On 1st April 1916 the engine of this aircraft was reported to have failed mid-flight, the pilot attempted a force-landing but crashed doing so on the racecourse at Redcar seriously damaging the aircraft. It was assessed and deleted as beyond economic repair on 14th April 1916.

Pilot - F/Lt Bruno Philip Henry de Roeper RNAS.

Bruno Philip Henry de Roeper was born on 22nd March 1892 in Forest Gate, London. He had a remarkable long period of service. He was taugh to fly at the Grahame White School of Flying at the London Aerodrome, Hendon in 1915 and was awarded his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate on 1st July 1915 (Cert.No.1379). He rose to Flight Sub-Lieutenant on 16th April 1915, temporary F/Lt on 1st April 1916, Acting Flight Commander on 3rd December 1916.

In 1916 he flew anti-Zeppelin patrols of the East Coast of England in BE2c's. He was later posted to 6 Squadron and was credited with the destruction of an enemy Albatross on 20th May 1917 but five days later was injured in action while attacking an enemy aircraft. After recovering from his injuries he returned to flying and between 22nd July 1917 and 20th August 1917 was credited with a further four enemy aircraft as destroyed. Having risen in rank to Squadron Commander on 3rd January 1918 he begun his command of 6 Squadron. Having risen to the rank of Major and for his service in Egypt he was later awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 3rd June 1919. He was granted a permanent commission of the rank of Major in the RAF on 1st August 1919. His rank was later converted to Squadron Leader. In 1921 he served with the Central Flying School (Inland Area) and was posted to the School of Photography (Inland Area) on 15th August 1921. He was later posted to No.1 Flying Training School (Inland Area) on 22nd March 1922. On 16th December 1924 he took a role at the Aeronautical Committee of Guarantee in Germany. On 11th March 1925 he was posted to the RAF Depot and as Squadron Leader he retired from the RAF on 16th April 1925.

He married Jean Julia Key on 2nd August 1919 and at that time his parents were living at Bella Vista, Upminster. He re-gained his Aviator's Certifate on (cert.no.10158) at the Brooklands Flying School in 1931. It is very likely that he was appointed business manager of Rootes Securities Ltd by 1939 as an account has been found detailing Sir Kingsley Wood's visit to the Speke Factory which refers to him.

When the Second World War begun he appears to have offered his services again and as S/Ldr (retd)(01145) he transferred from the General Duties Branch to the Technical Branch on 24th April 1940. He was promoted from S/Ldr to W/Co (temp) on 1st January 1944 and then to W/Co (war subs) on 24th March 1945. As W/Co he reverted to the retired list at his own request on 3rd March 1946 but retaining the rank of G/C.

Be2c 1139 was made by Blackburn, of Roundhay, Leeds and delivered to RNAS Killingholme on 15th September 1915 and accepted there on the 1st October. It was transferred to RNAS Redcar on 27th February 1916 and was damaged in a forced landing at Lackenby during the acceptance flight, the photograph shown above almost certainly depicts this earlier incident at Lackenby and was kindly supplied to this account by Ms Lucy Cooper. Following repair it was returned to service at Redcar before it's Cat.W/FA accident in April 1916 detailed above.