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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

2nd Lt William Reginald Sanborn


chrisharley9

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Name: SANBORN, WILLIAM REGINALD

Initials: W R

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment/Service: Royal Flying Corps

Secondary Regiment: Canadian Army Medical Corps

Secondary Unit Text: formerly (Pte. 522953) 3rd Canadian Field Amb.

Age: 22

Date of Death: 07/02/1918

Additional information: Son of William Henry and Alice Maud Sanborn, of 379 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: BROOKWOOD (UNITED KINGDOM 1914-1918) MEMORIAL

Could anyone please help me with the circumstances of his death please

Chris

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Chris

2Lt W R Sanborn, RFC Central Flying School, was killed in an accident while flying Avro 504A A1986 on 7 February 1918.

I hope that this is useful.

Gareth

Edited by Dolphin
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Gareth

thanks very much - got any idea where the accident happened

Chris

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Chris,

Apparently his engine blew up when he was flying low and he got out of control. I don't know where the accident happened, however.

Regards,

Trevor

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Trevor

Cheers

Chris

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Just checked the DC ref & it shows Lymington

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Teddie

Cheers

Chris

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  • 8 years later...
  • 5 months later...

2017: Nick Saunders had a friend (possibly Derek Jones) researching the death of a WW1 pilot in Bashley (Lymington parish, Hampshire, England, UK) in 1918. 

What he found was as follows:

On 7th of February 1918 a Royal Flying Corps pilot, William Reginald Sanborn was killed when his aeroplane crashed in a field at Bashley.
(Photo of Sanborn appeared in the Illustrated London News 16 March 1918. LIEUT. W. R. SANBORN, R.F.C.  Killed in a flying accident.

Nick had the following information about Sanborn and the incident.

 

He was a Canadian national. The 1901 and 1911 census shows him living at 302 Queens Avenue, Ontario. On his WW1 enlistment papers his address is given as 379 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario. His date of birth is given on this form as 17th Feb 1895. He initially joined the Canadian infantry in the Army Medical Corps. In 1917 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.  At the time of his death in February 1918 he was attached to the central flying school in Upavon Wiltshire.

 

The Hampshire Advertiser published on the 16th of February 1918 reports that his aircraft was seen circling a field in Bashley following an explosion on the plane which caused it to nose dive into the ground. A doctor attended the scene but pronounced life extinct owing to a fractured skull.  The Lymington Chronicle published on 14th of February 1918 gives the location as a field 200 yards from a road in Bashley. An inquest was held at the Milton Hotel. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. The injuries were listed as a fractured skull and two broken legs.

 

He is listed on the Brookwood Memorial, Woking, Surrey.

 

Further information available on the internet: (some from the top of this forum post)

Born 17 Feb 1895

Died 7 Feb 1918 age 22 Bashley, Hampshire, England
Son of William Henry and Alice Maud, 379 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario.
Canadian Pacific Railway Co paid for return of body for burial in family plot.
Buried or memorial at Cimetière De London (Mount Pleasant) Ontario, Canada
Central Flying School, 2nd Lieutenant, Service #: 522953, Killed whilst flying, Avro 504A A1986

 

7 Feb 2018 New Milton Police Officer Derek Jones drove 100miles to Brookwood Memorial on the 100th anniversary of death.
along with CBC radio interview. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/william-sanborn-london-soldier-wwi-1.4524517

Jones learned the WWI soldier enlisted in the Canadian infantry in 1915 at the age of 20.

After spending time in the trenches in France, Sanborn transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an officer cadet.

He was promoted to lieutenant and then was appointed as flying officer less than a month before his death.

 

Edited by Guest
imrpove clarity of post
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