seen on the green - sir george edwards
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8/3/2019 Seen on the Green - Sir George Edwards
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Seen on the Green
Famous Faces From Chingfordby Thom Goddard
This Month: Sir George Edwards, OM, CBE
Sometimes it is almost impossible to quickly introduce an individual who achieved so much intheir life. So here is HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh’s praise for an Old Chingfordian: “Sir George Edwards is one of those exceptional men who have stamped their genius on the courseof events. His achievements have earned him a place among the greatest pioneers andinnovators in the world”.
George Robert Freeman Edwards was born in Chingford on 9th July 1908. His mother diedsoon after birth but his father, Edwin, stoked George’s interest in transportation from his positionas Walthamstow Station Master. George attended Selwyn School, Highams Park, where hedeveloped a passion for cricket and then won a scholarship to study engineering at South-EastEssex Technical College, Walthamstow. Before the Second World War George began workingfor Vickers Aviation and soon encountered Barnes Wallis. Drawing on his cricket knowledge, it
was Mr Edwards who suggested to Barnes Wallis that the Dambuster’s “bouncing bomb” shouldhave back-spin to make the weapon more controllable.
After the Second World War George Edwards quickly ascended from designer to ManagingDirector at Vickers Aviation. This was due in no small terms to George working on some of Britain’s most successful civil and military aircraft. His design team created the first pressurisedairliner, the Vickers “Viking”, and the first nuclear capable bomber, the Vickers “Valiant”. GeorgeEdwards continued to oversee his productive designers who went on to create the “Jaguar”,“Tornado” and “Harrier” aircraft that are still being used in combat by Great Britain today.
Successful military designs lead to a Knighthood in 1957 but some feel George’s greatestcontribution was still to come. He realised that air travel would have mass appeal and crucially
that people would want to get where they wanted to go quickly. In 1962 Vickers launched theVC-10 jet airliner and the plane was so fast it still holds the subsonic record for the quickestcrossing of the Atlantic, New York to London. Of course, the actual record is held by “Concorde”and no prizes for guessing who led the British design team. In fact, it was George Edwards whosuggested adding the “e” on the end of the French “Concord”, feeling this would soften thename. He was also the first person, who wasn’t a member of the flight crew, to fly on“Concorde”.
Sir George Edwards’ enormous contribution to the world of aircraft was recognised once morein 1971 when he was awarded the Order of Merit by the Queen. The only other aeronauticallegends ever to be honoured are Sir Geoffrey de Havilland and Sir Frank Whittle. So do keep alook out for any Chingford legends you meet in the Mount or have seen on the Green!
If you spot anyone contact: [email protected]