Maurice Farman S.11 Shorthorn A4148 at Catterick aerodrome.
On 15th June 1917 the pilot of this No.14 Training Squadron aeroplane undertook a training exercise that involved flying several circuits of Catterick aerodrome, landing and taking off again. During one landing the pilot descended but appears to have flown into the ground rather than flattening out for landing. The aeroplane crashed, overturned several times and the pilot was severely injured.
The casualty card's scribe recorded that the incident was likely to prove fatal when it was initially recorded, this turned out to not be the case.
Pilot - 2Lt Douglas Hoare RFC. Injured.
Douglas Hoare was born on 26th October 1892 in London but appears to have emigrated to South Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada as a young man. When the First World War came he had initially served as an officer in the London Regiment before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1917. Owing to the injuries sustained as a result of the flying accident at Catterick he never returned to active service and relinquished his commission on grounds of ill health on 23rd January 1918. He died in June 1949 and his buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver.
