ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219166
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| Date: | Thursday 18 May 1916 |
| Time: | 11:30 LT |
| Type: | Two Seater |
| Owner/operator: | 60 Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Holbrook, Gosport, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Fort Grange, Gosport, Hampshire |
| RFC Fort Grange, Gosport, Hampshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
18.5.16: Unidentified Two-seater "Military Biplane", 60 Squadron, RFC Fort Grange, Gosport. Written off (destroyed) when Stalled and crashed, Holbrook, Gosport, Hampshire. Both crew - Lt George Simpson Bateman (formerly 2nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment) attached to the Royal Flying Corps, observer, aged 22) and Lt Arthur Penrose Selwyn (11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse), attached to the RFC, pilot, aged 26) - were killed. According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (May 25 1916 page 452 - see link #4)
"A double fatality occurred at Gosport, near Portsmouth, on the 18th inst. Lieuts. Selwyn and Bateman, of the R.F.C. , went up in a military biplane, and on reaching an altitude of a 1,003 ft. the machine nose-dived into a field, not far from where it had started. Both officers, who were experienced pilots, were found to be dead."
According to a report of the inquest into the deaths of the two crew (see link #7):
"Lieutenant GEORGE SIMPSON BATEMAN, R.F.C.2nd Lt., 2nd Battalion Canadian Infantry, (Eastern Ontario Regiment), attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Age 22 Son of Joseph and Mary Ann Lisle Bateman, of Springbrook, Ontario. Died 18.5.1916
Lieutenant ARTHUR PENROSE SELWYN, R.F.C. 2nd Lt. 11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn Horse, Indian Army), attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Age 26. Son of the late Canon E.C. Selwyn D.D., and husband of Eileen Mary, of 3/209, High Street, Kensington, London. Died 18.5.1916
At 11.30am on the morning of Thursday the 18th of May 1916, two officers, Lieutenant’s ARTHUR PENROSE SELWYN and GEORGE SIMPSON BATEMAN, made an ascent in an aeroplane. The flight under the direction of a Lt. Norman B. Paterson, who in evidence at the inquest, stated that ‘both men were very good airman’, Lt. Selwyn was flying the machine, and was the more experienced of the two, Lt. Bateman was in the observers seat.
The aeroplane, although not identified, was stated to be a modern type. It had been examined before the flight, and found to be in good working order. After taking off, the machine climbed to a height of about of between 300–400 feet. During a turn to the right, the machine was seen from the ground, to nose-dive and plummet into the ground at Holbrook. At the hearing, Lt. Paterson when questioned, was of the opinion that ‘the pilot had attempted to turn the machine at an insufficient height, and the aeroplane had stalled’. Lt. Bourchier was the first officer to reach the stricken aviators. Both men were taken from the wreckage, and were found to have died of their injuries.
Lt. H.G. Smart, who was airborne at the time, testified that he observed the other aeroplane from a distance of about three-quarters of a mile away. He confirmed that during a turning manoeuvre the left wing dipped, then sank and the machine made a rapid dive into the ground. After the accident, the wreckage of the machine was examined. It was found every control was correctly connected, except for one, which had been broken as a result of the crash. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
Both airmen were buried with service honours, four days later. A CWG headstone commemorates Lt. Bateman, Plot 48 Space 25 and Lt. Selwyn, Plot 52 Space 57, both."
NOTE: Possibly due to wartime censorship restrictions, the exact type of aircraft involved was not identified in contemporary reports. Formed at Gosport on 30 April 1916, the initial equipment of 60 Squadron, RFC was the Morane Saulnier Type N "Bullet", which was a single seater. Since two persons were killed in the same accident, presumably in the same aircraft, it would have to have been a two seater
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3055406/bateman,-george-simpson/
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3055487/selwyn,-arthur-penrose/
4. Flight magazine (May 25 1916 page 452): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1916/1916%20-%200452.html?search=Charles%20Darrell%20Merrett
5. http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/3055406
6. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/ID/?7000290538
7. https://gosport.info/gosport-history/anns-hill-cemetery-war-graves/
8. http://www.selwyn-family.me.uk/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I0042&tree=SELWYN
9. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2018 23:59 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 16-Dec-2018 10:53 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator] |
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