Edwin Harris Dunning

Who was Edwin Harris Dunning?

Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning, DSC, of the British Royal Naval Air Service, was the first pilot to land an aircraft on a moving ship.

Dunning was born in South Africa on 17 July 1892 the second child of Sir Edwin Harris Dunning of Jacques Hall, Bradfield, Essex, he was educated at Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth.

Dunning landed his Sopwith Pup on HMS Furious in Scapa Flow, Orkney on 2 August 1917. He was killed five days later, during his second landing attempt of the day, when an updraft caught his port wing, throwing his plane overboard. Knocked unconscious, he drowned in the cockpit.

He is buried at St Lawrence's Church, Bradfield, beside his mother. A plaque in the church states "The Admiralty wish you to know what great service he performed for the Navy. It was in fact a demonstration of landing an Aeroplane on the deck of a Man-of-War whilst the latter was under way. This had never been done before;and the data obtained was of the upmost value. It will make Aeoplanes indispensable to a fleet;& possibly, revolutionise Naval Warfare. The risk taken by Squadron Commander Dunning needed much courage.