On 20th October 1916 this RNAS Flying School aeroplane suffered engine failure while on a flight in the Redcar area and it suffered damage to it's tail in a forced landing at Redcar.
Pilot - FSL Frederick George Browne RNAS.
Frederick Browne was born on 30th July 1897, possibly in Crewe, but I cannot locate a birth registration for him in the birth index that fits. He had initially served in the RNVR but transferred to the RNAS on 26th June 1916 being granted a temporary commission as Flight Sub-Lieut. He was initially posted to RNAS Eastchurch Flying School on 22nd July 1916 but this posting was cancelled seven days later and he was posted to RNAS Redcar Flying School on 29th July 1916. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate following training at RNAS Redcar on 26th October 1916 (Cert.No.5345). He was then posted to RNAS Cranwell on 4th November 1916 and to Calshot on 1st March 1917. On 4th April 1917 he requested permission to resign his commission but this was not approved. In May 1917 he was assessed, deemed unfit and found to be suffering from neurasthenia which had occurred after he sustained a (flying?) accident. This was possibly Caudron G.III 8942 at Redcar some months earlier. On 23rd October 1917 he was invalided out of the RNAS but was allowed to retain his rank. This would appear to be a case of mental illness not being understood or recognised in a different era than today. Nothing more is known about him.
Caudron G.III 8942 was built by British Caudron Co.Ltd of Hendon and was delivered to AAP at Hendon on 6th May 1916 where it was tested and accepted on 10th May 1916. The next day it was transferred to RNAS Redcar where it arrived on 14th May and entered service with their Flying School. The aircraft was repaired after an accident on 20th October 1916 and returned to service only to be damaged in another accident on 23rd December 1916. Following assessment it was deemed beyond economic repair and was deleted on 19th January 1917.
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