LOOKING BACK WITH DR JONATHAN OATES
Acton’s
o
u
t
u
e
s Edwardian
p
m
i
stuntman
George Lee Temple was
the first person in Britain
to fly upside down. He
was a daredevil in the early
days of aviation and his
dangerous shows attracted
big crowds.
H
e was born in Acton in
1892, the son of George
Temple, a Royal Navy
officer, at 9 Cumberland
Park. The young George seemed initially
destined for a life in the motor industry
in Coventry, where he was a trainee
in 1911. He was also a motorbike
enthusiast with a reputation for daring
and having accidents. But he decided
on another career in the fledgling
aviation business.
In the following year he began
learning to fly a Caudron bi-plane. In
February 1913 he received his Aero
56
around ealing
Autumn 2015
A crashed Caudron G2,
the plane Temple flew
Club certificate. He established a flying
school at Hendon, but relinquished it by
the summer. He was more interested in
establishing himself as an aviator and a
daredevil performer. He was the first in
the country to fly upside down. He also
made almost vertical dives to the ground
and only just levelled the machine
within a few yards of the ground. These
performances attracted large crowds.