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Remembered Today:

Lt Sidney Woodrow


Perth Digger

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In Flight Magazine for 28 September 1916, p. 835 (on-line), there is an account of a coroner's inquest on the above named pilot. "Lt Sidney Woodrow was killed near Birmingham on September 23rd. A police constable who saw the accident said the machine seemed to nose-dive from the clouds. The Coroner expressed the opinion that the deceased was seized with a fainting fit which caused him to lose consciousness. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was recorded."

I can find no mention of a Sidney Woodrow in SDGW, the NA catalogue or in CWGC. Did the magazine get the name wrong? This should be a war casualty, I'd have thought.

Thanks

Mike

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Mike

According to Airmen Died in the Great War 1914-1918, Woodrow, an Australian, was with No 54 Squadron and was killed while flying 1½ Strutter 7772. His biographical entry says he was from Buangor, Victoria and was 30 years of age. He was buried at Curdworth, Warwickshire.

Graeme

Incidentally, he is one of only two air service "Woodrows" listed on the CWGC website.

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Hi Mike,

In the December,1915 Army List there is only one officer with the surname Woodrow and initials S.M., so could possibly be your man? He is listed under RH&RFA as 2/Lt and a commission date of 24/9/15. So he could have transferred to the RFC?

Upon checking further the above was a 'red herring', your man is:

Lieut Sidney Woodrow, Australian Flying Corps who: "--ascended in a biplane on September 23rd, and was lost to view above a bank of clouds. Shortly afterwards the machine re-appeared , making a nose spin earthwards, and it crashed to the ground. Lieut. Woodrow was killed instantaneously. It is estimated that he fell from a height of about 8000 ft. He was 35 years of age, came from Sydney, and started flying in July. He was quite competent."

Robert

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Hi Graeme and Robert

Many thanks for your answers. I'd clicked on British Forces in the CWGC, hence I did not get the Australians. Another lesson learned.

Mike

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Lt Woodrow was serving at Castle Bromwich aerodrome outside Birmingham when he crashed outside of Curdworth, Court of inquiry established the plane had just had an engine change but his flight commander had taken it up immediately beforehand to test it with no problems. Perhaps he did faint or just became disorientated and flew straight out of cloud downwards.No mechanical fault was found. He is buried at Curdworth church and inside is a memorial cross to him made from an original 4 blade wooden propeller.

There is more about him in my article about those lost flying from Castle Bromwich in the latest issue of the WFA magazine Stand-To, if you can get a copy. Also look on Tom Morgans Hellfire Corner website where there is an earlier version of the article.

Photo of him from the Australian war Memorial regards SG

post-4532-0-41254600-1382555290_thumb.jp

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Christopher (SG)

I've just got the issue, but have not had time to read it. And there he is!

Many thanks.

Mike

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Ok Mike would post a further pic of the memorial cross but its too large a file. Pic of it in both articles.

Regards Chris -SG

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I've noticed other coroner's reports of the time that conclude that a pilot "had a fainting fit", or the controls broke. I doubt that they, or even many aviators, had any idea just how easy it is to become disoriented in cloud and enter a spin, especially with the minimal instrumentation that they had at the time; or how a moment's inattention or handling error can lead to a spin or stall even in clear air. I imagine this happened to Woodrow, and to many others, including the ace Albert Ball (so the most like scenario suggests.

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There is an AIR76 for a S Woodrow in AIR76/560/65, I cannot find a WO339/374 for this man.

John-g

????? In plain English for the non-cognoscenti.... what is the significance of this? Cheers SG

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There is a personal file for Woodrow in NA PRO file AIR 76, at AIR 76/560/65 (it can be downloaded on-line).

There is no Army personal file for Woodrow (these are in either the WO 339 series or the WO 374 series (the latter is for Territorials).

That is my reading.

Mike

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