Brass memorial plaque dedicated to four officers from Elloughton, killed in the Air-ship R38 disaster of 1921.
Inscription -
To the glory of God
and in affectionate remembrance of
(Names)
Officers of the United States Navy
who gave their lives in the disaster
to the air-ship R38. 24th Aug. 1921.
"In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die and their departure is taken
for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction, but they are in peace."
Wisdom III. 3. 2.Names on memorial -
Commander L.H. Maxfield
Lt Commander E.W. Coil
Lt Commander V.N. Bieg
Lt C.G. Little
"The R38 rigid airship was designed for Britain’s Royal Navy during the final months of World War 1, intended for long range duties over the North Sea. Although four such airships had been ordered by the Admiralty, three of them were cancelled after the armistice with Germany and the fourth, the R38, continued only after the United States Navy had agreed to its purchase. At the time of her first flight in 1921 it was the world’s largest airship. At around 1700 hours on the 24th August 1921, disaster struck on a test flight over the Humber estuary near Hull when a structural failure destroyed the airship, killing 44 out of the 49 crew aboard.
These four officers lodged at 51 Elloughton Road in the village for some time whilst trials of the airship at Howden continued. Furthermore, Lt. Little, one of the four officers killed, was married in St Mary’s Church to his American sweetheart, on 9th October 1920."
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"Destroyed by a structural failure while in flight over the city of Hull and crashed into the Humber estuary, killing 44 out of the 49 crew aboard.
Following a spell of bad weather, the airship was finally walked out in the early morning took off for her fourth flight, which had an intended destination of RNAS Pulham, where she could be moored to a mast: a facility unavailable at Howden. In the event, mooring proved impossible because of low cloud and so the airship returned out to sea with the intention of running some high speed tests and then returning to Howden. The speed runs proved successful and as there was still daylight left it was decided to try some low altitude rudder tests to simulate the effects of the rough weather that could be expected on the Atlantic crossing. At 17:37, fifteen degrees of rudder was applied over the city of Hull. Eye witnesses reported seeing creases down the envelope and then both ends drooped. This was followed by a fire in the bow and then a large explosion which broke windows over a large area. The airship had failed structurally and fell into the shallow waters of the Humber estuary.
During its fourth flight, the British airship R38 (ZR-2), due to be delivered to the United States Navy as the ZR-2, broke in two on a test flight near Hull, England, the forward half falling into the Humber River whereupon spilt gasoline on the water caught fire, while the stern, not in flames, settled on a sandbar. The ship had been undergoing turning trials, at 63 mph at 2,500 feet, with the rudders worked to their maximum, causing the lightweight structure to fail
44 died, including British Air Commodore E.M. Maitland, Leader of Airships, and 16 Americans. Maxfield Field at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, named 6 January 1944 in honor of Commander Louis H. Maxfield, Naval Aviator No. 17, who lost his life in the R38 crash."
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