B.E.2e 7323 (probably) crashed in the Ripon area.
At 10.10hrs on 17th May 1918 the controls of this aeroplane jammed while the pilot was making a turn, it then sideslipped and struck the ground which injured both men flying in it. The aeroplane was a No.76 Squadron machine and while the crash location is not stated on the Casualty Card, the squadron were based at Ripon. The incident was probably in the Ripon area, possibly close to the aerodrome if the pilot was flying so low and making a turn so low to the ground. It was thought possible that the passenger in the front seat may have been the cause of the controls jamming, he may have had some part of his body jamming the control column or even been holding on to it, preventing the pilot from properly using it.
Pilot - Lt Edwin Deacon Aldridge RAF. Injured.
Passenger - 2AM Harold Ashton RAF (96033). Injured.
Edwin Aldridge was born on 25th February 1897 and lived in the Spencers Wood area of Berkshire. He appears to have enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps in April 1917 and received a commission on 10th May 1917. He was then posted to No.76 (Home Defence) Squadron in August 1917. He was injured on 2nd February 1918 when No.76 Squadron B.E.2c B4454 crashed at York (probably Copmanthorpe) though returned to his unit on 8th March 1918. He then transferred to the RAF when it formed in April 1918 and the RFC folded. He was slightly injured on 17th May 1918 when 76 Squadron B.E.2c 7323 crashed but his service records gives no details of where or hospital where treatment was carried out. His posting thereafter do not appear to have been to regular front line units though ones I have identified were in Yorkshire. He eventually transferred to the Unemployed List on 10th October 1919.