Edward Whitehead Reid

Edward Douglas Whitehead Reid (22 June 1883 – 20 October 1930) was a British general practitioner and surgeon who pioneered the use of private aircraft after the First World War. He was commonly known as Dr E.D. Whitehead Reid but sometimes, particularly in military contexts, as Dr E.D.W. Reid.

Early life Edward Douglas Whitehead Reid was born in Canterbury, Kent on 22 June 1883. His parents were Thomas Whitehead Reid, a general practitioner, and Emily Eliza (née Munns). He had two younger siblings, Kathleen Sibyl Reid and Thomas Roscow Reid.

He attended Tonbridge School, then on 19 October 1901 was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge. As a medical student, he gained his BA in 1905. He moved to St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts) and in 1909 he was appointed a house physician there. On the death of his father in 1910, he moved back to Canterbury to take over the family practice.

He was an excellent sportsman, his activities including rowing, shooting, high jump, hurdling and sprinting, becoming captain of Barts Athletic Club, and winning many prizes at the London Athletic Club. He also became an Honorary Surgeon to Kent and Canterbury Hospital, a medical officer at The King's School, Canterbury and lecturer in surgery at St Augustine's College, Canterbury.

Military career Whitehead Reid joined the British Army on 23 March 1915 as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. His first main posting was as senior surgeon at The Duchess of Westminster's Hospital, titled No.1 BRCS - British Red Cross Society Hospital at Le Touquet, France, which operated from 30 October 1914 to July 1918 in a former casino fitted out for up to 250 patients, with an X-ray room.

He was later assigned to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force as an RAF medical officer to a school of artillery observation at Heliopolis.

Aviation During his time in Egypt, Whitehead Reid started to persuade any flying instructors he could find to give him lessons, and he soon became very enthusiastic about the activity, developing into a very proficient pilot.

On leaving the RAF in 1919, he returned to Canterbury as a GP and gained the use of Bekesbourne Aerodrome, previously an RAF airfield, and its large hangar. He quickly obtained an Airco DH.6 biplane, which was registered to him on 2 December 1919. This made him the very first private aircraft owner in Britain after WWI. He gained his Royal Aero Club (RAeC) certificate (No 7883) on 27 July 1920.

This was followed by a Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a, which was damaged beyond repair in a taxiing accident within a year, to be replaced by another. Whitehead Reid told the story of their acquisition as follows. After WWI, many SE5as were surplus to the RAF's requirements and were sold off straight from the factory for spares or scrapping, because official policy barred their sale as functioning aircraft. A worker at a factory anonymously bid for five at auction, obtaining them all for £5. Instead of destroying them, he dismantled them carefully, assembling the parts in what appeared to be a scrapheap, which he then removed. The worker, possibly named G Wigglesworth, then reassembled them to full flying condition and sold them for £30 each, with two going to Whitehead Reid, and two going to a skywriting company, possibly Savage Skywriting.

Air racing He took part in some of the earliest post-war aerial events, particularly at the nearby Lympne Airport which was the centre of light aircraft activity in Britain at the time. He attended some events anonymously, as his wife Mary was unhappy about him taking part in air racing. Events in which he participated include:

17 April 1922 Second Croydon Aviation Race Meeting at London Terminal Aerodrome, Croydon. The doctor entered the Club Handicap race and 2nd Croydon Handicap race in G-EAPW. 23 June 1923 Grosvenor Challenge Cup starting and finishing at Lympne. An out-and-back touring race via Croydon, Birmingham, Bristol, and Croydon again. Whitehead Reid, in G-EBCA, retired at Birmingham deciding that his machine was just too slow, and returned directly to Lympne via Croydon. 3 August 1925 RAeC August Meeting at Lympne. Whitehead Reid came 2nd in a field of nine in the Private Owners' Handicap (International) race in G-EBCA. 18 September 1926 Lympne Light Aeroplane Trials: Whitehead Reid entered the Lympne Open Handicap (a 50-mile race) in SE5a G-EBCA but was not placed. 26 May 1929 Desprez Challenge Cup at Filton Aerodrome, Bristol. Whitehead Reid came 2nd in Widgeon II G-EBJT.

List of aircraft G-EAPW Airco DH.6 ex C6503. Registered to Whitehead Reid on 2 December 1919. Some registers report the registration was not taken up, possibly because a Certificate of Airworthiness was not required at the time. Fate unknown. G-EAFH Avro 504K cn ATC14 ex K-147. Converted by Avro at Hamble to an Avro 548 'Tourist' - a three-seater with a large double cockpit behind the pilot and powered by a Renault 80 hp engine. It was delivered to Whitehead Reid on 31 March 1922. He paid £12 10s (£12.50) for it and converted it to a two-seater with the passenger ahead of the pilot. The doctor sold it in 1928, and it crashed in Southport on 31 May 1935. Built by Air Navigation and Engineering Company (ANEC), Addlestone, Surrey and powered by an RAF 1a engine of . It was damaged beyond repair in a taxiing accident at Bekesbourne in the summer of 1923. it was delivered to Whitehead Reid from the Westland factory at Yeovil by their pilot, Harald Penrose on 5 January 1928. which had been formed on 14 October 1925. This was known as "The Millionaires' Squadron" because at one time there were reported to be six millionaire members. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 12 January 1928, then Flight Lieutenant on 20 November 1928.

Gliding In the late 1920s Whitehead Reid took an interest in gliding. The Kent Gliding Club was founded on 4 January 1930 and the doctor was a member. Some of the club's activities took place at Bekesbourne aerodrome, and in the same year the doctor became the club's president.

He was also involved with the British Gliding Association (BGA), which was formed on 27 March 1930. With several senior members, including Sir Sefton Brancker, Col. the Master of Sempill, Sir Gilbert Walker, Mr Eric Gordon England and Capt. C.H. Latimer-Needham, he visited the Rhön gliding competition at Wasserkuppe, Germany. This was a hotbed of German aeronautical design and development at the time. Whitehead Reid arrived in his Widgeon on 20 August 1930, leaving for Frankfurt the next day,

The doctor gained his 'A' certificate at the BGA Gliding Meeting at Ditchling Beacon, Sussex, held on 18–19 October 1930. which was attended by 3,000 people. One of the floral tributes was from Amy Johnson. Miss Burnside's funeral was at Harbledown, near Canterbury, on the same day. Whitehead Reid's sister Kathleen, now Mrs Reginald H Lucas, attended.

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