On 5th September 1918 this aircraft stalled and spun into the ground from between 700 and 1000 feet near Marske killing the pilot just six hours before he was due to be posted to France for service. E1455 was built by Ruston, Proctor & Co Ltd at Lincoln. Nothing more is known about the incident.
Pilot - 2nd Lt Gerald Hugh Smyth RAF, aged 21, of Cambridge. Buried Trumpington Churchyard, Cambridgeshire.
Gerald Smyth was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs John Smyth, of Cambridge. He was educated at the Perse School, Cambridge. He was keenly
interested in flying from an early age but being too young to take up a commission he joined the R.N. driving armoured cars seeing service
in Belgium, France, Russia, Turkey, Romania, Galicia (Spain), and the Caucasus. For his services rendered in Russia he was awarded the
Russian St.Stanislas medal and the medal of St.Anne. On his return to England he obtained a commission in the RNAS, and gained his wings
in August 1918.