Date:	Tuesday 5 May 1931
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Horsley Prototype
Owner/operator:	RAE Farnborough
Registration:	J8932
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Farnborough, Hampshire (EGLF)
Destination airport:	Farnborough, Hampshire (EGLF)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On 4 (some sources say 5) May 1931 Flt-Lt Henry Richard Danvers Waghorn, the pilot of prototype Hawker Horsley J8932, lost control of his aeroplane whilst flying over Farnborough Airfield. He ordered his passenger, Mr E.R.Alexander, a civilian who worked for the RAE, to bale out of the aeroplane and then waited for him to get clear of it before he baled out himself. Mr Alexander landed safely, by parachute, on the roof of a building at Farnborough and suffered only minor injuries. However because the aeroplane had descended to 500 feet before he baled out, Flt-Lt Waghorn was not so lucky. He landed heavily (it appears that his parachute did not deploy fully due to the height at which it was activated) on another building and suffered serious head injuries and multiple fractures, from which he died in hospital two days later. An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death (see link #1)

His burial in the Old Bourne Churchyard was attended by two Air Vice Marshals (Dowding & Lambe) and 1,000 other mourners. The RAF Band played a slow march as the coffin was carried from the Church to the graveyard by six pallbearers, five of whom were holders of the DFC. There was a three volley graveside salute and single plane fly past. The Horsley was destroyed when it crashed to earth.

Flt-Lt Henry Richard Danvers Waghorn AFC RAF, died 7.5.1931 from injuries received in a flying accident.
R.I.P.

According to one published source (see link #5):
"1. When they abandoned the aircraft, both as pilot and the "one in charge", it was only right that Henry Waghorn stayed at the controls whilst Alexander got out. Thereafter Waghorn jumped. There was comment in the press that Alexander's exit delayed Waghorn's, which is quite true, but he was not slow in exiting so in no way was tardy enough to have caused Waghorn's fatal injuries. The Waghorn family have always believed this "hero stayed at controls long enough to save colleague" comment in the press was greatly overblown. Waghorn's younger brother David was an RAF pilot who was a member of the high speed flight in 1931, so was in a good position to pass comment on what was "normal" and what was "culpable" in behaviour when exiting.

Some many years later, John Waghorn met Mr Alexander who made a point of telling John that he had exited as quickly as possible and in no way held up his father's jump more than necessary.

2. Injuries. Waghorn's injuries were regarded as essentially survivable. He was operated upon on the day of the accident and had regained consciousness by the following day - (reported in Flight magazine that week, which went to press before he died). He did have head injuries, but not life threatening, however he also had a broken thigh. (Just located contemporary report that he finally baled out below 500 feet, it was a very windy day, and most unluckily once his parachute had developed he was blown violently into a building rather that encountering a flat landing place) He died 2 days later of "fat embolism", which is medical speak for the fatty content of the bone marrow leaking into the blood stream. Ronnie Peterson is a more recent casualty of the same thing. Even today it is a very threatening problem and the best treatment is preventative - secure the bone in a splint or plaster asap. The bits of fat effect both oxygenation of the blood and the function of the brain through the globules blocking the small blood vessels. Thigh and pelvis (i.e. big and/or long bones) are the ones to avoid breaking or indeed having a surgeon attack (as in a hip replacement) since the big bones have more marrow. Today treatment seems to involve giving oxygen and steroids.

3. Waghorn was very fit. He was a world class skier and a member of the British ski team at a time when the Brits were the equal of, or better than the rest of the world. After all we did invent the ski racing of Downhill and in particular Slalom in the immediate pre and post WWI period.

4. Waghorn lived close by the Church on the Bourne, he met his wife whilst in the area (he had been engaged previously to Amy Walduck whose family he knew through skiing). Waghorn was married in the Church, he was buried there too. I suspect John was christened there, he was only a baby when his father was killed.

5. Doubtless the date is on record, but when the old graveyard became too overgrown, the eagle on the head stone was removed by the RAF and re-erected outside the Officers mess at Farnborough. The Farnham Diary published a photograph of the unveiling, this shows Group Captain Parratt on one side and John Waghorn on the other of the eagle. John thinks the date was about 1980.

6. When the RAF abandoned Farnborough the "Waghorn Memorial" (local web sites call it thus and still claim it is there) was removed by the RAF and put in store. It was then moved to Boscombe Down and re-erected there. This is the RAF and commonwealth test pilot centre and unfortunately is difficult to visit casually because of security concerns. However I did visit there myself about 5 years ago after writing to the OC and being granted permission. I can confirm the memorial is there and I have photos to prove it!

In September 1929 Flt-Lt Waghorn had piloted the Supermarine S.6 high speed floatplane which had won the Schneider Trophy for Great Britain with an average speed of 328 mph.

1. Flight Lieutenant Waghorn - Verdict of Accidental Death". News. The Times (45823). London. 15 May 1931. col E, p. 21.
2. The Bystander - Wednesday 13 May 1931
3. "Editorial Comment: Martyrs to Science". Flight. No. 15 May 1931. pp. 419–420.
4. https://forums.autosport.com/topic/106683-waghorn-afc/
5. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_hawker_horsley.html
6. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
7. http://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/May31.html
8. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
9. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=19280.0
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Waghorn#Death

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Nov-2013 22:47	angels one five	Added
10-Nov-2013 22:51	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
29-Dec-2013 22:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Apr-2018 20:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]