First RFC fatalities

The most obvious memorial is that known as Airmans Cross, sited as it is today it will have generated much interest to the thousands of motorists using this busy junction. The memorial commemorates the first two airmen to lose their lives in a flying accident in the newly formed Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The memorial stone, is sited today in the triangular shaped island that was formed when the juction was re-shaped in order to reduce the number of accidents that occured when it was a simple crossroads. The memorial stone was erected on the south-east corner of the junction when it was inveiled in 1913. The crash site was some two hundred yards from the junction, about 50 yards into the field on the opposite side of the road, between the junction and Long Barrow Crossroads, now Long Barrow Roundabout. The cause, sadly, over confidence. The aeroplane, a two-seat Nieuport monoplane, was on test prior to purchasing it for the RFC, the pilot, Captain E. B. Lorraine had flown it with a Sergeant Frank Ridd, one of the few NCO pilots of the day. During the flight they got into difficulties, but with sufficiant height to be able to recover control. On landing, the incident having been witnessed by their collegues, was the topic of some wonder, but Lorraine offered to demonstrate how safe the manoeuvre was, dismissing it of little consequence. Turning to Sergeant Ridd he said ‘Come on Ridd, let’s show them how it’s done’. He declined somewhat forcibly, so he asked Staff Sergeant R.H.V.Wilson if he was concerned about the risks involved. On hearing that he was not they set about proving it. Once airborne, the manoeuvre was attempted again, the pilot attempting to turn, side-slipped inwards, but with insufficiant altitude they crashed into the ground from 400 feet with fatal results.
The second fatal crash occured the following year, http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=102547