On 18th February 1916 this aeroplane lost flying speed at low altitude and nose dived into the ground at Redcar. The pilot sustained serious head injuries, including a broken jaw and possibly a fractured skull. He was initially treated at North Ormesby Hospital, Middlesbrough. The pilot had trained at RNAS Redcar Flying School but this incident appears to have occurred during a flight with the RNAS Home Defence Flight as they appear to have had this Bleriot under their charge.
Pilot - FSL Thomas Cochrane Angus RNAS. Seriously injured.
Thomas Angus was born on 9th September 1891. He enlisted into the RNAS on 11th September 1915 and was posted to RNAS Redcar Flying School on 2nd December 1915. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (Cert.No.2339) on 27th January 1916 at the RNAS Flying School at Redcar. He was hospitalised for some months following the crash at Redcar on 18th February 1916 that appears to have been while serving with the Home Defence Flight. From 16th September 1916 to 30th October 1916 he was posted to East Fortune as "Sick" but returned to Redcar for ground duties on 30th October 1916. On 7th March 1917 he returned to flying instruction. On 5th May 1917 he was posted to Cranwell then sent to France. He transferred to the newly formed RAF in April 1918 but was again in hospital by the summer. He was awarded the DFC on 21st September 1918 while in the rank of Lt (Hon.Capt), the citation reads.."(Hon.Artillery Coy.) "A gallant and skilful officer, who has taken part in eleven long-distance night bombing raids. On one of these his machine alone, out of the five detailed, reached the objective. The weather conditions were most difficult; despite this, and in face of severe anti-aircraft fire, he successfully bombed his target." In September 1919 he transferred to the Unemployed List though it wasn't until August 1921 when he relinquished his commission in the RAF. On 30th June 1924 he appears to have enlisted into the Army. He later graduated from university with a Doctor of Science and married Joan Aster Haughton in September 1928, together they had three children.
Bleriot XI-2 3229 was built by Bleriot and arrived at RNAS Redcar on 9th July 1915 where it joined the Home Defence Flight. Following this accident at Redcar on 18th February 1916 it was assessed and deleted as deemed beyond economic repair on 11th March 1916.
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