BE2c 1109. (Photograph via Mr J. Rutland).
On 2nd September 1915 this aircraft force-landed in the Whitby area, the crew escaped injury and the aircraft was later repaired.
The precise location for this landing is not yet known.
BE2c 1109 was built by Beardmore & Co. at Dalmuir and delivered to RNAS Redcar on 31st July 1915. It moved to RNAS Scarborough on
25th August 1915 but was back at Redcar on 27th August. Following the incident above it was repaired although there is no indication of
where this happened. It was back at RNAS Scarborough on 8th November 1915 and moved to RNAS Atwick/Hornsea on 11th November but was back
at Scarborough on three days later. It transferred to RNAS Redcar the following day, 15th November where it remained until
being transferred to RNAS Cranwell on 26th May 1917. It was deleted from charge on 2nd November 1917.
Pilot - Sqdn Cdr Charles E H (Harry) Rathborne. Uninjured.
Observer - F/Lt Charles B Dalison. Uninjured.
During his time at Redcar S/Cdr Rathborne crashed Bristol Boxkite 8448 at Redcar on 9th December 1915.
On 19th August 1915 F/Lt Dalison was injured in a BE2C crash near Middlesbrough. Charles Beauvoir Dalison was born in 1894,
and had a long flying career between 1914 and 1939. He attended No.3 Flying Training School between 1929 and 1933 and later
served with 10 Squadron between 1933 and 1934. He was then posted out to the Middle East until 1937 and served with No.25
(Armament) Group at Eastchurch in 1938 and 1939.
He was awarded the Air Force Cross
Charles Edward Henry Rathborne was born 17th February 1886, he was to have a long career in the Military. In August 1903 he was made an Officer
in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. On 15th August 1912 he became a Flight Commander at Felixstowe NAS and was later posted to the Central Flying
School (with what formed as the first course of the CFS). On 15th April 1913 he was posted back to Felixstowe NAS. On 6th September 1914 while at
Felixstowe he returned from an early morning patrol in his seaplane to make perhaps the first report of a UFO by a military officer. The report
stated that at "At 5:35 AM, whilst on patrol, I sighted an airship steering south-southeast, with a silver-colored envelope on the horizon while
flying at 1,300 feet, 27 miles south of Orfordness." Having risen through the ranks by 31st December 1914 he rose to (Temp) Major and a Squadron
Commander in the RNAS. He was posted to became Officer Commanding at RNAS Redcar in 1914 but would serve in France after a posting to Dunkirk. He
was awarded the DSO for a bombing attack against Freiburg on 14th April 1917, during this he was shot down and captured. However, in July 1918,
he managed to escape from the camp at Holzminden and returned to the British lines, for these actions he was awarded the Bar to the DSO. Having
survived the First World War, on 18th December 1918 he was posted to become Officer Commanding of 68 (Operations) Wing. On 1st August 1919 his
commission in the RMLI was terminated but on that date he was awarded a Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1925 he was made Group
Captain in the RAF and on 1st January 1931 rose to Air Commadore. He retired from the RAF on 13th October 1935. He died in London on 21st
December 1943 while working as London Industrial Alarm Controller (Central and East London Area).