ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221083
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: | Friday 16 March 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Bristol F.2b |
| Owner/operator: | 38 Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A3311 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
| RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
16.3.17: Bristol F.2b Fighter A3311, 38 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Rendcomb. Written off (destroyed) when stalled on approach and dived into the ground, RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Pilot - 2nd Lt James Hope Walker (aged 20) - was killed. The following published source (see link #4) was put together by his great nephew, and is a biography of the pilot. The relevant part, relating to the fatal flying accident, is as follows:
"On (or about) the 25th September 1916, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. The London Gazette records this in a list published on 20th October 1916 (his name is about a third of the way down on the right-hand side).
One photo among WALKER family papers labels James Hope WALKER, standing on an airfield alongside 3 other (unidentified) servicemen. James Hope WALKER was killed in a “Flying accident” on 16th March 1917, when the Bristol F.2 fighter biplane (number A3311), which he was flying, had a “loss of flying speed near ground”, at Rendcomb airfield (north of Cirencester, Gloucestershire). The “Casualty Card” from the accident is available from the RAF Museum Story Vault. It records the following;
“The court is of opinion that accident was caused by loss of flying speed owing to the fact that the pilot had switched off in order to effect a slower landing. The throttle being open seems to indicate that the pilot attempted to make use of his engine forgetting he had previously switched off.”
A group of photos among family papers, show an airfield; presumably RAF Rendcomb. Three images show Bristol F.2 fighter biplanes lined up; among them are numbers A3314 and A3329. Another 3 photos show servicemen standing around a crashed plane. This is presumably the crash which killed James Hope WALKER on 16th March 1917. But the images don’t show the plane’s number, so I can’t say for sure!"
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/364683/walker,-james-hope/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/walker-j.h.-james-hope
4. https://afamilyhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/james-hope-walker-rfc-1896-1917/
5. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1132790?descriptiontype=Full&ref=WO+339/78959
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142641827/james-hope-walker
7. Photos of wreckage (photos 1,3,& 5): https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/14185-2lt-james-hope-walker/?do=findComment&comment=2490086
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jan-2019 17:30 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 26-Jan-2019 16:36 | stehlik49 | Updated [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