The pilot had flown this Caudron the full distance from Dover to Redcar, beginning mid-afternoon on 23rd May 1916 he took off for Yorkshire and made the journey in eight legs over four days. He had first landed near Sevenoaks to get his barings, then made stops at Yalding, Delting, Chingford, Gravesend, Cranwell, Grantham, York before arriving at Redcar. On 26th May 1916 this RNAS aeroplane was nearing the end of the delivery flight from Detling to Redcar but as it neared Redcar the engine had either failed or had been deliberately stopped. The engine could not be re-started and when he realised he was not going to make it to the aerodrome by gliding he attempted to force land. It struck a hedge and crashed into a field near to Redcar aerodrome. It tipped up onto it's nose and it was damaged.
Pilot - FSL Douglas Alexander Hardy Nelles RNAS.
Douglas Nelles was born on 23rd August 1892 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, he had served in the Canadian Militia before learning to fly in 1915 at the Curtiss School, Toronto, Canada. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (Cert.No.2008) at the Curtiss School on 15th October 1915, enlisted into the RNAS on 3rd November 1915 and was then posted to England soon after. In early 1916 he served at RNAS Dover where, on paper, he still was serving while involved with ferrying Caudron G.III 3273 to Redcar. After flying in England he was later posted to France with his unit, No.5 Wing, on 4th July 1916. On 22nd April 1917 he was flying to bomb an airfield near the Dutch border when he was forced to land the aircraft in Holland, he was then interned. He was awarded the DSC on 12th May 1917, the citation reads.."For conspicuously good work as a pilot of a bombing machine. He has taken part in seventeen raids, and has also done a large amount of fighter patrol work." He was granted an "Indulgence Passage" to return to Canada in November 1917 and to return to Holland in April 1918. He was placed on the Unemployed List in May 1919 and returned home to Canada where he had a long life, finally passing away in 1986.
Caudron G.III 3273 was bought from Caudron's at Le Crotoy and was delivered to the Central Supply Depot at Wormwood Scrubs in June 1915. It was then dispatched to RNAS Chingford for erection, testing and acceptance on 19th June 1915. It suffered a minor accident at Hendon on 3rd July 1915 when it collided with a fence. later that same day it was dismantled and returned to Chingford the next day where it was re-erected, tested and accepted on 24th September 1915. It was later transferred to RNAS Dover on 10th February 1916 where on 18th March it was slightly damaged in a forced landing. Following repair it was sent to Detling and soon after up to Redcar on 23rd May 1916, via Cranwell on 24th of May arriving Redcar on 26th May 1916 and suffering this accident on approach. The aeroplane was not yet in the care of RNAS Redcar and was being flown by a pilot serving at RNAS Dover, it was deleted from stock on 15th July 1916 although records do not make mention of this being due to a flying accident.