Avro 504 D5862 in the Doncaster area.
At 11.00hrs on Wednesday, 11th September 1918 two aeroplanes of No.47 Training Depot Station, based at Doncaster aerodrome collided in mid air over the general Doncaster area while flying at around 2,000 feet. Both aeroplanes crashed. The pilot of Sopwith Pup C420 was killed while the pilot of Avro 504 D5862 sustained injuries. An investigation blamed Lt Savage for the collision. Where the aeroplanes crashed is unclear.
Pilot - 2Lt Rowland Trueman RAF. Injured.
Rowland Trueman was born on 3rd July 1895 and was from Maltby, near Rotherham, Yorkshire. His occupation was given as being a building student, working for a contractor at Maltby until July 1913. He may then have joined the Army. He served in the Royal Engineers and entered France on 31st May 1916. He was serving in the Signal Service Royal Engineers when he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1917 and later received a commission on 6th December 1917. He was posted to No.41 Training Squadron on 19th December 1917 which later folded and became No.47 Training Depot Station. He also transferred to the RAF when it formed and the RFC folded on 1st April 1918. Following the incident on 11th September 1918 he was in hospital for a month and on 14th October 1918 he returned to No.47 TDS but it was another month before he was passed fit for flying duties. He was sent to hospital at Hampstead on 21st December 1918, briefly returned to No.47 TDS (on paper?) and was transferred to the Unemployed List on 18th February 1919. Normally service files end there but in his case it also mentions additional information which is also in newspapers. He was jailed at Leeds Assizes in March 1953 and sentenced to two years imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretencies and for forgery while working as quarry manager / director for the Bolsover Moorstone Company, Sheffield.