Caudron G.III 8946 at Redcar.

On 15th August 1916 this RNAS Flying School aeroplane overshot on landing at Redcar aerodrome and crashed into houses, the crew escaped serious injury but the aeroplane was badly damaged.

Pilot - FSL Bert Sterling Wemp RNAS.

Pilot - FSL William Buckley RNAS.

Bert Wemp was born on 3rd July 1889 at Tweed, Ontario, Canada and educated in Toronto. He began working in the offices of newspapers before WW1 and worked his way up to reporter, city editor and chief of The Telegram and the Toronto star. When the First World War broke out he volunteered as a pilot as gained his Royal Aviator's Certificate (Cert.No.1714) on 31st August 1915 at the Curtiss School, Toronto, Canada. He enlisted into the RNAS on 1st September 1915. While at RNAS Killingolme on 19th October 1915 he crashed Curtiss 8394 into The Humber escaping injury. He initially served at RNAS Redcar between 15th February 1916 and 5th March 1916 but was then posted to Eastchurch then Yarmouth. While based near Great Yarmouth he was one of a number of pilots to attempt to attack a German Naval squadron that attacked Lowestoft and Yarmouth on 25th April 1916, he flew B.E.2c 8612. He returned to RNAS Redcar on 10th June 1916. On 20th July 1916 he was flying Caudron G.III 8941 was injured force landing in the general Redcar area though the location is unknown. On 15th August 1916 he collided with housing landing at RNAS Redcar. On 3rd January 1917 he crashed Caudron G.III 8820 at Redcar. He appears to have remained at RNAS Redcar until July 1917 and was a flying instructor there. He was then allowed to return to Canada for a period of leave. On his return he was posted to France and later served as commander of 218 Squadron RNAS but was hospitalized in mid-1918 / early-1919. For his WW1 service was the first Canadian to win the Distinguished Flying Cross in the RAF, Gazetted on 3rd June 1918, though no citation has been located. He was also awarded the Chevalier, Order of Leopold (Belgium), Gazetted on 8th February 1919 and later returned home to Canada. He relinquished his commission on the grounds of ill health on 18th July 1919. On return to Toronto he continued his work as a journalist. In 1930 he ran for and was elected as Mayor of Toronto and was in office when the R.100 airship crossed the Atlantic. After a year in office he returned to the Toronto Telegram as city editor. In WW2 he worked as a war correspondent and on 1st July 1946 he was awarded the OBE (Civil). He died on 5th February 1976.

William Buckley was born on 8th March 1898 in Manchester. He enlisted for RNAS service on 25th June 1916 and attended the RNAS Redcar Flying School between 15th July 1916 and 11th November 1916. While at RNAS Redcar he was awarded a Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.4092) on 1st November 1916. Upon leaving Redcar he was posted to Cranwell and then to Dover in early 1917. He must have been seriously injured in 1917 as he was invalided out of the RNAS.
Caudron G.III 8946 was built by the British Caudron Company Ltd based at Hendon and was delivered to RNAS AAP, Hendon on 17th June 1916 where it was tested and accepted on 20th June 1916. It was then dismantled and sent by rail to RNAS Redcar on 12th July 1916. It arrived at Redcar three days later, it was re-assembled, tested and accepted there on 3rd August 1916 going on to join the RNAS Flying School. Twelve days later on 15th August 1916 it sustained this accident at Redcar and was declared beyond repair, after asseessment it was deleted on 28th August 1916.

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