ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221611
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| Date: | Wednesday 30 May 1917 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Airco DH.4A |
| Owner/operator: | 44 (Reserve) Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A2164 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RFC Harlaxton, near Stroxton, Lincolnshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Harlaxton, Lincolnshire |
| RFC Harlaxton, Lincolnshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
30.5.17: Airco (DeHavilland) D.H.4a A2164, 44 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Harlaxton. Written off (destroyed) when spun out of control, crashed and burned on impact, RFC Harlaxton, near Stroxton, Lincolnshire. Pilot - 2nd Lt Alick Thomas Bentall Charlesworth (Canadian, aged 24) - was killed. According to the aircraft accident record card for Airco (DeHavilland) D.H.4a A2164:
"Court of Inquiry 87/accdt/129
31/5/19
Flying accident. Spinning nose dive. Machine in OK order before flight. It was the opinion of the Court of Inquiry that the pilot, on attempting to turn at about 1,000 feet banked too steeply, and losing control, got into a spinning nose dive.
At about 100 feet, he appeared to have partially regained control, but losing his presence of mind, opened wide the throttle, instead of retarding it. He then put the rudder hard over to avoid hitting a hedge without banking, side slipped into it, hitting the ground at an angle of 30 degrees and the machine burst into flames"
According to contemporary reports in "Flight" magazine (June 7 & 14, 1917 pages 566 & 595 - see links #4 & #5)
"Fatal Accidents
2ND LIEUT. CHARLESWORTH, R.F.C., was flying early on the morning of May 30th in the vicinity of an aerodrome in an Eastern county, when his aeroplane burst into flames and dived to the ground. When liberated from the machine, it was found that he was badly burnt. He died shortly afterwards
Second Lieutenant ALICK THOMAS BENTALL CHARLESWORTH, R.F.C., killed on May 30th, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. T. Charlesworth, of Victoria, B.C., and was born in 1893 and educated at Christ's Hospital, where he was a member of the Cadet Corps. Leaving school in 1909, he went to British Columbia and joined his father in fruit farming.
On the outbreak »f war he enlisted in the Canadian contingent, and soon became corporal. He received his commission in the R.F.C. last March, and had been in much of the heavy fighting at the front."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/379938/charlesworth,-alick-thomas-bentall/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/charlesworth-a.t.b.-alick-thomas-bentall
4. Flight magazine (June 14, 1917 page 595): https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1917/1917%20-%200595.PDF
5. Flight magazine (June 7 1917 page 566): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200566.html?search=Fatal%20Accidents
6. http://canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.asp?ID=19550
7. http://www.duncansightseeing.com/alick-thomas-bentall-charlesworth/
8. https://www.genuki.org.uk/topicgroup?node=66562&topic=70
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Feb-2019 20:36 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 07-Feb-2019 05:20 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 08-Feb-2019 02:30 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2023 09:22 | Nepa | Updated [[Time, Source, Narrative]] |
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