ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219297
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: | Thursday 29 June 1916 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Nieuport Type 10 |
| Owner/operator: | RNAS Dover |
| Registration: | 3968 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | H.M.S. "President II", near Fort Burgoyne, RNAS Dover, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | H.M.S. "President II" RNAS Dover, Kent |
| France | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
29.6.16: Nieuport Type 10 No. 3968, RNAS Dover. Written off (destroyed) when crashed on take-off, H.M.S. "President II" Dover, Kent. Of the crew of two, one, the pilot - Flt Lt Geoffrey Richard Henry Talbot (aged 28) - was killed immediately. The passenger - Air Mechanic 1st Class Abraham Alf Hampson (Service Number F/10086, aged 24) died 30.6.16 (next day) of injuries sustained.
According to an eyewitness report (see link #7)
"There is one particularly poignant letter in the Kiplin collection from Mr A.R. George of Aylsham, Norfolk, to a Major Talbot (who may perhaps be Humphrey, Geoffrey's brother, though we have no other evidence that he attained this rank since his Great War medals are inscribed Lieutenant). The letter is dated 4th February 1921, and describes the heroic circumstances of Geoffrey's death. The full text reads as follows:
'I consider it a privilege to be able to give you particulars of the aeroplane accident I witnessed at Dover in June 1916, which I afterwards learnt resulted in the death of Mr Geoffrey Talbot. Between five and six thousand of us (R.G.A recruits) were drilling on the parade ground at Fort Burgoyne, and you can imagine we were closely packed in, when an aeroplane rose from behind the Fort and suddenly swooped down directly over the heads of the men drilling, so closely in fact that many fell on their faces to avoid being hit by the propellers, but the pilot in order to avoid what would have been a terrible catastrophe swerved sharply to the left, and the machine fell into a sunken road near the Fort.
There is no doubt that the machine would have landed in the thick of the men with terrible results but with safety to the two men in it, and it was freely admitted by all who witnessed it that the pilot lost his life in a most gallant attempt to avoid crashing amongst the dense mass of men. I heard it said by the airmen there that air currents around Fort Burgoyne were very bad and this was probably the cause of the accident. From what I can remember, the two men were pinned under the machine and were picked up quite dead.
It may be some consolation to his relatives to know that Mr Geoffrey Talbot gave his life in this heroic manner, and I consider it an honour to be able to give this testimony as an eyewitness of the sad affair. I remain, sincerely yours, A.R.GEORGE.' "
According to a contemporary report in Flight magazine (July 6 1916 page 576 - see link #4):
"Fatal Accidents
Flight - Lieutenant GEOFFREY RICHARD HENRY TALBOT, R.N.A.S., whose death is officially announced, was killed instantaneously at Dover on June 29th when starting on a flight to France. The aeroplane was caught by a gust of wind and sideslipped, and was wrecked. The mechanic accompanying him was also killed.
Flight-Lieutenant Talbot, who was born in 1888, was the younger son of the Hon. Alfred Talbot, of Little Gaddesden, and grandson of the 18th Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot. He was educated at Eton, and having a great taste for mechanics entered the service of the East Indian Railway Company. His services were given to the public for the war, and he joined the Naval Air Service, rapidly becoming an expert and steady pilot.
He obtained his "Wings " in 1915, and received promotion shortly before his death. He made many flights to and from France, whence he had only returned the previous day to his death."
According to the Imperial War Museum's website (see link #5):
"THE CORONER'S INQUEST
Known At: July 1916
A note in the margin of Geoffrey's entry in the Burial Register at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Little Gaddesden reads "after Coroner's Inquest". At the inquest it was said that Geoffrey had only arrived at the Dover station on Thursday 29th June and was killed that afternoon, having taken off in a Nieuport biplane with Air Mechanic Hampson, aged 23, who was also killed. Both men were unconscious when help reached them and Geoffrey died from multiple injuries while being lifted into an ambulance.
The inquest was told that nothing was wrong with the aircraft and, while it was also said that the accident was no one's fault, there was no suggestion that Geoffrey was taking evasive action to avoid hitting something on the ground. The verdict could be read as suggesting that pilot error, in difficult circumstances, contributed to the crash"
As to the other crew member, who also died, Abraham Alfred Hampson was born on 31 May 1892 in Silksworth, near Sunderland. He was the youngest son of James Hampson (born 1866), a coal miner from Bolton, Lancashire, and Martha Ann Hampson (born 1867) from Lancaster, Lancashire. Abraham was the only child of three girls and three boys to be born in County Durham. The other children were born in Lancashire.
In 1901 the family lived at 44 Victoria Street, Manchester, and, by the time of the 1911 census, had moved to 88 Stuart Street, Clayton, Manchester. Abraham was working as a motor fitter on the census date.
Abraham joined the Royal Naval Air Service on 7 December 1915. He was given the service number F10086 and the rank of Air Mechanic 1st Class. Little is known of his service until 29 June 1916 when, starting on a flight for France from Dover Air Station, the aeroplane in which he was travelling was caught by a gust of wind, side-slipped and was wrecked."
Abraham died on 30 June 1916 in the Military Hospital, Western Heights, Dover, Kent from multiple injuries sustained in the crash. The pilot of the aeroplane was Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Richard Henry Talbot who was killed instantly.
Abraham Hampson is buried in Philips Park Cemetery, Miles Platting, Manchester, Lancashire."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/364451/talbot,-geoffrey-richard-henry/
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/371574/hampson,-abraham-alf/
4. Flight magazine (July 6 1916 page 576): https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1916/1916%20-%200576.PDF
5. https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/6881022
6. Gravestone of Flt Lt G.R.H. Talbot: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greentool2002/13330710025
7. http://www.kiplinhall.co.uk/genealogy/np17.htm
8. http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/story/12609/
Media:
Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Richard Henry Talbot, Royal Naval Air Service, of Little Gaddesden House. Killed 29 June 1916. Age 28. Formerly employed in the goods traffic department of the East India Railway Company. #WWI @HLFEoE pic.twitter.com/bnmMLgt20U
— DacorumHeritageTrust (@DacorumHeritage) August 22, 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Dec-2018 21:27 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
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