On 1st April 1916 this aeroplane was being flown by the RNAS in the Redcar area when the engine failed, the pilot attempted a forced-landing near the aerodrome but crashed on the racecourse. The aeroplane was badly damaged but the pilot appears to have escaped injury. The aeroplane is listed as being with the RNAS Home Defence Flight at the time of this incident. The pilot appears to have flown with both the Home Defence Flight and also served as a flying instructor at the RNAS Flying School at Redcar.
Pilot - F/Lt Bruno Philippe Henry de Roeper RNAS.
B.E.2c 1139 was manufactured by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company, Leeds. It was delivered to RNAS Killingholme on 15th September 1915 and was accepted there on 1st October 1915. It was being transferred to Redcar to join the RNAS Home Defence Flight on 27th February 1916 when it crashed at Lackenby. From here it was dismantled, taken to Redcar, repaired and returned to service. It was again damaged on 1st April 1916 at Redcar but this time it was assessed and then written off when the paperwork was submitted on 14th April 1916.
Bruno Philip Henry de Roeper was born on 22nd March 1892 in Forest Gate, London. He had a remarkable long period of service. He initially served with the London Rifle Brigade and enlisted on 8th September 1914. He transferred to the RNAS on 16th April 1915 and was taught to fly at the Grahame White School of Flying at the London Aerodrome, Hendon, being awarded his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate on 1st July 1915 (Cert.No.1379). He rose to Flight Sub-Lieutenant on 16th April 1915. He was posted to Redcar on 20th October 1915 and served with the Home Defence Flight but also acted as an instructor with the RNAS Flying School. On 8th August 1916 he flew B.E.2c 1109 for nearly three hours on a night anti-Zeppelin flight which saw the incident recorded on his service file for a special mention "for a fine performance". On 1st December 1916 he applied to be transferred away from Redcar which eventually saw him posted to France. He was later posted to 6 Squadron and was credited with the destruction of an enemy Albatross on 20th May 1917 but five days later but sustained an injured jaw in action while attacking an enemy aircraft. He was posted back to England and after recovering from his injuries he returned to flying in France. Between 22nd July 1917 and 20th August 1917 was credited with a further four enemy aircraft as destroyed. Having risen in rank to Squadron Commander on 3rd January 1918 he begun his command of 6 Squadron. Having risen to the rank of Major and for his service in Egypt he was later awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 3rd June 1919. He was granted a permanent commission of the rank of Major in the RAF on 1st August 1919. On 11th September 1919 he stalled and crashed Avro 504 C692 at the Central Flying School at Upavon that saw him in hospital again. In 1921 he was still with the Central Flying School (Inland Area) and was posted to the School of Photography (Inland Area) on 15th August 1921. He was later posted to No.1 Flying Training School (Inland Area) on 22nd March 1922. On 12th April 1923 he was injured in a cycling accident. On 16th December 1924 he took a role at the Aeronautical Committee of Guarantee in Germany. On 11th March 1925 he was posted to the RAF Depot and as Squadron Leader he retired from the RAF on 16th April 1925. He married Jean Julia Key on 2nd August 1919 and at that time his parents were living at Bella Vista, Upminster. He re-gained his Aviator's Certifate on (cert.no.10158) at the Brooklands Flying School in 1931. It is very likely that he was appointed business manager of Rootes Securities Ltd by 1939 as an account has been found detailing Sir Kingsley Wood's visit to the Speke Factory which refers to him. When the Second World War begun he appears to have offered his services again and as S/Ldr (retd)(01145) he transferred from the General Duties Branch to the Technical Branch on 24th April 1940. He was promoted from S/Ldr to W/Co (temp) on 1st January 1944 and then to W/Co (war subs) on 24th March 1945. As W/Co he reverted to the retired list at his own request on 3rd March 1946 but retaining the rank of G/C. He died in 1965 in Northampton.