Maurice Farman Biplane No.224 crash, Folkestone / Shorncliffe, October 1913

[John]

Captain C. Mellor of the Royal Flying Corps was flying a Maurice Farman Biplane (No.224) when it crashed between Folkestone and Shorncliffe on the 22nd October 1913. His passenger at the time was 2nd Lieutenant R.W. Gunter of the Royal Garrison Artillery. Nothing unusual so far - in those pioneering days many of the flimsy aircraft came to grief in one way or another. But this particular crash caused a bit of a stink at HQ as they tried to find out why the passenger had been on the aircraft in the first place. The official response was that he was practising observation at the time - a fine excuse that quickly led to more probing questions being asked, because Gunter had been diagnosed as having suffered permanent loss of use of his left eye beforehand. After some back-and-forth between the War Office and the R.F.C., a letter from the Commanding Officer of the R.F.C. to the War Office stated..

"Lieut. Gunter applied for permission to have a flight, and permission was given by the officer in charge, Captain Mellor, who considered that it would be for the good of the Service to do so. Requests for flights by officers are very frequently made. Owing to the numerous requests for flights in aeroplanes by Officers in the Aldershot and Southern Commands an order was issued to limit the number of applications which were made to O.C. Squadrons direct. Before these regulations regarding observation flights were issued, it was the custom for officers (especially Staff and R.A. Officers) to be given flights in W.D. aircraft for two reasons, viz:- either to see if they would become good observers, or with a view to finding out if they would like to take up flying. It would appear that, when flights can be given without detriment to the work of the R.F.C., it is on broad grounds desirable, with a view to improving materiel knowledge and co-operation between arms, to grant such permission whenever possible. In order that no possible doubt may exist in future as to whether such permission be given, I would request that a definite ruling on the matter may now be given."

The page shown below lists the damage caused to the Renault engine of the biplane - and states the crash happened at Dover, while the actual Court of Inquiry said 'between Shorncliffe and Folkestone". Also, the date on the page is October 29th 1913, which I assume is the date of the inspection report on the engine.