Date:	Tuesday 16 August 1938
Time:	11:35 LT
Type:	Miles Magister Mk I
Owner/operator:	26 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	L8060
MSN:	569
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Scarberry Field, Olliver Farm, Skeeby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
Miles Magister Mk. I L8060 of 26 Squadron, RAF Catterick: Written off (destroyed) 16.8.38: At around 11.35hrs on Tuesday, 16th August 1938 this 26 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron took off from Catterick airfield. On board with the pilot was a passenger who was a medical officer at Catterick at the time though was also a qualified civilian pilot. The purpose of the flight is not yet known. At around midday the aircraft was seen flying over the Skeeby area, north west of Catterick and that the engine was failing. People on the ground heard the engine stop and saw the aircraft loose height before the engine then picked up and the aircraft level out. The engine then failed again and the aircraft then lost height, spun and dived into the ground from around 500 feet. The aircraft was found to have dived into a field of standing corn near Olliver Farm, Skeeby and both occupants of the aircraft were found to have been killed. The field was known locally as Scarberry Field. The commanding officer of Catterick aerodrome gave evidence at inquest of the two dead men and stated that he believed that after the engine failed for the second time the pilot had applied full-flap which would slow the aircraft and cause it to stall, with there being not enough height left to put the aircraft in a dive to pick up speed and to then recover the aircraft to level flight it crashed.

Both persons on board were killed:
Flying Officer Edward James Boyle (pilot. aged 26) killed (he was also a Lt in the Army - the Kings Own Scottish Borderers). Killed: Buried Earl of Glasgow's Private Burial Ground, Largs, Scotland
Dr William Delano Walker BSc, MB, BS(Adl), FRS(SA), FRAI, FRES, FRPS, FZS, FRGS, aged 40 (passenger) killed

According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (August 25, 1938 page 173 - see link #3):

"FLYING ACCIDENTS
THE Air Ministry regrets to announce that Lt. Edward James Boyle (pilot), King's Own Scottish Borderers, Flying Officer, R.A.F., and Dr. William Delano Walker, M.D., B.S., lost their lives in an accident which occurred near Richmond, Yorkshire, on August 16, to an aircraft of No. 26 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, Catterick, Yorkshire. Dr. Walker was a passenger of the aircraft. (F/O. Boyle was a son of Viscountess Trenchard by her first husband, the late Capt. the Hon. J. Boyle, Royal Scots Fusiliers.)"

Edward James Boyle was the second son of Cpt. The Hon. James Boyle and Katherine Isabel Salvin Bowlby, he was born on 26th February 1912. His father was killed serving in WW1 on 18th October 1914 having already fought in the Boar War. Edward's older brother Lt. Col. Patrick John Salvin Boyle died on 27th May 1944 at Anzio, Italy while commanding 1st Btn. Royal Scots Fusiliers. Their mother married Air Marshal Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard in 1920. Viscount Trenchard was instrumental for RAF being established. Edward Boyle had seven years military service; five years in the Army serving in the King's Own Scottish Borderers. While in the rank of Lt. in the Army, on 5th July 1936 he was granted a temporary commission as F/O being seconded for duty in the RAF. He then undertook pilot training at No.2 F.T.S. at Digby from 19th September 1936 until early 1937 gaining the award of a Distinguished Pass. Following training at the School of Army Co-Operation at Old Sarum, beginning on 22nd May 1937 he was posted to 26 Squadron on 20th August 1937. I have no doubt that he would have been destined for the upper ranks of the Army had his life not been cut short in 1938. He was also recently married, the wedding having taken place on 18 June 1938 at Great Chalfield, Wiltshire less than two months earlier (see link #6)

William Delano Walker was born on 30th October 1897 at Port Pirie and was the son of Dr William John and Mary (nee Delano) Walker. He was educated at St. Peter's College and the University of Adelaide. Having worked in Adelaide hospitals he and his wife toured Australia photographing and researching the indigenous people. he and his wife travelled to the UK in 1929 so he could undertake post-graduate study. He then trained as a pilot at the York and Leeming Flying Club where he was awarded a Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.14084) on 23rd July 1936. He is mentioned in Flight Magazine as being a new member of the club and also as undertaking his first flight with them in June 1936.

Skeeby is a village and civil parish about 18 miles (29 km) north-west of the county town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000 - N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm
3. (paywall) https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1938/1938%20-%202411.PDF
4. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york38/l8060.html
5. https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/general-category/8079-26-sqn-fatal-accident-16-aug-38?8246-26-Sqn-fatal-accident-16-Aug-38=
6. https://wiltshire-opc.org.uk/Items/Great%20Chalfield/Great%20Chalfield%20-%20Engagement,%20Marriage%20&%20Tragedy%201938.pdf
7. https://www.thepeerage.com/p6163.htm
8. https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/collection/archives/provenances/aa357
9. Burra Record (Burra, SA) Tuesday 6 September 1938 Page 3 OBITUARY: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36069098
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeeby .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Jul-2008 04:38	JINX	Added
24-Jan-2018 20:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
15-Mar-2018 01:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
15-Mar-2018 01:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
15-Mar-2018 01:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
09-Nov-2018 20:59	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
19-May-2024 10:14	Nepa	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator, ]
07-Aug-2025 05:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
09-Aug-2025 05:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]