ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221307
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| Date: | Thursday 19 April 1917 |
| Time: | 15:00 LT |
| Type: | Airco (DeHavilland) DH.1a |
| Owner/operator: | 59 Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A1627 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RFC Fort Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Fort Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire |
| RFC Fort Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
19.4.17: Airco (DeHavilland) D.H.1a A1627, 59 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Fort Grange, Gosport. Written off (destroyed when stalled and spun into the ground, RFC Fort Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire. Pilot - Lt Lee Thompson McLaughlin (aged 22, on attachment from the 4th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment) - was killed
According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (April 26, 1917 page 400 - see link #4)
"Fatal Accidents
An inquest was held by a South Coast coroner on April 20th on 2nd Lieut, E. T. McLoughlin, R.F.C., who died as a result of injuries sustained through the fall of his aeroplane on April 19th. Deceased was making a flight in a monoplane when the mishap occurred, and the machine was seen to nose-dive to the earth. The officer was alive when assistance promptly arrived at the spot, but he died shortly after being removed. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned
Lieutenant LEE THOMPSON McLAUGHLIN, Royal Flying Corps, joined the Army at the beginning of the 14-18 War, serving in the 4th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment as a Lieutenant, he saw action on the Western Front, being recommended for a course in flying, He was posted back to Gosport, where he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Qualifying for his pilot’s wings, he was placed on the pilot strength of 59 (Reserve) Squadron, taking the opportunity to gain as much air experience as possible. The young officer had been attached to the Corps for only about a month for instructional purposes; he had had previous flying experience, and had passed through all his flying tests, except those of night flying.
On the 19th of April 1917 he took off from the Fort Rowner base in a DH1a monoplane service no. A1627. At about 3.00pm that Thursday afternoon, he was practising his combat technique. After he had reached an altitude of between 300–400 feet. It was observed that the machine was in difficulties after spinning around in a flat spin, the machine nose-dived onto the aerodrome. The fuel aboard the aeroplane ignited and Lt. McLaughlin was burned about the head. He was rushed to a sick ward at nearby Fort Rowner, but died about half an hour later. The cause of the mishap to the machine has not been ascertained. The medical evidence showed that death was due to injuries to the head. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Lieutenant LEE THOMPSON McLAUGHLIN, R.F.C., was buried on 24th April 1917, and is laid to rest, Plot 29 Space 67, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3055461/mclaughlin,-/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/mclaughlin-l.t.-lee-thompson
4. Flight magazine (April 26 1917 page 400): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200400.html?search=Joseph%20Louis%20Lavigne
5. https://gosport.info/gosport-history/anns-hill-cemetery-war-graves/war-graves-page-9-l-mc/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jan-2019 17:27 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 30-Jan-2019 17:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Feb-2019 12:06 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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