On 28th September 1916 this RNAS Redcar Flying School aeroplane's engine failed on a flight from Redcar, the pilot attempted a forced-landing but it was badly damaged after it struck a hedge. The pilot was injured
Who was flying in this aeroplane at the time I will question. Others in the past have quoted F/Lt Vivian Gaskell-Blackburn DSC RNAS and F/Lt Thomas Vaughan Lister RNAS but I very much doubt and will disagree. Gaskell-Blackburn's service file does not state that he ever served at RNAS Redcar and on 28th September 1916 he was actually on sick leave at Calshot. Lister also never served at RNAS Redcar as he was a seaplane pilot and instructor. Norman Blackburn's service file states he was the pilot and was injured about the face following this crash so was clearly involved. I can understand how someone in the past may have confused the two Blackburns but where Lister's name originated from is a puzzle.
Pilot - F/Lt Norman William George Blackburn RNAS.
Norman Blackburn was aeroplane manufacturer Robert Blackburn's brother. He was born on 25th May 1895 in Leeds, Yorkshire. He enlisted for RNAS service on 17th May 1915 and following training at the Grahame-White School of Flying at Hendon, London he was awarded a Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate on 5th June 1915 (Cert.No.1311). He later received a posting to RNAS Killingholme on 20th October 1915, then served at RNAS Redcar from 15th February 1916 to 26th March 1916, after attending a course at Eastchurch he returned to RNAS Redcar on 9th April 1916 as an instructor with the Flying School. He appears to have been uninjured on 22nd July 1916 when Curtiss JN-4 3443 crashed near Northallerton. On 28th September 1916 he was injured when Caudron G.III 3280 crashed near Redcar and this saw him hospitalised for a time. He was eventually passed as fit on 6th December 1916 and returned to duty at Redcar. On 29th May 1917 he was admitted to hospital in Middlesbrough suffering with scarlet fever. He was passed fit and returned to RNAS Redcar. He was eventually posted to Stonehedge on 21st January 1918. He married on 9th December 1917 at Roundhay Congregational Church, Leeds. He transferred to the newly formed RAF in April 1918 spending time between No.13 T.D.S. and hospitals until being transferred to the Unemployed List on 5th February 1919. He returned to Yorkshire and begun working for his brother Robert Blackburn's aeroplane company. He managed the RAF Reserve training school at Brough between 1924 and 1940. In 1940 Robert Blackburn asked him to take charge of the Swordfish production at the Sherburn-in-Elmet factory but later he returned to Brough in 1943 and was in charge of all Blackburn factories in Yorkshire from 1944. In retirement he lived in Bridlington and he died in January 1966.
Caudron G.III 3280 was built by Le Crotoy in France and was delivered to RNAS Eastchurch on 26th June 1915. It was converted to a dual control machine on 21st July 1915 and delivered to RNAS Redcar Flying School on 2nd March 1916 before suffering damage on 28th September 1916. It was repaired but crashed again on 12th October 1916. This second accident saw it deleted on 25th October 1916 after assessment.
Vivian Gaskell-Blackburn was born in Leeds on 8th March 1891. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.617) at the Bristol School, Brooklands on 10th September 1913. Around the same period he was involved with constructing his own aircraft. He enlisted for RNAS service in December 1914. For his service during the First World War he received a number of awards and medals. He was awarded the DSC for service during the advance on Kut-el-Amara on 27th / 28th September 1915. The citation, from the London Gazette of 21st January 1916 reads.."Flight-Lieutenant Blackburn did excellent air reconnaissance work, and came under heavy fire on the afternoon of September 28th, whilst carrying despatches between the General Officer Commanding and the "Comet"." He was Mentioned in Despatches a number of times, Gazetted on 19th February 1915, 5th May 1916 and 13th July 1916 and later "for distinguished service rendered during active operations in Iraq during 1920-21" Gazetted on 10th October 1922. He was awarded the Bar to the DSC, Gazetted on 17th May 1918 "for services in the advance and retreat from Ctesiphon, when he performed most excellent work." He was also awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 10th October 1919. Vivian Gaskill-Blackburn was finally placed on the Retired List as a Group Captain in 1947 and died in October 1956. His medal set sold at auction in 2007 with selling price of £20,000.
Thomas Lister was born at Didbrook, Gloucestershire on 29th December 1893. His father was almost certainly a vicar as he stated he was living at the Leign Vicarage, Cheltenham when he gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.1018) at RNAS Hendon on 23rd December 1914 having been appointed to the RNAS on 20th November 1914 as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. His service file is missing his 1915 service and postings but he appears to have served at RNAS seaplane bases for some time during 1915 and 1916, being at Dover, then transferring to Windermere as an instructor on 11th September 1916, then to Grain five days later. No mention of him being at Redcar. He was posted to RNAS Killingholme on 16th October 1916. In March 1917 he joined No.6 Wing and appears to have flown in the Mediterranean. He rose to become a Squadron Commander on 31st December 1917. He was elected to become a member of the Royal Aero Club on 13th February 1918 and married at Tewkesbury Abbey on 22nd August 1918 while in the rank of Major. He transferred to the RAF on its formation, was Mentioned in Despatches on 3rd June 1919 and was granted a permanent commission in the RAF to the rank of Major on 1st August 1919 (01193). He was promoted to S/Ldr at a later date and was posted from No.3 Group HQ (Inland area) to the Electrical and Wireless School (Inland Area) on 18th July 1921 before being posted to Leuchars on 19th September 1924 and to HQ India on 15th December 1925. He was promoted to W/Co on 1st January 1931 and was posted to Uxbridge from the Home Establishment on 26th March 1931. He was later posted to the Air Armament School, Eastchurch on 11th January 1937 briefly before posted to command No.5 Armament Training Camp, Penrhos on 1st February 1937. He transferred to the Technical Branch on 24th April 1940. He was later promoted to G/Cpt (probably of the Acting nature) before finally retiring from the RAF on 9th January 1947 as Wing Commander but retaining the rank of Group Captain. Like other former WW1 RNAS pilots his period of service was remarkable. It is likely that he died in Cheltenham in 1983.