Tag: GRO0163

The Frimley Aeroplane Fatalities: One Body Still Missing: Mr. Gilbert H. White held an inquest at the White Hart Hotel, Frimley, on Friday evening last week, on the body of Lieut. D. F. Lutyens, of the Royal Air Service, eldest son Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Lutyens, of Thursley, who, with a member the observation staff at Farnborough, named David Hugh Pinsent, met his death on the previous Wednesday through an aeroplane suddenly collapsing and falling to earth. Evidence was given that Lieut. Lutyens was a registered pilot, quite qualified, and had flown overseas. Both Lieut. Lutyens and Mr. Pinsent had flown in the same machine many times before and the flights had all been successful ones. The machine had been examined just before the flight, and everything was in as good trim as possible. A witness said the machine appeared to be flying in good condition, when all at once it seemed to make a nose-dive and immediately appeared to fall to pieces. Lieut Lutyens’ death must have been instantaneous. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and expressed sympathy with the relatives. Sergt. Kenward said that all efforts by the civilian and military authorities to find the body of Mr. Pinsent had so far been without success.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

The Aeroplane Mystery: 1,200 soldiers fail to find passenger’s body: An aeroplane flying at a great height over Hampshire was seen to break into five parts. In the main wreckage the pilot, Lieut. Lutyens was found dead, but there was no trace of a civilian named Pinsent, who had been in the aeroplane with him as observer. Twelve hundred soldiers were sent to help the police search the countryside, the Canal and all the ponds in the neighbourhood were dragged, but there was no sign of Pinsent’s body. At the inquest on Lieut. Lutyens on Saturday, three days after the accident, the mystery was unsolved.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

Flying Fatalities: Birmingham Civilian Observer’s Remarkable Fate: Mr. David Hume Pinsent, only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. Hume C. Pinsent, of Foxcombe Hill, near Oxford, and of Birmingham, met with his death under somewhat remarkable circumstances in flying accident which occurred last Wednesday. Mr. Pinsent, who was attached to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, was flying with Lieut. Lutyens as an observer, when the aeroplane collapsed In mid-air. It was stated at the inquest Saturday that the machine, while flying at a tremendous height, suddenly broke into five parts. Although constant search had been made by the police and 1,200 soldiers in the country and ponds in the vicinity, no trace could be found of Mr. Pinsent’s body. In the case of Lieut. Lutyens, a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned. Mr. Pinsent, who was 26 years of age, was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where graduated with the highest mathematical honours since 1913. When war broke out, he was reading for Bar. He twice applied for a commission but was refused on the grounds of defective eyesight. After working at the Ministry of Munitions for a time, he trained as a munition worker at the Birmingham Technical School. He then went to the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, where for eight months he worked in the shop as a fitter. In January 1917 he was transferred to the Experimental and Research Department, His only brother, Richard Parker Pinsent was killed in France in October 1915.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949
GRO0435 Devonport: Hume Chancellor Pinsent: 1857 – 1920

Inquests on Airmen: Extraordinary disappearance: At the inquest on Lieut. Lutyens, pilot of an aeroplane, which collapsed in mid-air on Wednesday, and at which a verdict of “accidental death” was returned, it was stated that the machine, while flying at a tremendous height, suddenly broke into five parts and though constant search had been made by the police and 1,200 soldiers in the country and ponds in the vicinity and of Basingstoke Canal, no trace could be found of the body of the civilian observer, Pinsent, who was flying with Lieut. Lutyens at the time of the accident. …

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

The Aeroplane Mystery: 1,200 soldiers fail to find passenger’s body: An aeroplane flying at a great height over Hampshire was seen to break into five parts. In the main wreckage, the pilot, Lieut Lutyens, was found dead, but there was no trace of a civilian named Pinsent who had been in the aeroplane with him as an observer. Twelve hundred soldiers were sent to help the police search the countryside, the Basingstoke Canal, and all the ponds in the neighbourhood were dragged, but there was no sign of Pinsent’s body. At the inquest on Lieut. Lutyens on Saturday, three days after the accident, the mystery was still unsolved.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

Airman’s Deathroll: At an inquest on Lieutenant Lutyens, pilot of the aeroplane which collapsed in midair on Wednesday, no evidence was forthcoming as to the cause of the accident, and a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned. Though diligent search had been made by the police and by 1,200 soldiers (including the dragging of the Basingstoke Canal and ponds in the vicinity) no trace had been discovered of the body of the civilian observer Pinsent who was flying with Lieutenant Lutyens. A sergeant stated that the aeroplane was flying at a tremendous height, when it suddenly broke into five parts which came crashing to earth. Lieutenant Lutyens’ body being among the wreckage.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

VAIN SEARCH FOR AIRMAN: Despite constant search by civilians, the police, and over a thousand soldiers and the dragging of Basingstoke Canal, no trace has been found of the bodv of David Pinsent, the observer who was killed in the flying accident over West Surrey. On Wednesday at an inquest on Lieut. Lutvens, the pilot, a verdict of Accidental Death was returned.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

Terrible Aeroplane Fatality: One of the worst airplane fatalities which have been recorded in this district occurred Wednesday afternoon at Mychett, resulting in the deaths of Lt. Lutyens. R.F.C. and David Pensent, a civilian observer. One of the large type machines, carrying pilot and observer left Farnborough at 4.15 p.m., and a quarter of an hour later, when at an altitude of over 4,000 ft., it is assumed that the petrol tank exploded, completely wrecking the machine and killing both pilot and observer. The death in each instance must have been instantaneous, but up till a late hour this morning the body of the observer had not been recovered. The Camberley police are out searching the gorse-covered ground as we go to Press.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

Air Fatality: Pilot and Civilian Observer Killed: Whilst being tested over Surrey last evening an aeroplane collapsed mid-air and fell to earth in five sections. The pilot, Lieutenant Lionel Derek Francis Lutyens, Royal Air Force, and a civilian observer, Mr. David Hugh Pensent (sic), were killed. Mr. Pensent’a body, which is believed to have fallen into a lake, has not yet been recovered.

[see also Dundee Evening Telegraph: Thursday 9^th May 1918 and several other papers]

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918

Fatal Aeroplane Collapse: Whilst being tested over Surrey last evening an aeroplane collapsed in mid-air and fell to earth in five sections. The pilot Lionel Derek Francis Lutyens, Royal Air Force, and a civilian observer, Mr. David Hugh Pensent (sic) were killed. Mr. Pensent’s body, which is believed to have fallen into a lake, has not yet been recovered.

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Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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Referenced

GRO0163 Devonport: David Hume Pinsent: 1891 – 1918