Wing Commander Theodore Stanhope Sprigg (12 May 1903 - 8 June 1977)[1] was a British magazine editor.[2][3] His father, Stanhope W. Sprigg, had been the first editor of The Windsor Magazine.[4] Sprigg and his brother started a publishing company, Airways Publications, in 1924, and published Airways, a magazine about air travel. Over the next few years they added other titles, including Aircraft Engineering, Flying, and Who's Who in British Aviation. He earned a pilot's license in 1931.[2]
Theodore Stanhope Sprigg | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 5, 1903 |
| Died | June 8, 1977 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Years active | 1924 |
| Known for | Founding of the magazine publishing house Airways Publications |
| Spouse |
Vida M.H. Devant (m. 1929) |
| Parents |
|
| Family | Christopher St John Sprigg (brother) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom  |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Unit | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
| Wars | World War II |
In 1934 he proposed to publisher Newnes four fiction titles: Air Stories, Fantasy, War Stories, and Western Adventures.[2] The first to appear was Air Stories, in May 1935;[2] War Stories was begun in October 1935, but only lasted five issues.[5] It was replaced by Western Adventures in February 1936, which also failed after only five issues.[6] Fantasy was delayed for several years, perhaps because Scoops, the first attempt at a British science fiction magazine, had proved to be a failure in 1934. It was finally launched in 1938, and produced three issues over the next year.[7] Air Stories was the most successful of the four, lasting five years on a regular monthly schedule.[2] However, Sprigg was in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve,[2] and when World War II began he was called up and both Air Stories and Fantasy ceased publication.[2]
Sprigg left the RAFVR in 1954 with rank of wing commander.[8]
Works
edit- Marvels Of The Air 1936 Newnes
- Civil Aviation As A Career1939, Newnes
- Bombers of the RAF
- The Royal Air Force 1941, Collins
- Battleships with Wings 1942 Collins - covering RAF Coastal Command
- Wings of the Army 1945 . Collins
- War Story Of The Fighter Command
- The Aeroplane Directory of British Aviation (1966) Temple Press. with W.L. Marsh, C.P. Bracken, W.C.M. Whittle
References
edit- ^ a b "Theodore Stanhope Sprigg". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ashley (2006), pp. 42-44.
- ^ Ashley (2006), p. 283.
- ^ Ashley (2006), p. 230.
- ^ Ashley (2006), pp. 218-219.
- ^ Ashley (2006), p. 221.
- ^ Ashley (2006), pp. 79-80.
- ^ "No. 40271". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 September 1954. p. 5138.
Sources
edit- Ashley, Mike (2006). The Age of the Storytellers. London: British Library & Oak Knoll Press. ISBN 0-7123-0698-6.