B.E.2c biplane - Oakwood, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 49.534 W 001° 29.792
30U E 598959 N 5965162
This memorial stone and plaque commemorates the 100th centenary of the day that W. Rowland Ding crashed his plane during a test flight and was killed.
Waymark Code: WM17KXW
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/06/2023
Views: 1
Ding worked at Blackburn's, a local plane manufacturer when he gained his pilot's licence in April 1914. He then managed to log 35,000 miles flying before the outbreak of World War I three months later
He was a very experience flier and was believed to have flown more types of aircraft than any other British pilot.
As well as testing new planes he also flew planes to their destination after they came off the production line. However he also enjoyed stunt flying and put on many displays to large crowds.
On the day his plane crashed he was test flying a plane in front of a large crowd that was designed for light bombing and reconnaissance only. However after doing his test flight he moved away from the crowds and started doing areonautics which caused the wing to collapse.
The plane crashed on top of a fence next to a field and Ding died in the crash.
A memorial in the form of a propeller mounted on a stone plinth was erected at the time of the crash, but someone stole the propeller. It was later found and is now in Armley Mills, the Leeds Industrial Museum.
The new memorial stone was erected on the centenary of the crash and a plaque attached. It is a short distance away from the original crash site due to new houses have been erected.
In Memory of
W. Rowland Ding
Pioneer aviator and test pilot
at Blackburn Aircraft Company
who died on 12th May 1917 when his
B.E.2.c biplane crashed near this spot
This plaque was unveiled by
his grandson Julian Ding and
his great-grandson Charlie Hayhurst-Ding
on the 100th anniversary of his death
12th May 2017