Christopher Herbert Rumsby was born in Fressingfield near Diss, Norfolk, on 21st December 1901.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1919, and during his first five years of service he visited the Black Sea and Istanbul, taking courses on gunnery, ordnance and photography.
After the war, whilst in Suffolk, he went to work at Pulham in Norfolk on the R.33 airship.
In 1928 he was employed by the Airship Guarantee Company in Howden, Yorkshire as a rigger, and worked on the construction of the R.100, before moving down to Cardington and living at 24, Greycote, Shortstown.
Chris Rumsby was part of the outward-bound crew of the R.100’s flight to Montreal, Canada, in July 1930. He was part of the crew which was returned to the UK by steamship.
Following the dismantling of the R.100 in Cardington, Chris Rumsby was transferred to No.3 RAF Maintenance Unit in Milton in 1933. He worked as a tentage and fabric worker, and he stayed there until its closure when he went to AERE Harwell.
It was at RAF Milton that he met his future wife, Lily.
