 120, 121 and possibly 82 (records differ); B Flight - serials 74, 75, 76, and 77; C Flight - serials 70, 113 and 115; D Flight - serials 139, 142, 143 and possibly 141 (records differ); E Flight , serials 118, 126 and 151 (93 was allocated but did not fly). Though inscribed and signed, the drawing does not appear entirely finished.