I like to think the piece did Ian justice and that he would have approved. I reckon that he would have bought numerous copies of the newspapers and shown them everywhere.
In the times we are living in we need more people like Ian.
On Thursday 14th May 1914, in glorious weather, the residents of Hethersett were treated to a thrilling air display by two of Britain’s most celebrated aviation pioneers, Bentfield Charles Hucks and Marcus Dyce Manton. Benny Hucks, as he was better known, flew his 80 HP Bleriot monoplane in a series of spectacular manoeuvres in the skies above the race goers at Hethersett racecourse. He performed his usual steeple-chasing and vertical banks, and afterwards he gave four passenger flights. After tea he carried out many of his trademark loop the loops and flew upside down.
Hucks was joined in the show by his young protégé, 19 year old Marcus Manton who was known as “The Wonderful Boy Aviator”. At 7 p.m. the new looping machine was brought out, and Manton was strapped in. He rose to 3000ft. before doing an amazing “S” dive followed by a loop. He landed after completing several more loops. The pair performed the same programme on Friday and Saturday giving a combined demonstration of trick flying which was met with huge enthusiasm from the crowd. They also had a cross-country race to Trowse Viaduct which Manton won by a few yards.
In August 1914 B C Hucks joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and was quickly posted to the Western Front. He flew a number of raids over enemy lines but he was soon struck by an attack of pleurisy which made him unfit for aerial fighting. He was sent home where he became a test pilot for an aircraft manufacturer at Hendon in North West London. Sadly, on the 7th November 1918, just 4 days before the end of the Great War, he died of double pneumonia aged 34.
During the First World War Marcus Manton continued working as a test pilot and flying instructor. On 11 December 1915 he married Mrs. Ruby Marguerite Paramor née Goodwin. After the war Manton worked with a number of commercial companies including English Electric Company. He subsequently became their chief inspector at Lytham. During the Second World War he was a service liaison officer with Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company and post-war he worked with Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Company. Marcus Dyce Manton died on 15th April 1968 aged 75.