Blackburn Type 1 at Scarborough.
On Sunday, 2nd August 1914 this aeroplane was flown from York to Scarborough in twenty seven minutes with a passenger, Mr F E Wasling, and landed without incident on the south bay sands. Normally this and other civilian operated aeroplanes used an aerodrome site up on the old racecourse but the military were occupying the site at the time so the landing had to be made elsewhere where it remained overnight. The following day, Monday, 3rd August 1914 the pilot had taken passengers for short flights but must have either used the racecourse site or had found another suitable field to use as a base. While descending in a strong cross wind following one of the flights the aeroplane did not stop in the selected field and overshot into the boundary hedge. The propeller and a wing sustained damage.
Pilot - Mr Vivian Gaskell Blackburn.
Passenger - Name unknown.
Vivian Gaskell-Blackburn was born in Leeds on 8th March 1891. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.617) at the Bristol School, Brooklands on 10th September 1913. Around the same period he was involved with constructing his own aircraft (pictured above). He joined the RNAS in December 1914. For his service during the First World War he received a number of awards and medals. He was awarded the DSC for service during the advance on Kut-el-Amara on 27th / 28th September 1915. The citation, from the London Gazette of 21st January 1916 reads.."Flight-Lieutenant Blackburn did excellent air reconnaissance work, and came under heavy fire on the afternoon of September 28th, whilst carrying despatches between the General Officer Commanding and the "Comet"." He was Mentioned in Despatches a number of times, Gazetted on 19th February 1915, 5th May 1916 and 13th July 1916 and later "for distinguished service rendered during active operations in Iraq during 1920-21" Gazetted on 10th October 1922. He was awarded the Bar to the DSC, Gazetted on 17th May 1918 "for services in the advance and retreat from Ctesiphon, when he performed most excellent work." He was also awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 10th October 1919. Vivian Gaskill-Blackburn was finally placed on the Retired List as a Group Captain in 1947 and died in October 1956. His medal set sold at auction in 2007 with selling price of £20,000.
