Lt Charles Robert Chapman

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

12 June 1918; 2 Lt William Stanley Pullen, 206 TDS, RAF (Eastbourne), aged 18, whoes parents lived at Aston Manor, Birmingham, was killed whilst practising his third landing of the evening. His aircraft, an Avro 504A (D1606), had been built at EAC. When turning to come down, he involuntarily stalled his engine causing the aircraft to dive into the ground near to the Aylesbury Dairy, Langney, from a height of about 250 ft. The pilot was unconscious when Charles Colbran, employed at the dairy, reached the crash site and he died some forty minutes later. The accident was found to be due to the pilot`s error of judgement and a verdict of death from misadventure was recorded. Pullen was taken to Upton-cum-Chalvey (Slough) for burial.

Eastbourne Gazette 19 June 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

17 July 1918; Lt Edward Moulton Parsons, RAF, of Bristol, who had been at the aerodrome for only two days, but who had previous flying experience, took a Camel (F1411) up for a practice flight on Wednesday evening. The aircraft was seen to be coming down from about 3000 ft in a spinning nose-dive but the pilot appeared to lose control for the last 400 ft and crashed. He was assumed to be dead by the time that help arrived. The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death due to an unknown cause. Parsons was buried at Bristol (Canford) Cemetery. The deceased`s elder brother had been awarded a posthumous VC in November 1917.

Eastbourne Gazette 24 July 1918.

More to come!

Tim.

[chrisharley9]

Tim

thanks very much

Chris

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

21 Aug 1918; Lt Charles Albert Manzetti, RAF, a married man aged 25, of Clapham Park, London, took off from the airfield in a Sopwith Camel (B6446), painted a bright red, and circled two or three times before flying off towards the country. Minutes later the machine was seen by another pilot to be spinning down in the distance when it disappeared behind some trees. It crashed in a field nesr Fords Lane, Hankham, and Lt Manzetti`s body was later found in the wreckage. A military court of enquiry had satisfied itself that everything connected with the machine was in order and there was no accounting for the accident. The inquest jury brought in a verdict of accidental death. Lt Manzetti was buried in Ocklynge Cemetery.

Eastbourne Gazette 28 Aug 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

22 Aug 1918; Flight Cadet Robert Kirkwood Galloway, RAF, aged 23, took off from the airfield in an EAC-built Avro 504K (D1624) and was seen to circle it at no great speed or height. In trying to turn, the pilot evidently misjudged his speed and began to spin into the ground. Afterthe accident the controls were examined and found to be in good order. The jury retuened a verdict of accidental death.

Eastbourne Gazette 28 Aug 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

29 Aug 1918; The first inquest to be held in Eastbourne without a jury heard the circumstances surrounding the death of Flight Cadet Philip George Dalton Winchester, 63 Training Sqn, RAF, a married man aged 24, of 4 Winchelsea Road, Eastbourne. Winchester had previously served with the 2nd King Edward`s Horse in France. Lt John Macrae, RAF, was in charge of a flight and had instructed Winchester to take out a Sopwith Camel (C8291) with which he was thoroughly fimiliar. He had seen him ascend and circle round and then fly away. He was later told that the fabric had come away from one of the wings in the air and the wing had then collapsed. Air Mechanic Frank Parker stated that at about 11.00 on Thursday morning he had seen the aeroplane at an altitude of about 1,000 ft. He noticed it dive, followed by an explosion, when both wings came away. Upon examination, it appeared that a patch on one of the wings had come off causing the fabric to strip away and the wing to collapse. The accident was to be considered by a special RAF committee. Several days later, after a service at Christ Church, the burial took place at Ocklynge Cemetery,

Eastbourne Gazette 4 & 11 Sept 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

5 Sept 1918; A formation of six aeroplanes, three flown by Brazilian officers, took off from the airfield. The leader of the formation Capt Frank H. Creasy, RAF, stated that they reached a height of about 1,500 ft when he saw Lt Reginald Horace Sanders, eged 24, of 50 TDS (Eastbourne), piloting a Sopwith Camel (F3207) about 100 ft above First Lt Eugenio de Silva Possolo, also aged 24, of the Brazilian navy, also in a Camel. Lt Sanders started to descend to take his place in the formation about thirty yards to the side of Lt Possolo. However he appeared to lose sight of the other aircraft and struck it to the rear and on top of it. Both machines crashed to the ground in a field near to a farmhouse at Friday Street, causing terrible injuries to both men. Two of the other aircraft, a Sopwith Pup painted with black and white stripes and an Avro, landed on the adjacent common. The pilots got out and ran over to the wreckage, to find the two men dead. The Coroner expressed the view that no blame was attached to either officer and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. After a burial service, Lt Possolo was intered at Ocklynge Cemetery. Prior to the interment of Lt Sanders at Hampsted Cemetery, a service was helh at St Stephen`s Church, Haverstock Hill, London NW.

Lt Sanders had served since 1914 with the Royal Engineers in the Dardanelles and in Egypt, taking part in the capture of Jerusalem. He had transferred to the RFC in Oct 1917 and was still completing his training. His parents, Dr and Mrs Sanders, were living at Valetta, King`s Drive, Hampden Park, Eastbourne.

Eastbourne Gazette 11 Sept 1918

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

5 Sept 1918; 2 Lt William Rhodes Barnett, RAF, aged 27, of Shrewsbury, had served formerly with the King`s Shropshire Light Inf. He took off for an afternoon flight and his Sopwith Camel was seen to be going well, having been used by other aviators in the day. A witness, Charles Levitt, on the ground at nearby Hailsham, saw the aircraft come out of the clouds at a great height and loop-the-loop. Whed doing a second loop, the aircraft seemed `to get on his back' and was unable to recover. The machine then started to descend very rapidly and crashed into a wood. When Mr Levitt reached the aircraft, he found Lt Barnett dead, still strapped in his seat. The deceased had been instructed prior to take-off not to loop-the-loop. The verdict of the jury was accidental death, no defects haveing been found on the aeroplane. Barnett was buried at Wenlock (Broseley) Cemetery in Shropshire.

Eastbourne Gazette 11 Sept 1918.

During the course of the last two inquests the Coroner, Mr G Vere Benson, commented upon the fact that fatalities have been numerous of late, and he added that the evidence in most cases suggested that the pilots were a little more adventurous than was perhaps necessary. There had been no evidence that anything was wrong with the machines in which they were flying. at one enquiry he had held, it was explained that a machine fell in flames upon a house which nearly set on fire. He thought that the authorities might impress upon young and ardent airmen that it wouldbe better for them to be adventurous where there was the least chance of their doing harm to other people.

Eastbourne Gazette 11 Sept 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

13 Oct 1918; Lt Charles Robert Chapman, RAF, aged 19, was flying on sunday morning, and after performing some evolutions his aircraft was seen to dive and strike the ground. The cause of death was given as fracture of the base of the skull. Sitting without a jury, the Coroner returned a verdict of death by misadventure. Lt Chapman was buried at Ocklynge Cemetery.

Eastbourne Gazette 16 1918.

Tim.

[timhog]

Chris.

From the book.

10 Nov 1918; Pvt Hugh Hancock Hamill, aged 19, from Pueblo, Colorado, was serving with the American Air Service at the Eastbourne airfield as an engine fitter. His duties were to assist in taking aircraft out onto the runways and swinging the propellers to start them. On 7 Nov Pvt Hamill was swinging the propeller of an aircraft which was waiting to ascend when it threw him up and struck him on the legs. On admittance to the Military Hospital, examination revealed serious injuries to both legs. By 9 Nov gas gangrene had developed in both wounds and despite amputation of his left leg, the organism had got into his blood stream and Pvt Hamill died the next day. Ground staff and the pilot confirmed that the engine switch had been in the off position at the time of the accident and nothing faulty had been found in the wiring system. The jury found that the accident was unavoidable and that death was due to gas gangrene in the leg wounds. Ironically, Private Hamill died the day before the armistice was signed.

Eastbourne Gazette 20 Nov 1918.

THE END..

Tim.

[chrisharley9]

Tim

my thanks for taking the time to transcribe that info for me - I will add it to the database as time allows

Chris

[rugby-137]

Tim

Many thanks for the info on Hamill.

Regards

Phil Henry

[PFF]

Did you try the CWGC?