BE2a 331 at Hutton Bonville.

During mid-May 1914 No.2 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corp undertook a move from Montrose to Netheravon to begin exercises on Salisbury Plain. When they left Montrose on Monday, 11th May 1914 the following BE2 aeroplanes had the named pilots flying them. 229 - Cpt Dawes. 233 - Todd. 235 - Martyn. 232 - Corballis. 331 - Empson. 225 - Waldron. 332 - Rodwell. 327 - Lt Dawes. 222 - Harvey-Kelly. 228 - Major Burke. The ten aeroplanes used fields in the Edinburgh, Berwick, Blythe and Seaton Carew areas on their flight south to regroup and spend the night. By 14th May 1914 all ten had reached Seaton Carew. The aeroplanes had to take their time flying south because the squadron's road party was much slower at driving south and the aeroplanes needed the support of this to continue. At Seaton Carew an area of beach was used as a temporary aerodrome. The next leg was to have been from Seaton Carew to the Knavesmire at York on Friday, 15th May 1914. The commanding officer Major Burke damaged his aeroplane at Seaton Carew whilst preparing to take off when it ran into sand dunes. The remaining nine pilots with their aeroplanes left Major Burke behind with a team to repair his aeroplane and set off for York at intervals between 05.20hrs and 06.30hrs. Unfortunately as they flew south-west and crossed south of the River Tees to fly toward Northallerton and then York a belt of fog presented the pilots with difficult flying conditions. The planned route the aeroplanes were to take from Seaton Carew to York is not recorded but it seems likely that railway lines would be followed for ease of navigation in good weather. Having lost their barings several of the BE2's made force landings in the Northallerton area, some others found their way to the Bedale area where forced landings were made.

By far the most serious incident involved BE2 331. With visibility being very much reduced and while attempting to make a forced landing in a field just west of what was once known as "The Old Great North Road" near Hutton Bonville the aeroplane struck a hedge and crashed into an ajoining field at around 06.50hrs. Both pilot and mechanic flying in the second seat were killed. The wrecked aeroplane was not spotted until around an hour later when a local farmer and milk seller, Mr Henry Peacock, saw the wreckage whilst making a delivery to Hutton Bonville Hall. The location was most definitely not at Oak Tree Farm (as is quoted elsewhere on the internet). It was on land that belonged to Church Lane Farm and was three fields west of the old Great North Road. Using existing photographs to compare with the modern scene it appears to have been just north of the road down to Hutton Bonville Hall. The photograph shown above is of this aeroplane but after the wreckage must have been disturbed to remove the bodies of the men.

Only three of the aeroplanes reached York on the same day, the pilots were Captain Todd, Captain Dawes and Major Burke. Three others reached York the next day, these pilots were Lt Martyn, Lt Corballis and Lt Dawes.

Pilot - Lt John Empson RFC, aged 23. Of Yolkfleet Hall. Buried Blacktoft churchyard, Yorkshire.

Engineer - Air Mechanic Reginald George Cudmore RFC, aged 21. Believed buried Stretford Cemetery, Manchester. #411

John "Jack" Empson's family lived at Yolkfleet Hall. He was an older cousin to Richard and David Atcherley, both of whom rose to the rank of AVM in the RAF.

His grave is in the village cemetery and his name is commemorated on the village war memorial despite him having died just before war was declared. I visited Blacktoft in May 2023 and an information board inside the church gives information around his service and how he died.