Another RAF fatality

[christine liava'a]

Could anyone help with an explanation of this air accident

Second Lieutenant Herbert Stanley MORRIS

Fiji Civil Service,private Secretary to Sir B Sweet-Escott

Aged 28, Wife and 2 children

Qualified as pilot

Wanted to fly back to Fiji

Killed in air accident

Thursday 14 August 1919.

buried KENSAL GREEN (ST. MARY'S) ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY,

and also any comments on the wanting to fly back to Australia/Fiji. Apparently lots of Australian pilots wanted to fly home, but were not allowed. Why not?

Cost, legal ownership of planes, lack of suitable airports all come to mind, but any definite reasons?

[Terry Denham]

Civil flying was banned by law in the UK until 1st May 1919.

This is the date that the new air registration laws came into effect. Effectively there were no (or very few) privately owned aircraft in the UK at that time - and none had flown since 1914.

Although large numbers of surplus aircraft came on the market immediately after the war, not many were in a fit state to fly around the world (or even the next field!). Also, ex-military pilots would still have to obtain a civil pilots licence.

Also, with much of Europe & the Middle East in chaos, the authorities would not have been too keen on having aviators dropping out of the sky all over the place. And technically the war was still on until the signing of the peace treaties. In theory fighting could have broken out again.

I'll try to trace the accident.

[Guest stevebec]

Chris,

If you can get hold of the Offical History of Australia in the Great War Volume VIII The Australia Flying Corps by FM Cutback.

It has a Chapter on those airman who came home/or attempt to by air.

This included Capt Matthews and Sgt Kay 21 Oct 1919,

Then Capt Ross-Smith, Lt Smith and Sgt Bennett and Shiers 12 Nov 1919.

The Flights continued by other AIF airman on the 13 Nov , 21 Nov, 4 Dec, 8 Dec and 8 Jan 1920.

There were a number of other AIF airman along with French pilot and I think a RAF pilot who gave it a go during this time of high advanture.

Most of these attempts failed.

S.B