On 11th September 1916 this RNAS Flying School aeroplane suffered engine failure in the Redcar area and was damaged in a force-landing at or near Redcar aerodrome. It overturned on landing but suffered only slight damage and was later repaired.
Pilot - FSL Harold Richard Grant Whates RNAS.
Harold Whates was born in Kensington, London on 29th July 1895 and enlisted for RNAS service on 17th January 1916. He was posted to RNAS Redcar Flying School on 7th March 1916 where he was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (Cert.No.3738) at RNAS Redcar on 22nd September 1916. It took longer than normal because he spent a period in North Ormesby Hospital with acute pneumonia. He left RNAS Redcar for RNAS Cranwell on 7th October 1916. While at Cranwell he suffered an epileptic fit in December 1916. His commission in the RNAS was terminated on 2nd March 1917 and he was appointed to a commission in the RNVR on 3rd March 1917 to the rank of Sub-Lt. He was later elected to become a member of the Royal Aero Club on 7th November 1917. Nothing more about him is known other than he died in Ludlow, Shropshire in 1961.
Caudron G.III 8944 was built by the British Caudron Company Ltd of Hendon and was delivered to AAP at Hendon on 23rd May 1916 where it was tested and accepted on 25th May 1916. Having been dismantled it was transported by rail to RNAS Redcar where it arrived on 11th July 1916. It served with the RNAS Flying School. It sustained damage on 11th September 1916 which saw a repair on site. It was again damaged on 26th October 1916 and was probably not repaired as it was finally deleted on 29th January 1917. In February 1918 he appears to have been reinstated to the RNAS as a pilot, transferring to the RAF on formation in April 1918 before placed on the Unemployed List on 2nd April 1919.
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