melliget Posted 24 October , 2011 Share Posted 24 October , 2011 Hello. I came across the attached article in The Times, 13 May 1918. It refers to several air accidents that happened shortly before that date. Most of the men I can find on the CWGC site, except for two - a Cadet William Winslow WAIT, a 26 year old Canadian, who's plane nose-dived into Elstree Reservoir and was drowned, and a civilian observer in another accident in which a Lieut. LUTYENS also died (the latter is on CWGC). The civilian was DAVID HUME (or HUGH) PINSENT, B.A., Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, also 26 years old. I realise civilians are only commemorated in special circumstances but I thought I'd check anyway. The article doesn't mention which service WAIT was attached to, if any. Could he have have been a Cadet Officer with the RFC in Canada and then been posted to England? In the same issue of The Times, in the Died of Wounds section: PINSENT.- On the 8th May, killed while flying, DAVID HUME PINSENT, B.A., Royal Aircraft Establish- ment, Farnborough, only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. Hume C. Pinsent, of Foxcombe Hill, near Oxford, and Birmingham, aged 26. Ten days later there was this: The Times, Saturday, May 18, 1918 News in Brief After a week's search, the body of David Hugh Pinsent, the civilian observer who was killed with Lieutenant Lutyens while flying on an experimental test, has been found in the Basingstoke Canal. regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 25 October , 2011 Share Posted 25 October , 2011 Martin according to his RAF personnel card his name was William W Winston Wait & confirms that he died in an aircrash 9th May 1918. However no rank is listed & his NOK is shown as Mrs R Harrison (Aunt) of Halfmoon St London. Im going to have to have a word with Terry about this one & do some more looking up myself which will not be unable do until Fri as Iam on holiday at the moment & am not using my own PC Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 25 October , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 October , 2011 OK, thanks Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 29 October , 2011 Share Posted 29 October , 2011 Cadet Wait would not qualify for CWGC commemoration as he was a member of the US forces. Here is his entry from ABMC. He is buried at Brookwood. William W. Wait Private First Class, U.S. Army US Army Air Service Entered the Service from: New York Died: May 9, 1918 Buried at: Plot A Row 5 Grave 18 Brookwood American Cemetery Brookwood, England Thanks to 'Dolphin' for a pointer in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 29 October , 2011 Author Share Posted 29 October , 2011 Thanks for following up on this, Terry, and thanks to Dolphin. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aradgick Posted 1 November , 2011 Share Posted 1 November , 2011 Further information on David Pinsent: DAVID HUME PINSENT, BA, son of Hume C Pinsent, was killed while flying as an Observer from .... Farnborough in a DH4 no 7671 on 8th May 1918. The aircraftwas piloted by Lt. L F G Lutyens. They were carrying out pressuretests on the tailplane when it failed and the aircraft broke up in mid air andcrashed at Frimley, killing both on board. D H Pinsent's bodywas found on 14th May 1918 in the Basingstoke Canal. He attended Lambrook School, Winkfield Row, near Bracknell and is listed on the Roll of Honour in the school chapel. During World War I, Pinsent was deemed unsuitable foractive military service. He trained as a test pilot instead, and worked at the Royal AircraftEstablishment in Farnborough There is no information at the Farnborough Air Museum about him or the accident. His mother, Ellen Frances Pinsent, was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1938 for her work in mental health reform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 1 November , 2011 Share Posted 1 November , 2011 Cadet Wait would not qualify for CWGC commemoration as he was a member of the US forces. Here is his entry from ABMC. He is buried at Brookwood. William W. Wait Private First Class, U.S. Army US Army Air Service Entered the Service from: New York Died: May 9, 1918 Buried at: Plot A Row 5 Grave 18 Brookwood American Cemetery Brookwood, England Thanks to 'Dolphin' for a pointer in the right direction. Would this mean that any Canadian citizen serving with US forces would be ineligible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 1 November , 2011 Share Posted 1 November , 2011 Yes it would - as would not an Englishman serving in the French army. It is the nationality of the force that matters not the individual. Hence, many Poles, Czechs, Belgians etc are commemorated by CWGC because they served in a Commonwealth force. Their individual nationalities are of no relevance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aradgick Posted 1 November , 2011 Share Posted 1 November , 2011 Similarly, I have found Americans serving with the Canadian Forces who are listed on CWGC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 19 November , 2011 Share Posted 19 November , 2011 Wait's headstone at Brookwood - RIP NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 20 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2011 Thanks very much for that, Nigel. regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 20 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2011 Further information on David Pinsent: DAVID HUME PINSENT, BA, son of Hume C Pinsent, was killed while flying as an Observer.. Thanks for the info on David Pinsent, Andrew. I take it that, even though Pinsent died in what was presumably a war-related activity (I say this because otherwise Lieut. Lutyens would not have been involved), the Royal Aircraft Establishment was not one of the "Recognised Civilian Organisations" for which special commemoration eligibility rules applied? Are these organisations listed anywhere? regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 21 November , 2011 Share Posted 21 November , 2011 If it hasn't already been spotted Pinsent's younger brother, according to SDGW, was KIA in 1915 Name: PINSENT, RICHARD PARKER Initials: R P Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Unit Text: 10th Bn. Age: 22 Date of Death: 09/10/1915 Additional information: Son of Hume C. and Ellen F. Pinsent, of 8, Chelsea Court, Chelsea, London. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. A. 3. Cemetery: LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE (the 1901 census also gives a younger sister, Hester Agnes, born late 1899) NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 21 November , 2011 Share Posted 21 November , 2011 Martin RAE is not one of the recognised civilian organisations; best to PM Terry Denham who can give you list Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 21 November , 2011 Share Posted 21 November , 2011 Martin RAE is not one of the recognised civilian organisations; best to PM Terry Denham who can give you list Chris RAE was formerly the RAF - Royal Aircraft Factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melliget Posted 21 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2011 Martin RAE is not one of the recognised civilian organisations; best to PM Terry Denham who can give you list Chris Thanks Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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