Caudron G.III 8950 near Shipton, York.
This aeroplane was in the process of being ferried from Hendon (London) to Redcar on 18th July 1916 where it would have joined the RNAS Flying School or the RNAS Home Defence Flight. Just north of York it suffered an engine failure so the pilot force-landed at Shipton, five miles north of York and it was slightly damaged. The landing may have been made on the landing ground at Shipton or in a nearby farmer's field. It was probably some days into the ferry flight by the time it had reached Shipton and may have set out soon after being accepted for service after manufacture on 13th July 1916.
Pilot - FSL Harold Rampling RNAS.
Harold Rampling was born on 18th April 1895 at Eye, Suffolk. He learned to fly at the Grahame-White School of Flying, at Hendon in 1915 and gained his Royal Aero Club aviator's certificate there on 2nd February 1916 (Cert.No.2381). He served at RNAS Redcar between 5th March 1916 and 11th August 1916 but probably not as a pupil at the Flying School, though may have been with the Home Defence Flight. His service in the RNAS appears to have always been on home shores with him spending time piloting seaplanes with period being on ground duties owing a medical issue. He transferred to the RAF on its formation in April 1918. While serving at Felixstowe he was one of five British airmen who were rescued from the North Sea on 2nd August 1918 by a Dutch trawler following seaplane Felixstowe F.2a N4299 ditching, he was taken to Holland and interned but was later released and returned to his unit on 17th August 1918. He was placed on the Unemployed List on 16th February 1919. Nothing more is known of him. He possibly died in September 1968 and is buried in Etchingham Churchyard, East Sussex if I am correct with his identity.
Caudron G.III 8950 was built by The British Caudron Company Ltd. at Hendon under contract C.P.145456/15 and was delivered to Aircraft Acceptance Park at Hendon (rolled across the grass from the factory) on 10th July 1916. It was tested and accepted on 13th July 1916 then was due to be transferred to RNAS Redcar but on 18th July 1916 crashed at Shipton on the flight north. The repair took twenty one days so the aircraft may have been dismantled and taken by road for repair somewhere. It arrived at Redcar on 8th August 1916. It was badly damaged in a flying accident with the RNAS Flying School at Redcar on 5th October 1916 and was completely wrecked. It was deleted on 16th October 1916.