On 9th December 1915 this RNAS Redcar Flying School aeroplane was badly damaged when it suffered engine failure and was subsequently force landed near Redcar.
Pilot - Flight Commander Charles Edward Henry Rathborne RNAS.
Charles Edward Henry Rathborne was born 17th February 1886, he was to have a long career in the Military. In August 1903 he was made an Officer in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. On 15th August 1912 he became a Flight Commander at Felixstowe NAS and was later posted to the Central Flying School (with what formed as the first course of the CFS). On 15th April 1913 he was posted back to Felixstowe NAS. On 6th September 1914 while at Felixstowe he returned from an early morning patrol in his seaplane to make perhaps the first report of a UFO by a military officer. The report stated that at "At 5:35 AM, whilst on patrol, I sighted an airship steering south-southeast, with a silver-colored envelope on the horizon while flying at 1,300 feet, 27 miles south of Orfordness." Having risen through the ranks by 31st December 1914 he rose to (Temp) Major and a Squadron Commander in the RNAS. He was posted to became Officer Commanding at RNAS Redcar in 1914. During his time at Redcar he was in B.E.2c 1109 that crashed near Whitby in September 1915. He would later serve in France after a posting to Dunkirk. He was awarded the DSO for a bombing attack against Freiburg on 14th April 1917, during this he was shot down and captured. However, in July 1918, he managed to escape from the camp at Holzminden and returned to the British lines, for these actions he was awarded the Bar to the DSO. Having survived the First World War, on 18th December 1918 he was posted to become Officer Commanding of 68 (Operations) Wing. On 1st August 1919 his commission in the RMLI was terminated but on that date he was awarded a Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1925 he was made Group Captain in the RAF and on 1st January 1931 rose to Air Commadore. He retired from the RAF on 13th October 1935. He died in London on 21st December 1943 while working as London Industrial Alarm Controller (Central and East London Area).
Bristol Boxkite 8448 was built by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton (this company later became known as the Bristol Aeroplane Comany Ltd in 1920). The aircraft was delivered to RNAS Redcar and was was erected at Redcar on 9th November 1915. It then joined the RNAS Flying School. It was not repaired following a mishap at Redcar on 9th December 1915 and was deleted from stock on 22nd December 1915.
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