Albert EDMONDS

Air Mechanic 2nd Class 65286 Albert EDMONDS. 75 Squadron Home Defence Goldington attached to 2nd Training Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Formerly Private with the Durham Light Infantry (Cap Badge on photo). Born 1887 to Edwin Hugh and Fanny Mary Edmonds, nee Walker. 1891 with his parents and siblings at Hook Street, Lydiard Tregooze, Wiltshire. 1901-1911 with his parents and siblings at Coped Hall, Wootton Bassett. 1911 occupation, Agriculture Engineer and Machinist
Killed in a mid-air collision with another aircraft in the vicinity of RAF Wynton Cambridgeshire 20 August 1917

Cause of his death.
He was flying with Pilot Lt William James Pierce in a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e B4451 (Plane built at Filton, Gloucestershire) when it collied in mid air with another B.E. 2e, registration No’s A1316 of 20 Training Squadron, Wynton flown by Lt Louis Joseph Purgold in the vicinity of Wynton aerodrome near Godmanchester at 11am 20 August 1917. He was killed age 30.
Court of inquiry concluded the death was unavoidable owing to a cloud being between the two machine which were approaching each other from opposite directions which meant that the respective pilots from seeing the other machine until too late to avoid a collision. The Court do not consider that there was carelessness over the part of each pilot.


The other fatality was Lt Louis Joseph Purgold aged 21. He is at rest in Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool, Lancashire. Lt William James Pierce was injured.