8 replies to this topic

[tamos123]

Hi

I wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction to get more information about the loss of R T Gates and whether it was by accident or enemy action

thank you

[MikeW]

Gates was flying in a Henry Farman Pusher biplane, serial 940, on an anti-Zeppelin patrol out of Hendon aerodrome on 10th September 1914. He crashed on landing, and subsequently died of his injuries on the 14th September.

The patrol must have been as the result of a false alarm as the first airship raids did not commence until 1915.


Was this Richard Gates, the former General Manager of the Grahame-White factory?


The Henry Farman fared a little better being repaired by Grahame-White and was back in service by the 8th November 1914. Its final flight was on the 11th February 1915, when en-route for 1 Squadron at Dunkerque it crashed in the sea off Nieuport.


Mike

[Dolphin]

Mike

Flight Lieutenant R T Gates was indeed the former General Manager of the Graham-White factory.  On 5/6 September 1914 FLt Gates was airborne from Hendon for a hour in a Farman [serial not known - perhaps it was 940?] with fellow RNAS officer FSL Claude Graham-White.  The airmen were on an anti-airship mission after a false alarm from the Admiralty.  This was the first night patrol over London.

Cheers

Gareth

[tamos123]

thank you very much for information he must have been a very early casualty for the RNAS.

Is there any further reading you can recommend?

thanks again

[Dolphin]

This won't add much to what has already been written, but the relevant page from Cole and Cheesman's 'The Air Defence of Great Britain 1914-1918' ISBN 0 370 30538 8 is below.

This is the only mention of FLt Gates in the book.

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[museumtom]

Flight Lt Richard Thomas Gates, RNAs son of Henry Gates by his wife Elizabeth; born Brighton 17 march 17 1876, educ, Brighton Grammar School, served through the South African War, first in the ranks of the yeomanry, was given a commission asLieut in 1901 and then after being invalided home was transport officer on Sir Arthur Pagets Staff, subsequently joined Mr Grahame White in the creation and development of the hendon Airodrome of which he became manager and in June 1902 secured his certificate as aeroplane pilot. After the outbreak of war he was gazetted Lieut RNAS for special duty on the formation of a naval air station at hendon and died 14 sept 1914 from injuries sustained when decending on a henry Farman biplane at hendon Aerodrome on the 10th,. He married in london 22 oct 1901 Lottie Ada(4 Brigstoke Terrace Ryde I.W.) dau of James Cooke Londonderry and had two children; major Sidney b 11 nov 1902 and richard Thomas Fairfax b 12 june 1914.

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[tamos123]

thanks Pals for all the information its all really interesting

[MikeW]

I'm sure I've seen a history of Hendon Aerodrome on ebay, I would have thought that there might be a little more in that book - anyone got a copy?

Mike

[akasha691]

Richard Thomas Gates has just been mentioned in a programme called - Brick by Brick - Rebuilding Claude Graham's White - watchtower. His grandson was on the show, saying he thought Richard Gates was the 1st air casualty of WW1 - it was on BBC2 should be available on Iplayer