Airman's Cross near Stonehenge

[tubby linton]

Near Stonehenge is a stone cross dedicated to the memory of two members of the RFC who died near the spot in 1912.Does anybody have any details of the aircraft involved and nature of the accident?
Memorial at Airman's Cross, Wiltshire (http://airfields.fotopic.net/c1792921.html)

[India Four Two]

Eustace Broke Loraine (3 September 1879 – 5 July 1912) was a pioneer British aviator and the first Royal Flying Corps officer to be killed in an aircraft crash.See here: Eustace Loraine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_Loraine)

[forget]

Less than two months later and exactly 13 years since he joined the Army, Loraine and his passenger Staff Sergeant R H V Wilson were flying a Nieuport Monoplane out of Larkhill on a routine morning practice sortie. They were executing a tight turn when the aircraft fell towards the ground and crashed. Wilson was killed outright and although Loraine was speedily transported to Bulford Hospital in a horse-drawn ambulance, he succumbed to his wounds only a few minutes after arriving at the Hospital.[5][6] Loraine and Wilson were the first Flying Corps personnel to die in an aircraft crash while on duty. Later in the day an order was issued which stated "Flying will continue this evening as usual", thus beginning a tradition.

Eustace Loraine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_Loraine)

[India Four Two]

forget, snap!

It is sad that poor Staff Sergeant Wilson gets second billing, but then he wasn't "a Hofficer".

I drove past the cross last April, but didn't realize the significance and didn't stop :(

[tubby linton]

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/documents/Journal%2016%20-%20Seminar%20-%20Air%20Leadership%20in%20War.pdf
This journal has an article regarding the accident.

[India Four Two]

Just in case anyone else is confused, like I was, the Airman's Cross article starts on page 104 of the RAF Museum pdf..

[tubby linton]

Thee is a very nice index in the front of the pdf which points you to the article!!!

[India Four Two]

Thanks, Tubby. That's what happens when I skip over the headers and start reading the articles.;)

[Franksau]

S/Sgt Wilson is buried in St Mary'y Churchyard, Andover. His gravestone has a propellor on it, frequently vandalised!

[Vasco Sodcat]

Don't forget the nearby cross commemorating Maj AW (Alexander William) Hewetson, 66 Battery Royal Field Artillery. He died in a flying accident on 17 Jul 1913 whilst attempting to gain his Flying Certificate in a Bristol-Coanda Monoplane. The cross is in the SE corner of Fargo Plantation at SU113426. An associated plinth is at SU139439 - the site of the accident. I will post photos of both monuments as soon as possible.

It remains to be seen what arrangements for access to the Fargo Plantation monument will exist after work on the new Stonehenge visitor centre is complete - I believe that from that point on only English Heritage vehicles will ordinarily use the erstwhile A344 between Stonehenge and Airman's Cross (sic; surely Airmen's Cross?).

Perhaps a group should "press-to-test" on 17 Jul 14, the 101st anniversary of the death?

[Wander00]

That will be if they have sorted out the mess the A303 has become there. Was down there a couple of weeks ago and traffic queues were awful. Someone did not think the plan through properly, if they did they should be criminally liable!

[Wander00]

Dated 1 April no doubt!

[VX275]

The traffic on the A303 wouldn't be so bad if the population of London and Surrey didn't all set off for their cottages in the west country at the same time. Thank God that on a Friday afternoon I go in the other direction on the A303.

[India Four Two]

VX275,

I used to often drive the A303 going down from Heathrow to Shaftesbury to see my mother. I agree with you about the traffic. Luckily, I usually drove it at non-busy times.

However, in my opinion, the magnificent scenery over Salibury Plain more than makes up for the delays, particularly that marvelous vista that opens up as you come over the hill from Amesbury, with Stonehenge in the foreground.

Are they finally making the bit west of Stonehenge into dual-carriageway?

[Vasco Sodcat]

India 42,

Sadly not. The tunnel option was binned on financial grounds, a dual carriageway is opposed because tumuli lie close to the road on both sides. The best we can hope for is that Countess roundabout will have a flyover in the future thus bypassing the traffic lights, but you will still run into a traffic jam when you go into one lane at the top of Coneybury Hill.

[TheChitterneFlyer]

I agree. The planning people deserve a kick up the derriere for the latest fiasco of closing the Stonehenge Exit and modifying the roundabout at Longbarrow. Many frequent (Westbound) users of the A303 now use the back road to Shrewton and continue all the way through Chitterne, Nook Camp, Sutton Veny, Longbridge Deverill, The Deverills, and Mere, to rejoin the A303 to avoid the lengthy delays from the top of Beacon Hill (East of Amesbury).

Local villages are now taking the brunt of a great deal of heavy traffic... all because of a couple of tumuli that prevents the construction of a well needed dual carriageway to bypass Stonehenge and Winterbourne Stoke. Even if a new carriageway was built, traffic would still come to a standstill just beyond the Wyle Valley (A303/A36 Junction). Hence, a great deal of money would have to be spent not only at Stonehenge but also several miles further west.

It's a shambles. Grind the stones at the Henge into hardcore and construct a new road!

TCF

[VX275]

Many years ago I went to a public meeting about the dualing of the 303. English Heritage were wanting the expensive bored tunnel option to preserve the archeology. I got a stunned blank look from them when I suggested that the archeology they were interested in had probably already been disturbed / destroyed when they built the buildings for RAF Stonehenge. It was obvious that they didn't know of the brief existance of that airfield or the railway that served it.

[tonker]

Can't they just move the stones:E

[VX275]

Can't they just move the stones

The story goes that during WW1 the CO of RAF Stonehenge requested that the rocks on the edge of his flying ground were causing an obstruction (what today would be called a flight safety hazard) and he was seeking permission to have them removed.
The War Office considered his request and nearly granted permission when it was realised just which rocks they were. So permission to demolish was not granted but if they really were an obstruction they could be painted white. :ok:

[India Four Two]

all because of a couple of tumuli that prevents the construction of a well needed dual carriageway

I thought that might be the case. I'm all in favour of preserving ancient monuments, but one or two fewer tumuli is not going to make any difference in the long run, plus the archeologists would get a chance to do a complete excavation of the ones to be removed.

Have a look at the OS map: Map of Stonehenge, Wiltshire (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=411307&y=142262&z=120&sv=stonehenge&st=3&tl=Map+of+Stonehenge,+Wiltshire+)

"Never seen so many bleedin' tumuli!" ;)

[Vasco Sodcat]

VX275:

I believe that the stones were laid flat whilst Stonehenge was active as a flying station, and were re-erected subsequently using some relatively modern materials in the foundations, i.e. concrete! I have a wicked vision of an archaeologist in the far future trying to reconcile concrete and the Neolithic! ;)

All,

Photos of both Hewetson memorials will follow shortly, IT willing :ugh:

[Vasco Sodcat]

0.9 sm / 1.5 km east of Airmen's Cross:

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r682/rafreddavis/Hewetson/HewetsonCross_zps4df4df9c.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r682/rafreddavis/Hewetson/HewetsonCrossInscrip_zps1fddf28e.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

300m SSE of main gate to Sch of Artillery, Larkhill:

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r682/rafreddavis/Hewetson/HewetsonPlinth_zpsefd9fbfc.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r682/rafreddavis/Hewetson/HewetsonPlaque_zpsca67db56.jpg

The grids for these two memorials appear on the previous page.

[VX275]

I believe that the stones were laid flat whilst Stonehenge was active as a flying station, and were re-erected subsequently using some relatively modern materials in the foundations, i.e. concrete! I have a wicked vision of an archaeologist in the far future trying to reconcile concrete and the Neolithic! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif



Whilst its true that some stones were re-erected in the 20th centery it aws only those that had fallen down over the millenia and a couple that were leaning. There are photos from the early days of flying at Larkhill which show the leaning stones propped up with timber.
Talking of concrete wrecking the archeology, why is the nearby Woodhenge nothing but concrete posts?

[Vasco Sodcat]

why is the nearby Woodhenge nothing but concrete posts?


Perhaps the Ancients didn't have Cuprinol? ;)