Unidentified B.E.2c near Coal Aston aerodrome.
On the night of 25th / 26th September 1916 up to four Zeppelin airships visited Yorkshire and Lancashire. L.14 dropped some bombs onto or close to the 33 Home Defence Squadron night landing ground at Dunkeswick but caused little damage. L.21 approached Sheffield in fog and a B.E.2c aeroplane from the same 33 Home Defence Squadron took off from Coal Aston aerodrome at 22.55hrs to attempt to intercept it. Owing to the fog the pilot could not locate it, then twenty minutes after taking off it was damaged either flying into rising ground or crash landed on rising ground in the Coal Aston area. L.21 then altered course, did not bomb Sheffield but dropped bombs in Lancashire. A short time later L.22 attacked Sheffield and twenty eight people were killed with probably no other Royal Flying Corps aeroplanes being sent up to attempt to intercept it.
Pilot - (Temp) Capt Edward Noel Clifton RFC.
Edward Clifton was born 21st December 1891 at Westminster, London and was a son of architect and surveyor William Edward Clifton. Edwward had studied architecture at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1909. He had initially served in the Coldstream Guards being granted a commission on 31st December 1914. His service file states that he was wounded on 25th January 1915 serving in the Coldstream Guards (this would have been La Bassee in the same action that killed his younger brother 2nd Lt Harold Norton Clifton, who served in the same regiment and who had also received a commission on the same day). Edward was sent back to England and was later seconded to the Royal Flying Corps. He transferred to the RAF on formation in April 1918 but was then transferred to the Unemployed List on 24th April 1919. He then worked as a partner in the London architectural firm Gunton and Gunton. In the Second World War he appears to have served in the RAF rising to the rank of Acting Group Captain by 1946. He died in Chelsea, London on 10th July 1984.