Avro 504 E3535 at Ampleforth College.

Details of this incident and another one stated to have been on the next day with both occurring in the grounds of Ampleforth College / Abbey require further research as not all the accounts of the incidents tally with each other.

With this incident being not properly recorded anywhere in the modern era it would be best to start with the known facts and attempt to fit the aeroplane's history with the known incident at Ampleforth. The aeroplane shown damaged in the grounds of Ampleforth College is pictured above shows Avro 504 E3535, it was delivered to the RAF in October 1918 and served with the North East Area Flying Instructors School (F.I.S.) at Redcar. On 15th January 1919 North West Area F.I.S. moved into Redcar and the aeroplane appears to have operated with both units. On 23rd May 1919 North West Area F.I.S. absorbed North East Area F.I.S. but on 12th June 1919 the unit disbanded. The photograph must therefore have been taken between October 1918 and June 1919 and this fits with the known accident at Ampleforth in that period. The photograph shown above came from a website on the history of Ampleforth. The pilot's service records thankfully agree and he was with the F.I.S. from 17th October 1918 until 30th April 1919.

The local accounts are all similar, they state that on Armistice Day 1918 two ex-Ampleforth College Boys, who had became members of the RFC and by now were serving in the RAF, returned to Ampleforth by air to give the school notice that the Armistice had come. One of the brothers had contacted the school to say that his commanding officer had allowed them to fly an aircraft with his brother to the school and land. The aircraft landed on the school's cricket field. One account states that the aeroplanes later left without incident. Another account states that one of the monks at the school was later given a ride in the aeroplane but on take off a problem occurred and it crashed at the east side of the cricket field. Repairs were being carried out to a narrow gauge railway at the time and an iron rail has been left by the side of the field, the undercarriage caught the rail causing the crash but neither on board were injured.

So the date for the incident of 11th November 1918 certainly seems plausable. Other publications quote the date to be 7th April 1919 and this date would also fit with the known history of the unit the aeroplane was flown with. I would welcome further information. Whenever the date was, the following day another two Avro 504's landed on the field to fly out the two other airmen but one of these, C5818, also crashedbasil. In theory both dates could be correct, if the Collison landed at Ampleforth on 11th November 1918, left without incident but later returned on 7th April 1919 and damaged the aeroplane on this date. The lack of leaves on trees on the photographs of E3585 and C5818 would tend to lean toward the November date being correct.

Pilot - Captain Basil Ralph Collison RAF.

Passenger - (Possibly) Father John.