Bluebird crashes at Hatfield Airport, Hertfordshire, UK 1931
Hi,
Does anyone have a photo of this type of aircraft that my grand aunt was killed in on the 18th June 1931. I have an extract from a newpaper clipping but was wondering if there is anything else on this tragic event. Death notice: It is with extreme regret that we have to announce the death, as the result of a flying accident on June 18th, of Miss Sicele O'Brien and Mrs Gordon Gallien. They had arrived at Hatfield aerodrome from Brough, in a Blackburn "Bluebird", en route for Hamworth and had just taken- off to resume the journey, when the machine was seen to nose-dive in a spin. It crashed into a hayfield outside the aerodrome and immediately burst into flames. The machine was completely destroyed within a few minutes and it was impossible to rescue the unfortunate occupants. The bodies were charred beyond recognition. With thanks, lorrym |
Hi lorrym,
The aircraft involved was: G-AABF Blackburn L.1B Bluebird III Manufacturer's serial number 1450/5 - it was the fifth of this type to be built. The aircraft had first been registered in September 1928 to Suffolk & Eastern Counties Aero Club, later sold to H R Law at Croydon, before being sold to Mrs G Gallien & Miss S O'Brien at Hanworth. I can't find photos of G-AABF, but there are photos of this type of aircraft is you do a Google search on "Blackburn Bluebird". Regards, David |
|
lorrym,
Welcome to PPRuNe. Have a look at the Wikipedia entries for the Bluebird and the Bluebird IV Blackburn Bluebird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Blackburn Bluebird IV - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There is an interesting quote concerning the IV, which might be relevant to this accident (although I know this was a III): Like the wooden Bluebirds, the Bluebird IV was heavily used by flying clubs, and unfortunately also suffered high attrition, with several being lost in fatal crashes, including a number of unexplained dives into the ground from normal cruising flight |
lorrym
From my notes on the History of the Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aeroplane Club: With the closure of the Cambridge branch of the club, one of the remaining Bluebirds was surplus to requirements and the Blackburn Company agreed to take this aeroplane off the club's hands for £300 to further reduce the club's outstanding account with the Company. Consequently, on 26 March 1930, G-AABF was flown to Brough for onward resale. goldilocksk |
Blackbird G-AABF
Hi Martin and everyone
Thankyou all for these links, I am thrilled and will be able to add the photo to her history page. I also found beautiful photos of both women on Ancestry.com achieving their pilots licenses. Lorraine |
Sicele O'Brien
The above postings are very interesting.
Does anyone know Clare Walker that did some research into Sicele O' Brien during 2007?? Or, does anyone know any other person that has done research on Sicele. Thank you |
lorrym
Don't know whether you've seen these contemporary press cuttings but passed on FWIW. http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r.../Image1-12.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/Image2-2.jpg |
Thank you very much warmtoast for that additional information.
The inquest report is very difficult to read............. do you know if the text can be made any larger please? Thank you. Michael. |
Traynorm, to make the print larger, try holding down your "Ctrl" key and tapping the "+" key.
A sad accident, even though it was so very long ago. |
Traynorm
Inquest report. I'll see if I can make it clearer and hopefully post a better result later today (Monday). WT |
The newspaper clipping is from the Times. Do you have access to the Times Digital Library (try through your local library service).
Goldilocksk |
some clarity!
INQUEST ON TWO AIRWOMEN
THE CRASH AT HATFIELD The inquest on the bodies of Miss Sicele O’Brien, the airwoman, and Mrs. Gordon Gallien, who were burned to death when an aeroplane piloted by Miss O’Brien crashed near Hartsfield Hall, Hatfield Herts. last Thursday night, was held at St Albans yesterday. Miss O’Brien was the daughter of Sir Timothy O’Brien. She won the first women’s air race in this country, and in 1928 lost a leg in an aeroplane crash. Mrs. Gordon Gallien was the wife of Captain Gordon Gallien, an engineer of the Anglo-Persian Oil Com- Pany, who is on his way home from Persia. She was a great traveler and had been Awarded a diploma of the Royal Geographical Society for an expedition in Tanganyika. Sir Timothy O’Brien said he recognized a ring as one which belonged to his daughter. She had her A and B certificates, and was one of the only two women to hold both. Inspector Goodship said that other articles found on Miss O’Brien were too charred to be recognizable. Donald Frederick Alsop, an accountant, of Shepherd’s House, Shepherd–market, May- fair, said that he had known Mrs Gallien all his life. She was a pilot. A latch-key found in the wreckage corresponded with a key of Mrs Gallien’s London home which was in the possession of Mrs. Alsop. Dr.Percy M. Brittain, of Hatfield, said that when he arrived at the scene of the accident the aeroplane was on fire, with two bodies inside. In his opinion death in each case was due to shock from burns. Arthur Potter, of Hatfield, timekeeper and night watchman at the De Havilland Flying School, said that at 8pm on Thursday a two- seater biplane made a good landing on the aerodrome. The machine was refilled, and later the pilot and her passenger had tea in the club room. When he was pushing the machine towards the petrol tank the pilot said, “Don’t lift too high, because I am rather heavy on the nose,” After he got the machine started Miss O’Brien went a few yards and called to him, “You will have to come and help me, I can’t turn this thing across there.” He pointed out that the spot which Miss O’Brien indicated was not the one from which pilots usually took off, but Miss O’Brien appeared to be in a hurry. She began to taxi and went a considerable distance in compari- son with what other pilots usually did before her machine left the ground. “She left the ground about 18in, or 2ft,” the witness said, “then dropped again, took on a little more speed, and eventually got off the ground and climbed against the wind. I thought that the trees were sheltering the wind, but when I saw that she was above the trees I was satisfied that she had got off all right. A gamekeeper who saw her take off suddenly cried to me, ‘Look, Arthur, she’s down.’ I saw the machine spinning to the ground. The aeroplane struck the ground with her nose and burst into flame immedi- ately. When she rose she turned right, which is against the rules of the aerodrome. The machine crashed just outside the aerodrome in a hayfield.” The DEPUTY CORONER. (Mr F. Turner). – How high had she risen when she began to fall? – About 100ft. It is difficult to estimate. He identified the photograph of Mrs Gallien in a newspaper as that of the passenger in the machine Herbert James Catlin, a Hatfield labourer, said he saw the machine spin once or twice before crashing to the ground and bursting into flames. Harry Albert Love, pilot in charge of the Hull Aero Club, said on Thursday morning Miss O’Brien and Mrs. Gallien arrived by car at the club to call for the machine. Miss O’Brien said she was going to a gymkhana or some- thing. “She asked me to give her a few land- ings and racing turns as she intended to go in for a race there. Weather conditions were un- favourable, so she hung about a bit. Later conditions improved, so I took the machine up to test it. I found everything quite satis- factory.” He added that the machine was an old one which had been reconditioned. After the test he went up with Miss O’Brien, who piloted the machine. Miss O’Brien before leaving asked to have the rudder-bar in Mrs. Gallien’s seat adjusted so that Mrs. Gallien could work it. Miss O’Brien would perhaps find difficulty in getting the machine out of a spin because of her artificial leg, and he thought she wanted the rudder bar adjusted so that Mrs. Gallien could help her out of a spin. Major James Cooper, Inspector of Accidents, Air Ministry, said that he thought the machine had hit the ground after a spin. The con- ditions were consistent with a stall. No part of the structure of the machine had failed in the air and none of the controls was defective. It was quite impossible to say if engine trouble had developed. It appeared that Miss O’Brien took the shortest run into the wind, and one was forced to the conclusion that probably she pulled the machine off the ground a little early. The DEPUTY CORONER said he did not think there could be any blame attached to the pilot or the passenger. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned. |
Thank you very much everyone !!!
Very interesting. Has anyone heard of Clare Walker that did some research on Sicele please? Or does anyone know another person that has researched Sicele? Thank you, Michael. |
traynorm
If you look at the RAeS, I think you will find her. |
There's a little bit of film of Bluebird G-EBTB in the East Anglian Film Archive here: East Anglian Film Archive: Bostock Gazette: Easter Air Display, 1928.
WW |
At the 1928 Easter Air Display, Bluebird II G-EBTB was a demonstrator for the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company Ltd. The Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aeroplane Club's two Bluebirds at the time were G-EBRE and G-EBSZ.
Goldilocksk |
All times are GMT. The time now is 15:52. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.