At 11.00hrs on Monday, 20th May 1918 this aeroplane spun into the ground near Brotton killing the pilot, sadly no further details were known as to why the pilot did not regain control. The aeroplane was built by Boulton & Paul at Norwich and was on the books of No.2 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery, based at Marske at the time of this accident. The photograph of the site above appears to show it having struck trees prior to crashing into a field. The site may be under what are now school playing fields.
Pilot - 2Lt Wilhelm Jacobus Knoll RAF, aged 23. Buried Saltburn & Marske by the Sea Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wilhelm Knoll was born on 27th February 1895 at Bronkhorstspruit, Pretoria, Transval, South Africa and was the son of Mrs. Judith Susanah Mitchell (formerly Knoll), and the late Friedrich Wilhelm Knoll. As a young man he worked for the Bank of South Africa in Pretoria. He probably enlisted for military service in South Africa then travelled to England and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on a later date but any details are not yet known. His service file first shows him with the RFC in May 1917. He was granted a commission in the Royal Flying Corps on 11th October 1917 and flew with 317 Squadron, 87 Squadron and 62 Training Squadron. He then transferred to the RAF when it formed in April 1918. The date he was posted to Marske is not stated on his service file. It may have been when it was No.4 (Auxillary) School of Aerial Gunnery, of after it became No.2 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery on 6th May 1918.