toofatfortakeoff Posted 3 August , 2007 Share Posted 3 August , 2007 Harry Hewson, 5th DCLI told me many years ago that A) He guarded POWs at Whitley bay he told me -his nephew did have some beautiful photos of German POWs digging snow in the Winter of 14 or 15 under guard. Harry was very old though at thye telling and his details werent so good at times. He was transefrred to the Northumberland Fusiliers but as I gathered this was during his time in the trenches but may have been before. He was an under age soldier who went into the 1st 5th DCLI at fifteen. He also told me he witnessed a couple of aeroplane crashes while up in Whitley Bay. Where would the base have been if this is so, and who were the fatalities if any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickdavis Posted 3 August , 2007 Share Posted 3 August , 2007 RNAS Whitley Bay was about a mile and a half north of the village, adjacent to St Mary's lighthouse. The site had been a rifle range before the war. It is now used as a carvan park. Not all crashed were neccessarily fatal, the station only suffered one during its brief existance. Those known, fatal and otherwise, were :- 5 May 1915 - BE2c 1100 damaged in forced landing near the aerodrome 13 May 1915 - BE2c 971 wrecked in landing crash 17 May 1915 - BE2c 1099 damaged in forced landing 1 June 1915 - Bristol TB8 1227 wrecked in landing crash 7 June 1915 - BE2c 1099 damaged in landing crash 15/16 June 1915 - BE2c wrecked landing - had damaged u/c on take off 29 June 1915 - Caudron G.III 3865 damaged landing 12 August 1915 - BE2c 972 ditched in North Sea and sank 4 September 1915 - BE2c 1133 damaged in landing crash 7 September 1915 - Caudron G.III 3866 wrecked in crash 19 September 1915 - BE2c 1133 lost in Nort Sea - FSL DS Hay killed (the station's only fatality) 24 September 1915 - BE2c 1119 damaged in landing crash 20 December 1915 - BE2c 1099 lost in North Sea 28 January 1916 - BE2c 1114 damaged in forced landing 5 March 1916 - BE2c 1115 damaged in forced landing 25 April 1916 - BE2c 1143 wrecked in take-off crash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 3 August , 2007 Share Posted 3 August , 2007 Was the airfield between Seaton Delaval & Blyth a WW1 base, just off the coastal road ? Mick D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegreatwar Posted 3 August , 2007 Share Posted 3 August , 2007 Was that Whitley Bay Holiday Park? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickdavis Posted 3 August , 2007 Share Posted 3 August , 2007 WHITLEY BAY 88 : NZ 350728 : Northumberland (Tyne & Wear/North Tyneside). Advanced Base for RNAS Gosforth (Duke’s Moor) 1.1915 – 3.1915 : HD Flight Station RNAS 3.1915 – 1916. Two wooden aeroplane sheds. HD War Flight RNAS 5.3.1915 from Gosforth (Duke’s Moor) 5.1916 to disbanded Commans = RNAS Redcar 1916 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofatfortakeoff Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Thats really useful info. looking at Harry's MIC it appears he was in the DCLI prewar and being young was initially posted to guard POWs with the Northumberland Fusiliers in the area prior to going to Flanders. ANyone know if there was a POW camp nearby and if any photos were taken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 5 August , 2007 Share Posted 5 August , 2007 Strictly for the record, I used to live opposite the location mentioned in posting #2. Indeed, a lot of my youth was spent in Whitley Bay. FYI, there was good fishing off St Mary's Island. I often marooned myself between tides. Nothing to do with WW1 you understand, but just a bit of recollection! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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