On 17th August 1915 this aircraft was on a night time training flight when the pilot flew into the ground near Redcar. The aircraft was damaged and the pilot was badly shaken.
Pilot - Flight Sub-Lt Edmund Parfitt Hardman RNAS.
Edmund Parfitt Hardman was the son of John Bernard Hardman KSG, probably born in the West Bromwich area of Birmingham in 1888. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate (Cert.No.1389) on 5th July 1915 at the Grahame-White Flying School, Hendon. He was awarded the DFC for his service in WW1, Gazetted on 1st January 1919. Post WW1 he remained in the RAF and was posted between bases in England and Middle East until 1924 when nothing more is known about his service but it is probable that he left the RAF having served the terms of his short service commission. He either remained in the RAFO or gave his services in the mid 1930s to the RAFO as he later relinquished his commision of F/Lt in the RAFO on 30th June 1940 in preparation for transferrring to the RAF. On 2nd July 1940 he was granted a commission in the RAF as P/O on probation. He rose to F/O on 3rd October 1940 and F/Lt on 2nd July 1941. He later rose to S/Ldr (possibly Acting rank) and was in the Equipment Branch by the end of 1941 when he relinquished his commission in the RAF on appointment to the RAFVR, back dated to 2nd July 1940. After a remarkable period of service he finally reliquished his commission of F/Lt (retaining the rank of S/Ldr) on 1st July 1954.
Caudron 3872 was built by Aeroplanes Caudron and delivered to Redcar on
12th July 1915, following testing the next day it was accepted. Following the accident detailed above it was deemed beyond economical repair and deleted from stock on 5th September 1915.