Document Request: William Arthur Risbridger - early life
Document Description: Email from Barry Risbridger to Annie Risbridger 23/09/2017 about the early years of William Risbridger
Transcription URL: https://risbridger.surnametree.com/library/vdocs/D_434#434
Document Transcription:Email from Barry Risbridger to his niece Annie 23 September 2017
Hi Annie
I remember Dad telling me the following.
Dad volunteered to join the RNAS after helping to pull down an observer balloon drifting over fields in Bletchingley at the beginning of the 14/18 war. The officer on board said he should join up, which he did!
He was employed servicing and refuelling dirigibles (like the R101 airship) at Cardington. You would be surprised how many were built at this time.
The engines used 100 octane fuel which was dispensed and filtered through chamois leather filters. The fuel was stored in tanks in which the petrol was floated over a layer of water. This was a very efficient way of natural particulate filtration as it all floated to the bottom of the water. It was known as the Hydraulic Fuel Storage System perfected by a man named Bywater, a civilian working for the War Ministry. Dad did buy the Company name and rights after the war but it was not viable in civilian life. We had the float valves in the stores for years afterwards.
Apparently, Dad, during this time, also volunteered to be a wing gunner on Vickers Vimy bombers, but his CEO would not let him go. They were strapped horizontally to a wing with a Lewis gun and some spare magazines. None of Dad’s friends who were accepted, survived.
After the war, Mr Bywater contacted Dad and offered him the job of converting the new Wayne petrol pumps from Ohio being imported into Britain up to Board of Trade standards and repainting into petrol company colours and logos. A new factory (large shed) was constructed in two weeks flat in Grandad’s garden as the pumps were on their way over the Atlantic. That shed formed part of the factory in Bletchingley and was only demolished some 10 years ago after approx 83 years of continuous production!
After a number of years Dad realised that they could design and produce their own petrol pump. This they did and it was in production for many years. The pump had the unique feature of being ausable in a power cut as it could be hand operated with a Morris car starting handle which drove a bicycle sprocket and chain which powered the cast-iron rotary pump. It could deliver 6 galls per minute manually!
This is as far as I got last night, will send more on Sunday.
Very Happy Birthday
Basil
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