Weather report not suitable. Flt should not have been authorized. To put this into plain English with all the abbreviations explained: Landing in conditions of poor visibility. Overshot the runway and went round the airfield again and crashed during the circuit. Officer Commanding (OC) the aircraft lost Wireless Telegraphy (W/T - an early term for airborne Radio) contact. Pilot must have steered a reciprocal bearing (i.e one that was precisely 180 degrees wrong - very easy to do in poor visibility or darkness) as route lay south from the base and he was found from the North.
These numbers relate to the experience of the pilot in terms of number of solo flying hours in certain types of conditions: Total Number of hours flying solo (i.e. without an instructor present) - 407 hours Total number of solo hours on this type of aircraft - 365 hours Total Number of hours of night flying - 38 hours Total Number of hours of night flying on this type of aircraft -38 Total Number of hours flying on instruments i.e. with no visibility at all - 38 Number of hours using a Link trainer (a very early type of flight simulator) - 39 Duration of flight: 1 H 40 M. Time: 20.30 Duty & History W/T X. Country - meaning Wireless Telegraphy, Cross Country - in other words this was a long distance Radio training flight. The location of the accident is given as 1 mile North North East of Acaster Malbis in Yorkshire. This is a small village a few km south of York in the North of England.
The decoding done by the help of Niall Corduroy and the helpful people in rec.aviation.military.
Squadron No. 15BADGE A hind's head affronter erased at the neck between wings elevated and conjoined in base MOTTO 'Aim sure' Based on the Squadron's own previous design, the badge incorporated a hind's head as No. 15 was flying the Hawker Hind at the time the badge was authorized. The Squadron was formed at South Farnborough on I March, 1915, drawing on personnel from No. 1 Reserve Squadron and the Recruits Depot. A month later it moved to Hounslow and then to Dover where it was engaged in training crews for operations and working up itself. It went to France on 23 December, 1915 and joined No. 2 Wing in January, 1916 with its B.E.2c's. Its first operation, a reconnaissance of the 2nd British Army's front, was flown on 10 January. A week later No. 15 lost its first crew to a Fokker. In March it moved to the 4th Army front, the Somme, but before the month was out it became a corps squadron attached to VIII Corps. It was now mainly involved in artillery 'shoots', photography and contact patrols and that summer it took part in the Somme offensive. As light relief it would attack the German observation balloons, often shooting them down in flames. Later in the battle No. 15 was transferred to V Corps for 'air liaison' work, in other words any task the Corps commander wanted. These included ground-strafing and bombing in addition to normal corps duties. By the end of the year No. 15 had transferred to XIII Corps and continued actively on operations despite the bitter winter. In the battle of Arras in 1917 the Squadron was heavily involved but in May, 1917 No. 15 re-equipped with R. E. 8s and after a period with the General Reserve joined IV Corps. With this Organization it also engaged in bombing raids in the autumn of 1917 flying with other squadrons in mass raids over the lines. Then it was fully involved in the battle of Cambrai, and after that with the German offensive in the March of 1918. Artillery observation was always the priority and No. 15 flew many long hours over German positions recording the fall of the shells and reporting them by morse to their own batteries, being shelled themselves by anti-aircraft fire. When the Allies took the offensive in the summer of 1918 No. 15 was very busy. A new task came its way, that of dropping ammunition supplies by parachute to the forward troops. It remained heavily involved until the Armistice in November, 1918 after which it moved wherever V Corps went. In January, 1919 it relinquished its aircraft, eventually returning to the UK and disbanding at Fowlmere on 31 December, 1919. When the Squadron re-formed on 20 March, 1924 it was in a novel role. It became part of the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (AAEE) at Martlesham Heath. On pat)er it was to be a day bomber squadron, and was given some D. H.9As for that purpose, but its main duty was to provide crews for experimental and armament testing. This involved a wide range of aircraft and a wide range of trials varying from new equipment to gunnery and bomb ballistic trials. The major part of No. 15's work was on armament trials and for some of these it flew exotic prototype aircraft which its sister squadron at Martiesham, No. 22, had found unsuitable for service use! In October, 1926 the paper D. H. 9As for its bomber role were replaced by Hawker Horsleys. The Squadron continued in this Jekyll and Hyde existence until June, 1934 when it left Martlesham and formed at a regular bomber squadron Abingdon. Thereafter No. 15 has served continuously in the bomber role, at first as a light bomber squadron with Harts, Hinds, Battles and Blenheims, then as a night bomber squadron with 3 Group and in from 1940 onwards with Welfingtons, Stirlings and Lancaster's. After World War II it flew Lincolns, Washington's, Canberra's and Victors before joining RAF Germany with Buccaneer S.2Bs where it serves today. Bases etc. Formed at S. Farnborough on 1 March, 1915. S. Farnborough Mar 1915 - Apr 1915 Hounslow Apr 1915 - May 1915 Dover (Swingate Downs) May 1915 - Dec 1915 St. Omer Dec 1915 - Jan 1916 Droglandt Jan 1916 - Mar 1916 Vert Galand Mar 1916 - Mar 1916 Marieux Mar 1916 - Oct 1916 Lealvilliers Oct 1916 - Jun 1917 Courcelles-le-Comte Jun 1917 - Jul 1917 La Gorgue Jul 1917 - Aug 1917 Savy Aug 1917 - Aug 1917 Longavesnes Aug 1917 - Oct 1917 Lechelle Oct 1917 - Nov 1917 Bapaume Nov 1917 - Dec 1917 Lechelle Dec 1917 - Mar 1918 Lavieville Mar 1918 - Mar 1918 La Houssoye Mar 1918 - Mar 1918 Fienvillers Mar 1918 - Apr 1918 Vert Galand Apr 1918 - Sep 1918 Senlis Sep 1918 - Oct 1918 Quatre Vents Farm Oct 1918 - Oct 1918 Guillemin Farm Oct 1918 - Dec 1918 Vignacourt Dec 1918 - Feb 1919 Fowlmere Feb 1919 - Dec 1919 Disbanded at Fowlmere on 31 December, 1919. Re-form at Martlesham Heath as a bomber and experimental squadron on 20 March, 1924. Martlesham Heath Mar 1924-May 1934 Disbanded at Martlesham Heath 31 May, 1934. Re-formed at Abingdon on I June, 1934 in the bomber role.
Main Equipment B.E.2c (Aug 1915- 1917) 2077; 2120; 2532; 2578; 2618; 2639; 2715;
2767; 4019; 4116; 4187; 4201; 4205 B.E.2d 6255; 6733 Scout Aircraft (Feb 1916-1916)
Bristol Scout 4669; 5314 F.E.2b 5202; 6328; 6331 B.E.2e From Costal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft. By John D.R. Rawlings 1982 ISBN 0 7106 0187 5 |
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