Avro 504 G-EAIA on Scarborough South Bay beach.
Avro 504k G-EAIA (this photo comes from a book by Peter Connon "In the Shadow of the Eagle's Wing, An Aeronautical History
of the Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway Region, (Part 2, 1915 to 1930)" I thank Mr Connon for contacting me in 2009.
On 4th September 1920 this aircraft was almost certainly giving the passengers a pleasure flight with the two passengers being brothers. During the flight the aircraft suffered engine failure, the pilot attempted to force land the aircraft on the beach at
Scarborough's South Bay but in trying to avoid bathers it landed in the sea at the water's edge. The aircraft tipped up, the propeller caught the soft sand and broke while the wings were slightly buckled. This was the pilot's second mishap of the summer, in July 1920 he was the pilot of Avro 504 G-EANQ that clipped a hayrick in the Scarborough area and crashed. When this second incident occurred he had carried in excess of 1500 passengers.
Pilot - Mr John Oliver AFC.
Passenger - Mr Wainwright.
Passenger - Mr Wainwright.
John Oliver was born in Wilmslow, Cheshire on 25th July 1898. In 1914 he began work with A V Roe as
a "premium apprentice", he learnt to fly in 1916 and joined the RFC in 1917 and became an RFC pilot
before transferring to the newly created RAF in 1918. On 3rd June 1918 the notification that he was
to receive the Air Force Cross was published in the London Gazette and at the time he was a
Lieut. in the newly formed RAF. This was the first issue of the AFC to twenty one officers. He flew with Border Aviation Co Ltd while
his application to join the post-WW1 RAF was granted. Having been granted a permenant commission in the RAF he later took part in
the RAF's Aerial Pagent at Hendon in July 1921 flying a Sopwith Snipe and at this date his rank was F/O. He rose to F/Lt on
10th December 1924 and was posted to H.Q. India the month previously. He was transferred to the Home Establishment and was
posted to Uxbridge on 12th March 1936 and later that year posted to the Home Aircraft Depot at Henlow on 12th July 1926.
In 1929 he was the test pilot for the Avro Ten at Woodford aerodrome. On 6th January 1930 he was posted to 3 Squadron at Upavon and
made Honorary Secretary of No.3 Squadron Officers Re-union Dinner later that year. He was made S/Ldr in 1934 and posted back to
India in January 1935 for Admin Duties. He was promoted to W/Co on 1st October 1937 and on 1st January 1938 he was posted to command
No.1 (Indian Wing) Station, Kohat, India. He rose to G/Capt on 1st September 1940. He retired from the RAF in 1946. Back in civilian
life he was appointed to Aviation Manager to the Goodyear Tyre Company and as A/Comm Oliver he became the Dept Lt. of Staffordshire
in 1951. He died in Budleigh Salterton, Devon on 22nd September 1982, aged 84.
The aircraft was built to contract 35a/1761/C1880 by Parnall & Sons Ltd in Bristol as F8717 in June 1918. It does not appear
to have any record of RAF service and was sold as "surplus to requirements", being registered as G-EAIA in August 1919
to West of Scotland Aviation Co Ltd, Renfrew. Its Certificate of Airworthiness lapsed on 15th August 1920 and later
in the same month it was purchased by Border Aviation Co Ltd, based at Carlisle. It suffered it's accident at Scarborough
on 4th September 1920 and may not have been repaired but it was salvaged. This company went into liquidation October 1920
and the aircraft transferred to former proprietors Robert F Little & Percy H Ingham in June 1921 who were registered as
Ingham & Little Aviation Co, Carlisle. The CofA lapsed again on 15th August 1921 but on 12th March 1923 it went to
Robert Atkinson, Newhaven until the registration was cancelled in March 1924.