ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219181
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 30 May 1916 |
| Time: | 05:15 LT |
| Type: | Henry Farman HF.20 |
| Owner/operator: | CFS RFC |
| Registration: | 2841 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1/2 mile from RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire |
| RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
30.5.16: Henry Farman HF.20, No.2841, Central Flying School, RFC Upavon. Written off (destroyed) when Side-slipped on approach and crashed, RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Both of the crew of two - 2nd Lt Ernest Davies Le Sauvage (pilot, aged 19 attached from 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment) and Air Mechanic 2nd Class William John Woodland (Service Number 24649, aged 28) - were killed. According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (June 15 1916 page 516 - see link #4):
"Fatal Accidents
Second Lieutenant ERNEST DAVIES LE SAUVAGE, who was accidentally killed on May 30th while flying at the Central Flying School, Upavon, Wilts, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest P. Le Sauvage, of Beaumont, Jersey, and was in his 20th year. He was educated at the Victoria College School, Jersey, Hillside, Godalming, and afterwards at Charterhouse.
He left Charterhouse a few days before the outbreak of war, and after passing through Sandhurst was gazetted in November as Second Lieutenant in the Dorset Regiment. He went to the Front in December, 1914, and was wounded at Hill 60 on April 22nd, 1915- For his services in France he was mentioned in despatches. After a few months' leave he obtained a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, and was recently made an instructor at the Central Flying School."
The Coroners Inquest into the deaths of the two crew of a Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn (Flight Sgt George West and Air Mechanic William Burlinson) on 31 May 1916 (also killed in a crash, albeit at Netheravon) was held "back to back" on June 2 1916, at the same time as the inquest into the deaths of 2nd Lt Ernest Davies Le Sauvage and Air Mechanic 2nd Class William John Woodland (killed 30 May 1916 in Henry Farman No. 2841).
Below is the transcript of the Coroners report into the deaths of the crew of Henry Farman HF.20 No.2841:
"Le Sauvage, Ernest, and Woodland, John
June 2nd 1916
Upavon
West, (Enos), and Burlinson, William
June 2nd 1916
Netheravon
Four Flying Men Killed
Double Fatalities at Upavon and Netheravon
The toll of the air has been very heavy in Wiltshire of late, and to the fatalities which have recently been reported in our county there must be added four other victims, who met with their deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mr Coroner F.A.P Sylvester held inquests at the Central Flying School, Upavon, on Wednesday afternoon on four victims,
Lieutenant Ernest Davies le Sauvage, 1st Dorset Regiment.
Air Mechanic John Woodland, RFC.
Flight-Sergeant West, RFC
Air Mechanic Burlinson, RFC.
The two first named were killed at Upavon on Tuesday by falling with a Henri-Farman bi-plane, and the others at Netheravon on Wednesday morning with a Maurice-Farman bi-plane. The lieutenant was 19 years of age, and his home was at Beaumont, Jersey. Woodland was 28 years of age and married, his home being at Islington. The others were aged 22 and 26...
The evidence in the case of the two first-named was given by Captain Eustace Osborne Grenfell, inspector at the School, and Air-Mechanic Elijah Page. The officer deposed that the officer left the aerodrome about 5.10 the previous morning with Woodland, in a Henri-Farman biplane. It was a good flying morning, but rather hazy. A smash was heard, and a mechanic was sent to see if he could find out what had happened. He found the machine about half-a-mile from the starting-place. Lieut le Sauvage was an experienced pilot.
Mechanic Page said he saw the machine before it started. It was examined and passed as in proper order over-night. He could not say if the men were strapped in; they were as a rule. He found the machine in a dip on the other side of the wood. It was all in the heap, he could only see a pair of khaki trousers sticking out. He called, but got no response. The machine was quite smashed and it was impossible for anyone to tell if anything had gone wrong.
Captain Grenfell explained, in reply to a remark by the foreman, that when machines were tested over-night they were guarded all night by sentries.
Captain James Keenan, medical officer, said death in each case was due to fracture of the skull.
Mechanic Page, on being re-called, said the engine went beautifully when it started, and Captain Grenfell said Mr le Sauvage was a very good flyer, being exceptionally good with the type of machine in question.
The Coroner, in summing up, said no light had been thrown on the cause of the accident. It might have been side-slip or some other unexpected development in the air, which was found, he imagined, in passing over uneven land. It might have been that owing to the hazy morning the aviators might have come upon something rather unexpectedly and had to make some rather violent movement in the elevation or depression of the machine and so come to grief. He suggested that they should find a verdict of accidental death, which was agreed to."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2917308/le-sauvage,-ernest-davies/
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/387647/woodland,-william-john/
4. Flight magazine (June 15, 1916 page 516): https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1916/1916%20-%200516.PDF
5. https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Aviators_with_Jersey_connections_killed_in_World_War_1
6. http://charterhousewarmemorial.org.uk/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=387&TableName=ta_factfile
7. https://salisburyinquests.wordpress.com/1916-2/le-sauvage-ernest-and-woodland-john-and-west-enos-and-burlinson-william/
8. http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Jersey/StBrelade.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Dec-2018 15:28 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 09-Dec-2018 21:22 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Dec-2018 21:23 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-Dec-2018 21:24 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Jan-2019 08:45 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation