On 3rd April 1916 this aircraft was severely damaged in a landing accident at Redcar aerodrome.

Pilot - Flight Sub Lt Henry Connell Vereker RNAS. Injured.

Henry Vereker was born in Langport, Somerset in 1895. He learnt to fly at RNAS Chingford in Summer 1915 in a Maurice Farman Longhorn where he gained his Royal Aero Club certificate (Cert.No.1455) on 21st July 1915. He became reasonably famous for the events surrounding him becoming a PoW, on 1st January 1917 he was flying Handley Page O/100 1463 from England across The Channel to land at an airfield near Paris, After becoming lost he landed the aircraft behind German lines in error and he and his three crew were made prisoners of war. The aircraft was also captured and flown by German pilots until being destroyed in a crash on 22nd August 1917. This type of Handley Page aircraft was the first British heavy bomber and was by far the largest aircraft of the time. He was "Mentioned in Reports" for valuable service while in captivity in December 1919 although Captain Vereker was transferred to the Unemployed List on 14th July 1919. What he did in the years between 1919 and 1939 are not known. On 30th August 1939 he was granted a commission in Class CC of the RAF as F/Lt (Honourary S/Ldr) in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch. He rose to W/Co (Temp) on 1st July 1943. He eventually relinquished his commission on 10th February 1954 retaining the rank of W/Co after a remarkable period of service. He died in Abingdon, Berkshire in 1993.