On 30th August 1917 two No.46 Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps aeroplanes were flying close to each other with a witness stating that one got into a position just in front of the other as if the one behind was attacking the front one. At around 250 feet above the ground they collided and became locked together. B.E.2e 7167 and B.E.12a A4020 fell into a field near Ellerton on Swale at 17.50hrs, just across the River Swale from where the pilots were based at Catterick, and both pilots were killed. The pilot of 7167 was an assistant instructor at the time of his death. locked togther. must have crashed together?
Pilot - Lt Graham Nelson RFC, aged 23. Buried Cartcart Cemetery, Renfrewshire.
Graham Nelson was born on 24th April 1894 and was the eldest son of Col.William Nelson OBE and Mrs Mary Nelson. He was studying law and serving an apprenticeship to join his father's company in Glasgow when the First World War broke out. He enlisted into the 5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) between August 1914 and June 1916 receiving a commission and serving in France from November 1914. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1916. His much younger brother, Lt Robert Marr Nelson, died in the Second World War on 28th March 1945 serving with the Parachute Regiment and is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany. I credit "Find a Grave" with both photographs shown here.