BE2a 217 at Doncaster.

During the week around 21st February 1913 No.2 Squadron, RFC undertook a squadron move from Farnborough to Montrose and this took a number of days to complete the move owing to poor weather in the south of England. On 21st February 1913 the part of the squadron flew from Towcester to Newark and then on to York Knavesmire where they would spend the night before resuming the flight north, possibly to the Town Moor, Newcastle and then on to Edinburgh. This aeroplane took off from Newark at 15.10hrs for the flight to York. The route north must have also included a degree of publicity flying as crowds were present where they landed and on the route, this aircraft was also not flying direct from Newark to York because when it was flying at 3000 feet and heading towards Doncaster racecourse the engine failed. The pilot was forced descend and land without further damaged to the aeroplane. A photograph of the aeroplane appeared on Ebay some years ago which gave the location as being at Low Pasture, Doncaster which was just south of the racecourse. The aeroplane had an engine change on site and the pilot resumed the flight days later, arriving at Montrose on 26th February 1913. At least three 2 Squadron aeroplanes flew what was stated in the newspapers to have been the seventy miles from Newark to York and landed without incident at York on 21st February 1913.

Pilot - Captain John Harold Whitworth Becke.