Sopwith F.1 Camel B9165 at Beverley.

On Monday, 24th December 1917 the pilot of this 80 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps aeroplane took off from Beverley aerodrome to undertake flying practice. He was in the air for around fifty minutes and had undertaken several stunts prior to entering a spin from around 1500 feet above the ground to 400 feet. It appeared that during the spin the engine stopped, once flying speed was lost the pilot then lost control, there was not enough height remaining for him to regain control and it dived onto a golf course in the Beverley area. The pilot was seriously injured and died a short time later either on the way to a cottage hospital or shortly after arriving there.

Pilot - 2Lt Herbert Norman Scott Anderson RFC, aged 18. Buried Kinross East Burying Ground, Kinross-shire.


Herbert Anderson was born in 1899 and was the son of the Provost of Kinross. He attended college at Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh before gaining a scholarship at Cambridge. He is commemorated on a memorial inside St.Paul's Church, Muir, Kinross. Alongside his memorial is one for his sister Kathleen Christie Anderson who died on 2nd August 1929 attempting to saw the life of a Girl Guide at St.Andrews's Bay, Fife. He is also commemorated on a memorial now housed in Bishop Burton church for the casualties of Beverley aerodrome.

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