Bristol TB-8 1217 at Atwick aerodrome.
On 9th August 1915 the German Navy Zeppelin L-9 was intending on bombing Hull and having crossed the North Sea came over the East Riding of Yorkshire roughly at Flamborough. An RNAS Home Defence Flight aeroplane based at Atwick, Bristol TB-8 1217, had attempted to intercept but was slightly damaged on take off from Atwick. The two pilots listed below are stated as being on board at the time of this initial mishap. The weather was poor with fog affecting visibility but even so Bleriot 3228 also of the RNAS Home Defence Flight based at Atwick was sent to try and intercept it and took off from Atwick at 20.20hrs. The Bleriot pilot stated the he would sight the Zeppelin but that no contact made and it drifted back over the coast and out to sea. The Bleriot pilot returned to Atwick but with the weather deteriorating he struggled to locate Atwick aerodrome. It subsequently crashed on landing at or near Atwick and was badly damaged though the pilot escpaed injury. A short time later the Zeppelin came back over land again near Hornsea and the hastily repaired TB-8 aeroplane was sent up again. While the pilot managed follow it for some time he eventually lost it in the fog and had to return to Atwick. Whether or not the TB-8 or the Bleriot were armed is unclear, it appears that the only armament was that were carried were side arms by aircrew. As it transpired, the captain of the Zeppelin Kptlt Loewe mistoook Goole for Hull and released a considerable number of bombs over Goole. Unfortunately sixteen people in Goole were killed and eleven injured. It later dropped some bombs at Hotham then flew back toward the coast and away.
Pilot - Flt Cdr Christopher Draper RNAS.
Pilot - FSL Alfred Sebastian Goodwin RNAS.
Alfred Sebastian Goodwin was born on 7th October 1877 in London. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviator certificate on 5th April 1915 (Cert.No.1156) at the London and Provincial School, Hendon. He survived the Great War and joined the RAF Technical Branch in July 1918. By 1922 he was serving in India, he transferred to the Reserve in July 1923 and relinquished his commission on the grounds of ill health on 22nd September 1926.
Chris Draper does not mention this incident in his book "The Mad Major" but I have found mention of it in Geoffrey Simmons book "East Riding Airfields 1915-1920"
Bristol TB-8 1217 was built to contracts C.P.63528 and C.P.73046/14 by the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton and was delivered to Farnborough on 18th November 1914. Two days later it was dispatched by rail to join 'C' Flight of No.1 Squadron at RNAS Elswick (Newcastle) where it arrived on 21st November 1914. On 6th January 1915 it was fitted with lights at Elswick. It then went between various RNAS stations over the coming months, it went to RNAS Whitley Bay on 24th January 1915, RNAS Elswick on 29th January 1915 and back to Whitley Bay on 6th March 1915. On 10th March 1915 it sustained minor damage taxying at RNAS Gosforth, a repair on site was carried out and it was returned to Whitley Bay on 12th March 1915. It was flown on an anti-Zeppelin patrol on 14th April 1915 then moved to RNAS Montrose on 28th April 1915, Barry on 23rd May 1915 and returned to Montrose on 21th June 1915 where it was fitted with Armstrong Whitworth wings from 1227 which had been wrecked at Whitley Bay on 1st June 1915. On 1st August 1915 it was dismantled at Montrose and transported to RNAS Redcar where it arrived three days later. On 8th August 1915 it was flown to RNAS Atwick. On 9th August 1915 it sustained damage and was repaired on site. On 13th October 1915 it went to RNAS Scarborough and then went back to Atwick on 30th October 1915. On 30th November 1915 an assessment of the aircraft was made and it was found to have an issue so was deleted.