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713:"I did it for the publicity", Draper told the press; "For 14 months I have been out of a job, and I'm broke. I wanted to prove that I am still fit, useful and worth employing. ... They tell me I can be jailed, possibly for six months. ... It was my last-ever flight- I meant it as a spectacular swansong."
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On 31 December 1917 he was promoted to squadron commander. In March 1918 the squadron was posted to RAF Walmer and then on 30 March departed for France one day before the RNAS and RFC were amalgamated to form the RAF. Draper later commented "What a change, I don't think the
Squadron was ever the same
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After the war Draper once more drifted into a variety of activities including acting and store-keeping. By the 1950s he was once again upset at the government's treatment of veterans. On 5 May 1953, he again repeated his earlier protest by flying under the Thames bridges. This time he flew a rented,
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monoplane under 15 of the 18 bridges. It was a spectacular stunt; the bridge arches were only 40 to 50 feet high; Draper was flying 90 mph and dodged around a ship. According to news accounts, he pulled off his stunt as a means of seeking attention and soliciting job offers. He was arrested,
494:
In the autumn of 1917 he returned to combat with 8 Naval
Squadron, with which he scored three more victories. In October 1917 Draper became commanding officer of 8 Naval Squadron. Like most RNAS and RFC squadrons by now, it was a multi-national unit, manned by British, Australians (including the
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One morning while flying towards the front lines Draper accidentally flew under a bridge while in full view of a large body of troops. The troops cheered so heartily that Draper repeated the stunt wherever possible. This earned him his nickname "The Mad Major". (In its early days the RAF used
614:
Draper's work as a stunt pilot in films eventually led him into acting. Standing six feet two inches tall, with a robust frame and a classic profile, he was photogenic. He starred in many theatrical productions and several films as "George
Mannering". He played a pilot in 1935's
347:, who was an acquaintance of his father. Hoult provided Draper with £210 after making him promise not to tell anyone about the gift. On 9 October 1913, with a total of 3 hours 15 minutes of flying experience, he obtained
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In 1932 Draper was invited to participate in an "Aces of the Air Tour" of
Germany. Aces from many nations participated. In addition to meeting various German aces (he became firm friends with the German ace Major
472:. While flying the Sopwith 1½ Strutter with 3 Naval Wing he scored his first four victories while carrying out some of the first strategic bombing missions against German industrial targets. In 1917 he flew with
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of spring 1918 the German Army's initial breakthrough and rate of advance was such that Draper was forced to order the burning of 16 of Naval 8's aircraft to prevent them being captured on the ground.
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In 1930, out of work and penniless, he decided to raise his public profile and protest over the government's treatment of war veterans by staging an aerial publicity stunt. Borrowing a
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he led the RAF aerobatic team in the 1921 Air
Pageant in July, and then resigned on 6 October. After leaving the RAF, he continued to fly as a stunt pilot at air shows and in films.
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After the war Draper became a secondhand car salesman. When this venture failed he returned to flying, and in April 1919 he was the chief test pilot for the
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as a potential sympathiser. After his return to
England he was contacted and asked to spy for the Germans. He agreed and then immediately contacted
611:. Due to bad weather on the day he only managed to fly under two. This was captured on film and brought "The Mad Major" the desired degree of fame.
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to feed false information to the Nazis. This situation continued for about four years until the
Germans stopped answering Draper's communications.
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As a result of this meeting and of Draper's longstanding criticism of the
British government's treatment of veterans, he was listed by the
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was offering short service commissions to pilots with an
Aviator's Certificate. After passing the medical Draper joined the
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in
Cheshire, England, into a family of five sons and two daughters. He became interested in flying in July 1909 when
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through his work both as a stunt pilot and as an actor. During the 1930s he worked for a time as a British
300:. His penchant for flying under bridges earned him the nickname "the Mad Major". After the war he became a
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491:. After a heated argument with his commanding officer, Draper was transferred back to England soon after.
465:
432:, Draper initiated his liking for dare-devil exploits by flying a seaplane under one of the spans of the
413:. He was promoted to flight lieutenant in June, and on 20 July he was one of nine pilots who flew in the
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In mid-1916 he was posted to 3 Naval Wing, who were preparing to go to France. While collecting his new
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and was granted a short service commission as a squadron leader on 27 September 1920. Posted to the
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However, he retained his pilot's licence for another eleven years; it was revoked in 1964.
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320:. During his flying career he logged over 17,000 flying hours on 73 types of aircraft.
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While trying to find a job flying, he learned from a cousin in the service that the
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405:. After passing his course, Draper was assigned to the Royal Naval Air Station at
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at Hendon. When the company folded Draper sought an interview with Air Marshal
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charged with flying too low in an urban area, and assessed a nominal ten
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581:. This was the first aircraft specifically designed to carry passengers.
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Draper was lucky to survive a crash on 23 March 1920 test flying the
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On 6 June 1917 his aircraft was shot up whilst in action against
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From January to April 1914 he attended the fifth course at the
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
27:
487:(with 34 victories at the time), and forced him to land his
483:, before Draper slightly wounded prominent German ace Lt.
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on 27 January 1914 and was commissioned as a probationary
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Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
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58:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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424:Spending the initial war years on Home Defence in
292:(15 April 1892 – 16 January 1979), was an English
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1169:Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I
681:in 1943, before commanding No. 777 Squadron at
19:For other people named Christopher Draper, see
669:as assistant armament officer before going to
552:For his service in the war he was awarded the
444:. He stopped right in front of the clubhouse.
355:biplane at the Grahame-White Flying School at
351:Aviator's Certificate No. 646 after flying a
8:
723:, was published by Aero Publishers in 1962.
854:(Supplement). 28 December 1917. p. 87.
872:(Supplement). 23 April 1918. p. 5059.
129:
522:On 1 April 1918, 8 Naval Squadron became
118:Learn how and when to remove this message
421:, the first review to include aircraft.
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537:On 13 October 1918, he was wounded by
476:on Nieuports, claiming two victories.
577:, piloting the first flight of their
7:
603:, he set out to fly under all 14 of
56:adding citations to reliable sources
447:On 28 June 1915 he was promoted to
21:Christopher Draper (disambiguation)
1094:Military personnel from Merseyside
685:, flying anti-submarine duties in
16:British WWI flying ace (1892-1979)
14:
1164:20th-century English male actors
1104:Royal Naval Air Service aviators
956:. 18 October 1921. p. 8205.
890:. 22 August 1919. p. 10724.
575:British Aerial Transport Company
277:Actor, veterans' rights activist
184:
32:
1124:British World War I flying aces
908:. 8 October 1920. p. 9815.
657:World War II and post-war years
649:. They decided to use him as a
409:under the command of Commander
393:while the instructors included
328:Christopher Draper was born at
308:, serving as a double agent to
43:needs additional citations for
1007:"Great Britain: The Mad Major"
979:. 15 July 1953. Archived from
971:"Mad Major' Escapes With Fine"
1:
1179:Royal Naval Reserve personnel
804:. 30 June 1914. p. 5070.
634:). He was also introduced to
556:in April 1918 and the French
1065:Draper, Christopher (1962).
822:. 2 July 1915. p. 6437.
760:(251): 1139. 18 October 1913
1129:British World War II pilots
786:. 8 May 1914. p. 3757.
661:In 1939, Draper joined the
554:Distinguished Service Cross
263:Distinguished Service Cross
1195:
632:Eduard Ritter von Schleich
385:. Also on the course were
18:
1144:English male stage actors
401:– all of whom were later
1149:British stunt performers
1139:English male film actors
1114:Royal Air Force officers
920:"The RAF Aerial Pageant"
442:St. Andrew's golf course
930:(654): 451. 7 July 1921
748:"Aviators Certificates"
495:leading Australian ace
460:Royal Naval Air Service
395:John Tremayne Babington
368:Royal Naval Air Service
204:Royal Naval Air Service
163:, Cheshire, England, UK
526:when the RNAS and the
1159:People from Bebington
1036:"Hopping 'Mad Major'"
594:Central Flying School
569:Stunt and film flying
530:merged to become the
411:Charles Rumney Samson
383:Central Flying School
312:. He returned to the
214:Years of service
835:Nieuport Aces of WW1
691:Boulton Paul Defiant
524:No. 208 Squadron RAF
512:Ludendorff Offensive
252:No. 208 Squadron RAF
250:(later redesignated
217:1914–1918, 1939-1945
67:"Christopher Draper"
52:improve this article
1109:Royal Navy officers
983:on 23 November 2014
663:Royal Naval Reserve
466:Sopwith 1½ Strutter
283:Squadron Commander
1069:. Aero Publishers.
954:The London Gazette
906:The London Gazette
888:The London Gazette
870:The London Gazette
852:The London Gazette
820:The London Gazette
802:The London Gazette
784:The London Gazette
730:, London in 1979.
687:Supermarine Walrus
665:and was posted to
618:King of the Damned
528:Royal Flying Corps
285:Christopher Draper
134:Christopher Draper
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695:Fairey Swordfish
605:London's bridges
560:in August 1919.
497:Robert A. Little
474:6 Naval Squadron
449:flight commander
357:Hendon Aerodrome
339:flew across the
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238:6 Naval Squadron
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558:Croix de Guerre
532:Royal Air Force
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391:Wilfrid Freeman
349:Royal Aero Club
341:English Channel
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274:Other work
267:Croix de Guerre
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208:Royal Air Force
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1016:. 18 May 1953
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337:Louis Blériot
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333:on the Wirral
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158:15 April 1892
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143:The Mad Major
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69: –
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63:Find sources:
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41:This article
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26:
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1059:Bibliography
1044:. Retrieved
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1018:. Retrieved
1011:
985:. Retrieved
981:the original
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944:
932:. Retrieved
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878:
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792:
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762:. Retrieved
757:
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742:
725:
720:
719:His memoir,
718:
715:
712:
699:
675:World War II
660:
651:double agent
640:
636:Adolf Hitler
628:
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609:River Thames
598:
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572:
551:
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536:
521:
509:
505:
493:
478:
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446:
436:bridge near
434:Firth of Tay
423:
415:Naval Review
403:air marshals
399:John Salmond
387:Hugh Dowding
380:
361:
345:Joseph Hoult
327:
318:World War II
310:Nazi Germany
306:secret agent
284:
282:
234:3 Naval Wing
173:(1979-01-16)
114:
105:
95:
88:
81:
74:
62:
50:Please help
45:verification
42:
25:
1089:1979 deaths
1084:1892 births
1046:23 November
1020:23 November
987:23 November
950:"No. 32490"
934:23 November
902:"No. 32078"
884:"No. 31519"
866:"No. 30654"
848:"No. 30451"
816:"No. 29214"
798:"No. 28845"
780:"No. 28829"
764:23 November
510:During the
485:Werner Voss
455:World War I
298:World War I
140:Nickname(s)
1078:Categories
734:References
697:aircraft.
679:Gold Coast
643:Nazi Party
586:BAT Bantam
470:Brooklands
407:Eastchurch
364:Royal Navy
324:Early life
294:flying ace
180:Allegiance
154:1892-04-15
108:April 2008
78:newspapers
976:The Hindu
701:100 h.p.
607:over the
601:Puss Moth
501:Canadians
426:Newcastle
330:Bebington
302:film star
161:Bebington
683:Freetown
671:Trinidad
549:ranks.)
507:again".
430:Scotland
419:Spithead
269:(France)
244:Commands
198:Service/
708:guineas
481:Jasta 5
92:scholar
1042:. 2014
924:Flight
753:Flight
728:Camden
703:Auster
579:F.K.26
541:fire.
438:Dundee
259:Awards
200:branch
189:
94:
87:
80:
73:
65:
673:. In
225:Major
99:JSTOR
85:books
1048:2014
1022:2014
1013:Time
989:2014
936:2014
928:XIII
766:2014
693:and
667:Ford
547:Army
428:and
397:and
389:and
314:Navy
230:Unit
222:Rank
168:Died
148:Born
71:news
647:MI6
499:),
417:at
376:RNR
316:in
296:of
289:DSC
54:by
1080::
1038:.
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997:^
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962:^
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768:.
758:V
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115:(
110:)
106:(
96:·
89:·
82:·
75:·
48:.
23:.
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