ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 220615
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| Date: | Thursday 14 December 1916 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e |
| Owner/operator: | 63 Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | 7244 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Ancroft, 6 miles south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Cramlington, Northumberland |
| RFC Cramlington, Northumberland | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
14.12.16: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e No.7244, 63 Squadron, RFC Cramlington, Northumberland. Written off (damaged beyond repair) when got into an unrecoverable spin and broke apart in flight; crashed near Ancroft, six miles south of Berwick on Tweed, Northumberland. Pilot - 2nd Lt Bernard Vernon Gordon (aged 18) - was killed. According to the accident record card for B.E.2e No.7244 (see link #3):
"Court of Inquiry 87/9205
3/1/17
Flying accident. Probably caused by the machine folding in the air (this is not confirmed by further inquiry). Court of Inquiry was of the opinion that the accident was caused by the pilot getting into a spin to the extent to which he was not experienced enough to get out of. The wing broke off due to the excessive strain imposed on it on account of the spin. This may have been assisted by the fact that the wood on the rear spar was defective."
According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (January 11 1917 page 45 - see link #4)
"Casualties
Second Lieutenant BERNARD VERNON GORDON, R.F.C., who was killed whilst flying on December 14th, was 18 years of age and had received his commission direct from Eastbourne College. He was the youngest son of the late Thomas Gordon and of Mrs. T. Gordon, of Eastbourne and Sevenoaks. His brother, Second Lieutenant Donald Jervis Gordon, was killed near Thiepval on July 3rd, 1916.
Second Lieutenant BERNARD VERNON GORDON, R.F.C., who was accidentally killed while flying in England on December 14th, aged 18, was the youngest son of the late Thomas Gordon and Mrs. T. Gordon, of Eastbourne and Sevenoaks. He received his commission direct from Eastbourne College last July"
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/658534/gordon,-bernard-vernon/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/gordon-bernard-vernon
4. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200045.html?search=Bernard%20Vernon%20Gordon
5. https://sevenoaksww1.org/2015/07/09/cedric-gordon-an-undaunted-hero/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Jan-2019 17:02 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 07-Jan-2019 17:05 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 13-Jan-2019 13:20 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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