Bleriot XI-2 3232 near Scarborough.
This RNAS Home Defence Flight aeroplane was wrecked as a result of a forced landing near Scarborough aerodrome on 31st July 1916 following an anti-Zeppelin patrol. The pilot escaped injury but no further details are known about the incident.
Pilot - FSL Arthur William Colston Kidner RNAS.
Arthur Kidner was born on 31st January 1891 in Bristol but appears to have moved to Calgary, Canada at a young age. He learnt to fly at the Curtiss School, Toronto, Canada where he gained his Royal Aero Club aviator's certificate on 23rd November 1915 (Certificate No.2082). His RNAS enlistment was made the day previous to this and must then have sailed for England. Following a few weeks at Eastbourne he was posted to RNAS Scarborough though the date is not stated in his service file. He left RNAS Scarborough for RNAS Redcar on 9th August 1916 but received an assessment as to his fitness for flying duties just days later. The date this is just after the crash near Scarborough on 31st July 1916 it must be linked, so he was posted to Redcar for assessment. On 17th August 1916 it was suggested that he be surveyed by The Admiralty as to his fitness for flying duties. Days later he was ordered to proceed to hospital at Chatham. He was then discharged as being fit for duties other than flying and it appears to have been stated to him that he would have to transfer to the RNVR but he was unwilling to do this. His RNAS commission was then terminated on 20th October 1916 and he was transferred back to Canada. He died in 1944. It may well be that this was a case of mental health problems resulting from his flying accident at Scarborough but as such problems were not understood or recognised at the time.
Bleriot XI-2 3232 was built by Bleriot, France and was purchased for the RNAS. It was delivered to RNAS Redcar in July 1915 but was transferred to D-Flight at Atwick in a dis-assembled state by road on 14th July 1915. It was erected and tested on 16th July 1915 but suffered repairable damage to the fuselage and engine on the test flight. It was dismantled and returned to Redcar for repair the next day. It was then transferred to RNAS Scarborough Home Defence Flight on 19th October 1915 then moved back to RNAS Atwick Home Defence Flight on 30st October 1915. It was back at RNAS Scarborough Home Defence Flight on 27th January 1916 and carried out an Anti-Zeppelin Patrol on 11th February 1916. It was force landed and damaged near Scarborough on 31st July 1916 but while considered it was deemed not worth repairing and was it deleted from stock on 15th August 1916.