| Administrative history | David Wilson Barker (1858-1941) was Captain of the HMS Worcester from the late 19th century until his retirement in 1919, the Worcester was a nautical training station during the First World War. Though responsible for the running of the station he had few regular teaching duties which enabled him to pursue his scientific interests, primarily meteorology and the atmospheric conditions at sea. The series of 'kite experiments' described here seem to relate to this interest, indicating a harnessing of weather conditions to fly kites from lifeboats |