In the past, the Society did much for Lighter-than-Air, through its lectures, most of which I was able to attend. I well remember that anti-airship man, E. F. Spanner, who used to face a basically hostile audience, and the fighting speeches from that great protagonist for airships, the late Captain Boothby.

The first, I think, to give lectures on airships was the late Colonel Waterlow in 1912 and 1913, but I was at Wellington then, and so was not present. Nobody fought harder than he did for airships, and he was very helpful to me when I used to visit the airship station at Wormwood Scrubbs.