Accident Sopwith Camel F3207,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 182999
 
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Date:Thursday 5 September 1918
Time:day
Type:Silhouette image of generic CAML model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Sopwith Camel
Owner/operator:50 TDS RAF
Registration: F3207
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Friday Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:Eastbourne Aerodrome, Sussex
Destination airport:Eastbourne Aerodrome, Sussex
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
1/Tenente Eugenio de Silva Possolo of the Brazilian Navy was killed when his Sopwith Camel (C3294) collided with Camel F3207 flown by Lt R H Sanders who was also killed. Both men were part of a formation of six aircraft, three flown by Brazilian officers. According to a rough translation into English of a Brazilian text

"5 Sept 1918; A formation of six aeroplanes, three flown by Brazilian officers, took off from the airfield. The leader of the formation Capt Frank H. Creasy, RAF, stated that they reached a height of about 1,500 ft when he saw Lt Reginald Horace Sanders, aged 24, of 50 TDS (Eastbourne), piloting a Sopwith Camel (F3207) about 100 ft above First Lt Eugenio de Silva Possolo, also aged 24, of the Brazilian navy, also in a Camel.

Lt Sanders started to descend to take his place in the formation about thirty yards to the side of Lt Possolo. However he appeared to lose sight of the other aircraft and struck it to the rear and on top of it. Both machines crashed to the ground in a field near to a farmhouse at Friday Street, Leith Hill, Surrey, causing terrible injuries to both men. Two of the other aircraft, a Sopwith Pup painted with black and white stripes and an Avro, landed on the adjacent common. The pilots got out and ran over to the wreckage, to find the two men dead. The Coroner expressed the view that no blame was attached to either officer and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

After a burial service, Lt Possolo was interred at Ocklynge Cemetery. Prior to the interment of Lt Sanders at Hampstead Cemetery, a service was held at St Stephen`s Church, Haverstock Hill, London NW."

At the time of the accident Lieutenant Possolo was resident at 17 Sunnydean, Bedford Well Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Sources:

1. http://www.militarian.com/threads/first-lieutenant-eugenio-da-silva-possolo.6761/
2. https://www.kingstonaviation.org/sopwith-day-by-day/1918.html
3. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36629
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153993781/eugenio-da_silva-possolo
5. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36629
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Street

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
01-Jan-2016 19:26 harro Added
29-Dec-2018 22:51 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
02-Feb-2019 12:13 stehlik49 Updated [Operator]
22-Aug-2020 16:44 pommehomme Updated [Location]
24-Aug-2020 13:39 pommehomme Updated [Narrative]
18-Jul-2023 17:16 Nepa Updated [[Narrative]]

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