Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire.

Caudron GIII 3867 at Scarborough.

On 14th September 1915 this aircraft hit the ground and over turned whilst landing at Scarborough aerodrome, the pilot was unhurt, the aircraft was later repaired.

Pilot - FSL Siegfried R Watkins RNAS.

Siegfried Richards Watkins was born in Dresden but was a British Subject, he initially served in the 1st County of London Yeomanry before transferring to the RNAS after gaining his aviators certificate at the Grahame-White School, Hendon on 5th July 1915 (cerificate no.1390). In 1916 he was elected to become a committee member of the Royal Aero Club of the UK and awarded the Air Force Cross on 1st January 1919 as F/Lt. He was prmoted to S/Ldr on 1st January 1924 and to W/Co on 1st January 1932. His postings included one to RAF Gosport on 20th September 1926, to HMS Courageous on 21st February 1928. He was Commanding Officer of 500 Squadron at Manston from March to July 1931, in March 1932 he was posted to command 2 Armament Training Camp at North Coastes and from February 1933 to May 1935 he was Commanding Officer of RAF Andover. He was placed on the retired list on 17th May 1935. He was also a sculptor in his spare time. His son Christopher Darton-Watkins was educated at Ampleforth College in Yorkshire, he left a career in film production to become an abstract artist.

This Caudron GIII was built by Aeroplanes Caudron at Lyon and purchased from France. It was delivered to R.N.A.S. Redcar on 29th July 1915, transferring to R.N.A.S. Scarborough Home Defence Flight on 4th August 1915. It was tested and accepted on 8th August 1915 and carried out an Anti Zeppelin Patrol (AZP) on 10th August with FSL Roche at the controls. It transferred to R.N.A.S. Hornsea/Atwick on 11th August before moving back to R.N.A.S. Scarborough on 10th September 1915. Here it suffered its accident on 14th September 1915 but no record of where it was repaired exists. It was back in service at R.N.A.S. Redcar on 21st October 1915 and later suffered a Cat.W. accident on 8th September 1916 at Redcar and was deleted on 19th September 1916.