Hawker Hart K2455 at South Cliff Gardens, Scarborough.

K2455's sister aircraft, K2456 was also modified to carry "the passenger in more comfort" during communications work.

On 8th August 1938 this London Communication's Squadron Hart took off from Hendon airfield at 09.30hrs, it was to be flown north to Abbotsinch Aerodrome, Glasgow with a number of re-fuelling stops en-route. A common route for such long distance flights was to following the Lincolnshire coast, across the Humber and then up the Yorkshire and Durham coastline further north using the airfields close to the coast as re-fuelling points. One such stop was made at North Coates airfield and the aircraft headed north from leaving the Humber area, probably following this usual coastal route. Catfoss airfield was also a common stopping point. As the aircraft arrived in the Scarborough area the coastline was obscured by a sea fret which reduced visibility. At just before 12.30hrs the aircraft was flying very low just off Scarborough when it headed towards land and straight for the cliffs in the South Bay which were hidden in a thick fog that was blanketing the area at the time. It was thought the pilot saw the cliffs at the last moment and he put the aircraft into a steep climb, this caused the aircraft to stall and it crashed into the Cliff Gardens, narrowly missing the tower of the Waldorf Hotel. It was thought that he had put the aircraft into a steep banked turn to avoid this tower and it's forward speed was too slow to avoid a stall occurring, the aircraft went into a dive and struck the ground. The local newspapers covered the incident in great detail stating it had crashed into trees ten feet below the Esplanade, with the wheel section hitting a sharp bend on a path way. The crash happened just in front of the Granville Hotel and close to the Marina Hotel. It was completely wrecked but somehow both the occupants only had scratches, they were seen by a local doctor who told them to have bed rest and they were put up in the Granville Hotel over-night. The pilot was blamed for the crash, it was said he should have turned back for North Coates instead of flying on through the fog.

Pilot - P/O David Iain McMonnies (40001). Slightly injured.

Passenger - Air Commodore Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet RAF DSO OBE, of Tadcaster, Yorkshire. Slightly injured.

Lt Geoffrey Bromet (as a young pilot in October 1913) and Air Vice-Marshal Bromet (Photos - Flight). Geoffrey Bromet was born on 28th August 1891, he qualified as Royal Navy pilot at the Bristol School of Flying at Brooklands under the tuition of Mr F Warren Merriam in early January 1914. His training had begun in April 1913 at the Bristol School where he flew at Salisbury Plain and other locations. Lt Bromet gained his brevet in early October 1913 and gained his Royal Aero Club Certificate (No.714) on 22nd December 1913. He was made a F/Lt from an Acting F/Lt on 1st August 1914 and on the same date he was posted to HMS Pembroke, but attended Eastchurch Naval Fying School prior to actually going there. On 5th March 1915 F/Lt Bromet was piloting seaplane no.172 (with Lt Brown flying with him), owing to the importance of locating concealed guns the aircraft had to be flown very low. Bromet's aircraft was struck in the region of twenty eight times by enemy fire. Almost certainly flying from the "Ark Royal" he was able to return where repairs were later carried out. In August 1915 he was commended for service at Gallipoli. He became the commander of "Naval 8" squadron in October 1916, the Units first Commanding Officer. The second being Christopher Draper DSO (who was involved in a number of training accidents in the Marske area in WW1 (detailed on this website elsewhere)). His DSO was Gazetted on 12th May 1917 the citation reads.. "This officer commanded a squadron of the R.N.A.S., attached to the Flying Corps, with conspicuous ability and success. Under his command the squadron developed into a most efficient and formidable fighting force, which has brought great credit to the Royal Naval Air Service."

He was engaged to Margaret Ratcliffe in September 1916 and on 26th February 1917 it was announced that Squadron Commander G R Bromet RN, the son of Mr and Mrs G Bromet of Tadcaster, Yorkshire was married to Margaret Ratcliffe, daughter of Lt.Col. and Mrs Ratcliffe of Lillington, Leamington Spa. He served throughout the First World War. On 1st January 1919 he was awarded the OBE and on 1st August 1919 he was awarded a permanent commission as a Major. By 1931 he was a Group Captain and was on the Staff of the Coastal Area. Bromet wrote the first history of "Naval 8" around this time. Rising to Air Commodore on an unknown date he was promoted in August 1940 to Air Vice-Marshal Bromet and was one of the main officers in charge of Coastal Command. Following the War he retired at his own request and he was made Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet DSO, KBE and Lieut Governor of the Isle of Man and a role he gave up in 1952. His first wife died in 1961 and he later married Jean Conan Doyle. He was MiD on 1st January 1941 and also awarded the CBE on 17th March 1941, and the KBE on 14th June 1945. He died on 16th November 1983, AVM Sir Geoffrey Bromet. KBE, CB, DSO, DL. His medals and decorations are held by the RAF Museum. He is almost certainly the highest ranked airman ever to have had a flying accident in Yorkshire and one of the most decorated Yorkshireman.

David McMonnies was granted a short service commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 9th August 1937. He was promoted to F/O on 24th November 1939, F/Lt on 24th November 1941, S/Ldr (temp) on 1st December 1941 and S/Ldr (war subs) on 25th November 1943. As Acting W/Co he commanded 296 Squadron from 26th August 1943 to 12th September 1944 during the Normandy parachute dropping flights. Techically from 24th May 1941 (but dated to 7th April 1944) he transferred from the RAF to The Reserve (RAFO) but was called up for immediate service, under the terms of his short service commission which lasted just five years. Having survived the War he was appointed to a permanent commision as S/Ldr on 1st July 1946 (with seniority of 1st January 1945), he was promoted to W/Co on 1st July 1950. He retired with the same rank on 8th March 1959. At the time of this accident at Scarborough he had a total of 277 hours flying time, with 181 hours on the Hawker Hart type. He probably died in the Petersfield area of Hampshire in 1988.

Hart K2455 was built to contract 117876/31 by Vickers Ltd at Weybridge and was delivered directly to 33 Squadron at Bicester on 18th March 1932. It was returned to Vickers at Weybridge on 27th September 1932 but it is not known why. It may well be that the modification to carry a passenger was that the aircraft fitted with an enclosed canopy over the rear seat. It was next issued to 24 Squadron at Northolt on 28th January 1933 and moved with the unit to Hendon on 9th July 1933. It sustained Cat.W/FA at Scarborough and the wreckage was taken to on by the Station Flight at Driffield for assessment where it was deemed beyond repair and struck off charge on 9th October 1938 with total flying hours of 590 hours, 40 minutes. The crash site was probably in the area which is still the ornamental garden shown in the photograph above.

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