Henry Deakin Liley

[chrisharley9]

A very brief death notice from the Times of 15th July 1915

Does any have any more details particularly if he was member of the Armed Forces

Chris

[Hambo]

Chris

Had a look in Ancestry and no MIC or Aero Club certificate but he could very well have been training and not passed. There is a Henry D Liley on the 1901 census who fits the bill. Born about 1889 at Hyde Park in London (could be the old St George's hospital) and in 1901 he was at boarding school at Highbury House School 30 Church Road in Hastings. At that age he'd have been at prep school so probably went on to a public school.......after that the trail goes cold but the 1911 census might show where he was but I don't have access to that one

Regards John

[Dolphin]

Chris

Here's an extract from Flight magazine of 16 July 1915.

I hope that it's useful.

Gareth

[Adrian Roberts]

Gooden is mentioned in Frank Courtney's autobiography "The Eighth Sea".

Courtney mentions Frank Goodden three times:

- as a room-mate while an apprentice at Hendon in 1913-14 "destined to lose his life test-flying" - so probably the same man if he was later testing machines for the Royal Aircraft Factory.

- "looping at night with small lights around the wings of his Caudron bi-plane"

- in a parachute demonstration, a "man named Newall" was in a seat rigged on the undercarriage of the Grahame-White "Air-Bus", with the parachute in his lap, and only jumped when Goodden, on the lower wing, pushed him with his foot!"

CWGC gives the death of Major Frank Widenham Goodden, RFC Special Reserve, as 28/1/17, buried at Aldershot Military Cemetary. The attachment below is the account from "Flight". I'm not sure if it will be legible, but basically it says that he was one of the most highly respected pilots in the RFC, who had frequently given evidence at inquests, and had "met his own end" when the wings of a new machine folded up. It doesn't say what machine this was; as this was a contemporary account this would presumably have been information of use to the enemy.

[Dolphin]

It doesn't say what machine this was; as this was a contemporary account this would presumably have been information of use to the enemy.

Major Frank Widdenham Goodden was flying SE 5 A4562 (the second prototype, modified to production standard) when when the port wings folded up at 1500 feet and the aeroplane crashed at Farnborough on 28 January 1917. It was determined that, due to a design problem, the inter-wing struts were not anchored in a way to enable them to withstand the torsion of flight. The SE 5 [and SE 5a] was changed.

Gareth

[chrisharley9]

Thanks to everyone who responded - obviously a civilian, but I never leave a stone unturned when it comes to non commemorated - best to check all possibilites than to leave someone out in the cold

Chris

[Adrian Roberts]

Major Frank Widdenham Goodden was flying SE 5 A4562 (the second prototype, modified to production standard) when when the port wings folded up at 1500 feet and the aeroplane crashed at Farnborough on 28 January 1917. It was determined that, due to a design problem, the inter-wing struts were not anchored in a way to enable them to withstand the torsion of flight. The SE 5 [and SE 5a] was changed.

I guess this is an example of the sacrifices that test pilots are often called to make. The SE5/5a proved to be a sound design that thousands of men owed their lives to; once the fault that claimed Goodden's life had been rectified. With the aircraft dropping like a stone from 1500 feet, a parachute would have been very little help.

[sorry to hijack your thread, Chris]