Avro 504 B8692 in the Doncaster area.
During the evening of Tuesday, 3rd September 1918 some six No.47 Training Depot Station aeroplanes were undertaking a formation flying training exercise in the Doncaster area when, at 18.30hrs, Avro 504 B8692 and Sopwith Pup B4136 collided. Both aeroplanes crashed and the crew flying in B8692 were killed while the pilot of B4136 survived. One of the pilot's had made a half-roll to get behind other machine, but collided with the port wings of other machine. One of the aeroplanes crashed onto a farmhouse.
Pilot (instructor) - Lt John Moriarty Tidmarsh RAF (32096), aged 25. Buried Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery, Limerick. Ireland.
Pilot (pupil) - 2Lt George Bernard O'Flynn RAF, aged 19. Buried Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery, Glamorgan.
John Tidmarsh was born in 1983 in Limerick City where his father was a director of Cannock's department store. He was the youngest son of David Aloysius and Elizabeth (nee Murray) Tidmarsh. He initially served in the 12th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. He appears to have transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917 and was then appointed to a commission on 4th December 1917. He was posted to No.58 Training Squadron also on 4th December 1917 and was made an assistant instructor on 3rd January 1918. On 19th August 1918 he was posted to No.47 Training Depot Station at Doncaster.
George O'Flynn was born on 15th May 1899. As a young man he worked as a bank clerk for the London City and Midland Bank, Bloomsbury until 16th June 1917 when he enlisted for Royal Flying Corps service. He received a commission on 10th January 1918. He was posted to Doncaster on No.49 Training Squadron which later folded and became part of No.47 Training Depot Station.