Father: Edward Bluett Winch, a "Managing Director Brewery Co" (d. 1920), Mother: Ruth Isabel [Legh]
"By 1876 the establishment was owned by Biggleswade brewers Wells and Company. In 1898 the brewery was purchased by Kent business man George Winch for his son Edward Bluett Winch and the name of the company changed to Wells and Winch Limited." - https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/
Ed. Charterhouse; Trinity College, Cambridge
RAF 7 Sep 1921 - Sep 1925. F/O from 5 Jun 1923 Whilst in the RAF, he had a car accident; at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning in October 1922, his Morgan cycle-car hit a lamp standard. "It appears that Mr. Winch was driving towards Biggleswade ’’hugging” the near side of the road, when his near wing fouled the lamp post and swung the machine round. The standard was smashed Into four pieces as the result of the impact, the head being hurled ten yards away. The motor car was also considerably damaged, the axle and wind screen receiving the worst injury. Mr. Winch, fortunately, was not seriously hurt though the cuts, on his forehead and face, caused by the splintered glass, necessitated immediate attention by Dr. R. D. Brldger." - Biggleswade Chronicle - Friday 3 November 1922 Next, he was fined £2 for "causing an obstruction to traffic by leaving his motor-car in Osborne Road. Southsea. The defendant did not appear in Court." - Portsmouth Evening News - Friday 12 October 1923 Appointed as a Member of the Royal Aero Club, July 1923 Soon after, he was fined £3 "for using an unlicensed motor car at Grantham on the 7th November, and not illuminating the rear index plate. In defendant's absence, Mr. T Norton pleaded guilty on his behalf." - Stamford Mercury - Friday 8 February 1924
m. 22 Dec 1924 in Medway, Kent, Rosemary Mary [Stockley]
Christopher, Rosemary and 1-year old son Michael emigrated to Australia 9 Jul 1927. He is recorded in 1928 as being a school teacher in Echuca, Waranga.. A daughter was born there, and they returned in Apr 1930.
He acquired G-AADU, a 1929 Airco DH.9, from Surrey Flying Services.
Things went seriously downhill from then on, however: - 1933 "FORMER AIRMAN LEAVES WIFE STRANDED. PAWNED WEDDING RING TO MAINTAIN CHILDREN. An unusual story of desertion was told by Mrs. Winch, of Perry Street, Wendover, who was granted a Maintenance Order of £2 a week and 7s. in respect of each of her three children against her husband, Christopher Edward Bluett Winch, whose address was given as the De Havilland School of Flying, Hatfield, Herts. Mrs. Winch told the Magistrates that early in June her husband left her stranded with the three children aged seven, five and one year, respectively. She had not been able to pay the rent of their furnished house for 14 weeks, and now, having had a week's notice, she had nowhere to go. She had been forced to get into little debt for food and necessities, and had pawned her wedding ring. Questioned about her husband's financial position, she said he had his own 'plane and was doing reserve training. while for some time he had been doing joy riding and taxi work. During training he received 30s. per day including expenses. Winch, who did not attend Court, wrote a letter to the Magistrates in which he said he was not earning anything and that he had been allowing his wife £2 a week. Mrs. Winch : No, he has been allowing me nothing at all. In September he got his retaining fee from the R.A.F. of £30 and he sent me nothing then. He has never even written to me. When I last saw him I found from his cash-book he had been cashing about £5 or £6 per week for himself apart from what he was earning. The Bench made the Order as stated." - Bucks Advertiser & Aylesbury News - Friday 20 October 1933
"UNLICENSED AIRMAN. For plying for hire as an airman without being duly licensed, Christopher Edward Mewett Winch, who gave his address as the Key Club, Camber, was fined £1 and 5s. costs. " - Sussex Agricultural Express Nov 1933
- 1934 "AIRMAN FINED Unlicensed Car at Rye. Christopher Edward M. Winch, a civil air pilot, was lined 10s. at Rye Borough Bench on Monday for driving a motor car in Rye on January 8th without having an Excise licence in force." - Sussex Agricultural Express
"SENT TO PRISON Christopher Edward Bluett Winch (32), salesman. 31, Commercial Road, Portsmouth, was brought up in custody and charged with arrears of maintenance of wife amounting to £15 5s., and there was a second claim for £12., under an order made at Aylesbury on October 14th, 1933. Mr. F. Leeson (Collecting Officer) stated that the total amount due was something like £130. Winch said had been out of work and unable to pay. He was quite willing to pay. Mrs. Winch said she had been receiving help from the Public Assistance Committee, and she had let part of her house. Inspector R. Read told the Bench they had had very great difficulty in finding Winch. He had been on the run, as he might put it, for about 12 months. Winch: I will do all can to pay it back if I get a position. Mr. Leeson said the last payment was 30s. in January. The Chairman told Winch he did not seem to make any offer to ease the position in any way. Winch : I have got an aeroplane I could sell. Defendant was sent to prison for 26 days in each case, the sentences to run concurrently. " - Bucks Herald - Friday 12 October 1934
"AIRMAN FINED £75 - FLEW IN ' UNAIRWORTHY ' MACHINE Christopher Edward Bluett Winch, of Biggleswade ßedfordshire, was fined at Wingham Petty Sessions, Dover, a total of £75 with 9s. 9d. costs, on three summonses for flying an aeroplane without a certificate of air worthiness: for flying without a licence, and for flying without a log book. Inspector A. R Woods, of the Aeronautical Department, said that September 22 last year he went to the Camber (Sussex) aerodrome and inspected Winch's aeroplane, which he condemned as being " unairworthy ". It was required that a Journey log book and certificate of airworthiness must always carried on an aeroplane, but these were not on Winch's machine as they had been in his (the Inspector's) office since September 25 last year." - Daily Herald - Friday 19 October 1934 "Winch, who did not appear, wrote to the court pleading guilty to the three summonses. He asked for a postponement of the case or for it to be dealt with in his absence, since he was serving a sentence of twenty six days imprisonment at Oxford for debt. The magistrates fined Winch £50 on the first summons, or three months imprisonment, £15 on the second summons, or one month, and £10 on the third, or one month, the imprisonment to run concurrently. Winch was allowed one month in which to pay" - Huddersfield Daily Examiner - Thursday 18 October 1934
Things carried on in this rather depressing way until 1937: "WIFE'S ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLECT EX-FLYING OFFICER AS RESPONDENT WAREHAM POLICE-COURT DECISION Stated by Mr. Harry Kirk, representing the wife, to have been educated Charterhouse and Cambridge, and formerly a flying officer, Christopher Edward Bluett Winch, whose address was given as Eastbourne, did not answer a summons at Wareham Petty Sessions by his wife, Rosemary, alleging wilful neglect to maintain her and two of her three children. She asked for a maintenance order. Mr. Kirk submitted that on the facts stated in a letter which defendant had written there could be no objection to the Bench dealing with the case in his absence. Mrs. Rosemary Winch, at present living in Mill-lane, Wareham, stated that she was married to defendant on December 22nd, 1924, and she had lived with him at various addresses until about eight weeks ago. Three times in six years she had had trouble with her husband, and there had been an order previously for maintenance. She said she was afraid she did not know what her husband was doing. He had a small private allowance from his mother, and he had been assisted liberally by his relatives in the past. He left her eight weeks ago. He had given her no money whatever since the beginning of June to support her and the children, and she had lived through the generosity of friends and her mother-in-law. She said she had been told respondent was living with some person in Eastbourne. Mr. Kirk said defendant was a man of education and a member of a family in good circumstances. He had left complainant and her children destitute on several occasions, and the only alternative to public and private charity was to apply for a maintenance order. The Bench made a maximum maintenance order whereby defendant was required to pay £2 weekly to his wife and 10s weekly in respect to each of the two younger children, and allowed £1 Is towards the advocate's fee. " - Western Gazette - Friday 30 July 1937 G-AADU was sold to Aerial Sites Ltd in April 1937.
In September 1938, he owed £89 10s in maintenance to Rosemary; "he is evidently keeping another woman, and my children should be having the money", she said. By December, he was up before Wokingham Borough Bench for being £1 in arrears with the maintenance. He said he was unable to pay this week, but "hopes to do so next week".
Address in 1941: 15 Highfield Rd, Tolworth, Surrey He gave his next of kin as his "wife: Christine" "slight scar on right cheek" Postings: 4FPP, 3FPP, BOAC (seconded)
3 accidents, 1 his fault: - 28 Oct 1941, he stalled his Benheim T2335 after failing to overcome a down current on approach - 31 Dec 1941, a lorry collided with his Spitfire AB256 whilst taxying - 5 Jan 1942, a forced wheels-up landing in Bisley AZ992 after the selector lever stuck
"Good pilot and should do well" ... "This officer has been keeping very late nights and drinking to excess when off duty. I have cautioned him severely about this" - MWS Boucher, 9 Apr 1942
Contract Terminated - "Disciplinary Reasons"
d. 1972 - Epping, Essex Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
c.1919 (Ancestry)
The Queen's Head Public House: Sandy Lane, Northill, Beds, one of many owned by Wells & Co.
at Trinity College (Ancestry)
