McCudden Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 2nd Lt William Boyle Power is listed on my local war memorial in Worcestershire and I have discovered he was "accidentally killed while testing a machine" on July 17 1916 at Farnborough. Does anyone have any details of the accident, in particular the aeroplane he was in at the time? Also, if you have information of the unit he was in (General List and RFC is all I've been able to find) and the tesing they were doing at Farnborough I should be most grateful. Many thanks Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Alec 2Lt W B Power from Farnborough Air Station was killed in an accident while flying FE8 7598. I hope this is useful. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 2nd Lt William Boyle Power is listed on my local war memorial in Worcestershire and I have discovered he was "accidentally killed while testing a machine" on July 17 1916 at Farnborough. Does anyone have any details of the accident, in particular the aeroplane he was in at the time? Also, if you have information of the unit he was in (General List and RFC is all I've been able to find) and the tesing they were doing at Farnborough I should be most grateful. Many thanks Alec Can't answer those questions but according to Airmen Died he was aged 29 and is buried in Aldershot (Military) Cemetery. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 A couple of pictures of Lt. Boyle's grave at Aldershot: The inscription, which isn't that clear, reads: IN LOVING MEMORY OFLIEUTENANTWILLIAM BOYLE POWERROYAL FLYING CORPSWHO WAS KILLED WHILST FLYINGAT FARNBOROUGH JULY 17TH 1916AGED 29 YEARS R. I. P. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Alec 2Lt W B Power from Farnborough Air Station was killed in an accident while flying FE8 7598. I hope this is useful. Gareth 7598 being part of a batch 7595 - 7644 ordered from Vickers in Feb 1916 There had been a number of spinning accidents with the early FE8s the cause and solution not fully understood until August 1916. Possibly the accident was one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasta72s Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Flight, 20 July 1916, p 603: A FATAL accident occurred at Farnborough on Monday evening. A machine piloted by Sec. Lieut. W. B. Power, R.F.C, was seen to side-slip, and nose-dive to the ground, the pilot being instantly killled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 The Times of 19th July has this: Airman killed at Farnborough While flying over the Military Aerodrome, Farnborough, on Monday evening, Second Lieutenant W.B. Power, Royal Flying Corps, lost control of his machine which crashed to the ground, and he was killed. He had recently been promoted to a commission from warrant rank. &Flight reported this (Click): Fatal Accidents A FATAL accident occured at Farnborough on Monday evening. A machine piloted by sec. Lieut. W.B. Power, R.F.C., was seen to side-slip, and nose-dive to the ground, the pilot being instantly killed. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgun1918 Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Alec The information I have is that he received his ticket (number 838) on 1 July 1914 and was killed while flying FE8 7598. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 2nd Lt William Boyle Power is listed on my local war memorial in Worcestershire and I have discovered he was "accidentally killed while testing a machine" on July 17 1916 at Farnborough. Does anyone have any details of the accident, in particular the aeroplane he was in at the time? Also, if you have information of the unit he was in (General List and RFC is all I've been able to find) and the tesing they were doing at Farnborough I should be most grateful. Many thanks Alec Alec, There is a photo of him on Ancestry under the Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificates section. Also a casualty card--but this adds no further info to that which you already have regarding the accident. Hope this helps, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCudden Posted 17 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Thank you all for your prompt and incredibly knowledgable help. Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 17 July , 2011 Share Posted 17 July , 2011 According to the book 'A Contemptable Little Flying Corps' by McInnes & Webb, we have the following; No. 207 William Boyle Power Born Plymouth 15 December 1888 Earned Royal Aero Club Aviator's certificate No 838 on 1 July 1914 as 1AM at Upavon(CFS) in a Maurice Farman. Served overseas in Egypt as Cpl from 19 November 1914 earning 1914/15 Star. Sgt Major Instructor January 1916 at Royal Aircraft Factory Promoted 2 Lieutenant 30 May 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCudden Posted 17 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2011 Many thanks Roy Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils d Posted 25 July , 2011 Share Posted 25 July , 2011 More significantly he taught McCudden to fly but lm guessing you knew that already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCudden Posted 25 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 July , 2011 As it happens, I didn't know that! Do we have someone famous on our war memorial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils d Posted 1 August , 2011 Share Posted 1 August , 2011 As it happens, I didn't know that! Do we have someone famous on our war memorial? You call yourself McCudden yet you dont know who taught your namesake to fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCudden Posted 1 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2011 Well he is a VERY distant relative... I've just read 'five years in the RFC' by JTBMc so I now know that Power taught him to fly in early 1916. Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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