Flight Lieutenant Cyril Fraser BREWERTON D.S.C., Royal Air Force of Woodside Seven Oaks, born 12th February 1898 at Sevenoaks .
He was educated at New Beacon School, Sevenoaks, and Oundle School, and in 1916 joined the R.N.A.S.. serving in France until 1918. From 1919 until 1923 he was on the North West Frontier, and since that time had been attached to H M S. Eagle, and later H.M.S. Hermes at Malta.
He had been flying for 11 years for his King and Country when he was killed in an aeroplane accident on Tuesday 18th January 1927 aged 28 while flying an Avro Bison II.
The aeroplane had just taken off from RAF Hal Far, Ghar Hasan, Malta and still flying directly into the wind, approached the coast where the cliff is about 300 ft. high. Here the air was unusually disturbed by a gusty wind blowing seawards at about 30 miles an hour. The machine, at a height of 50 ft., was thrown out of control, the starboard lower wing struck the ground near the cliff edge and the machine plunged into the sea. There is no indication of any defect in the aircraft or engine. He and the other crew all drowned. The other crew were as follows F/O Edwin CHAFE, Lieutenant Guy Owen OWENS-JONES and Leading Telegraphist George. 39729 William BURTON all with 423 Squadron Fleet Air Arm
Received from the Royal Aero Club Aviators' his certificate taken on Caudron Biplane at Beatty School, Hendon, on the 3rd June 1916.
Supplement to the London Gazette dated 17th April 1918.
HONOURS FOR THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the following decorations and medals to Officers and Men of, the Royal Naval Air Service:
To receive the Distinguished Service Cross
Acting Flt. Cdr. Cyril Fraser Brewerton, R.N.A.S.
Fit. Obs. Hector Albert Fumiss, R.N.A.S. For the skill and courage displayed by them in carrying out many long and valuable photographic reconnaissance\'s over enemy territory, particularly over Ostende on the 21st February, 1918
At rest in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta Plot E Row 00 Grave 15
GUY OWEN OWEN-JONES -
What happened to Flying Officer Guy Owen OWEN-JONES is a mystery. It is not recorded if his body was recovered, if it was where is is at rest?
Wills and Admin, Ancestry -
His address in England was Casa Bruno Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire and died on dated and place stated. His effects went Horatio Owen Owen-Jones retired paymaster Royal Navy. This may have been his father -
Born Malta 3 December 1901. 1911 He was residing aged 9 years, with his mother Georgina Mariza and siblings at 6 Havelock Terrace, Devonport. He entered service 15 September 1915, became an Acting Sub Lieutenant 15 September 1921, Sub Lieutenant 15 May 1922. Lieutenant 15 April 1923.
Extract from the Hampshire Telegraph dated Friday 21 January 1927
NAVAL FLIERS FATE AT MALTA.
Struck a cliff and crashed in into sea.
Four British naval airmen were killed on Tuesday morning when an Avro Bison airplane attached to No 423 Fleet spotter Squadron at Malta crashed into a cliff while flying at Calafrana.
The following are the names of the dead.
Flight Lieut C.F. Brewerton, R.A.F. pilot, of Sevenoaks.
Lieut G.O.Owen-Jones, R.N.observer of Guise Bedfordshire.
Flying Officer E Chafe R.A.F. (Lieutenant R.N.) of Malta.
Leading Telegraphist J 39729 G W Burton, R.N of Guardsbridge, Fife.
All the Airmen were attached to the Eagle, a former battleship which is now used as and aircraft-carrier.
After leaving Halfar aerodrome at 10.30 says Reuter, the aeroplan apparently mad a forced land and in doing so struck the cliff and crashed into the sea, but the exact cause of the accident in unknown and is being investigated by a Court of Inquiry.
The accident resembles in every detail that of last October, when a similar number of personnel of the same rank perished, Tuesday’s tradgedy has cast a gloom over Service circles and evokes general sympathy.
Lieut Chafes’s wife is at present in Malta.
Boisterous Weather.
At the time of the accident and some time after the fatality, weather conditions were
Of a most boisterous characer. There was a heavy downpour of rain and hail and a very strong wind
The death of Flight Lieut Cyril Fraser Brewster had deprived the Royal Air Force of on of its most experienced pilots. Probably no more than half a dozen other pilots have flown as much and Fligh Lieut, Brewste had long lost count of the number of hours he had spent in the air. He is given in the Air Force list as holder of the D.D.C.
Flying Officer E Chafe according to the Air Force List was under instruction.
H.M.S, Eagle was designed as a Dreadnought battle ship for China 1913. When the war broke out, work on her was stopped and in 1917 she was purchased from the Chilean Government and her design modified to and aircraft carrier. She was commissioned for trials on April 1913, 1920.
Three Bodies Recovered.
Three of the four British airmen have since been recovered except that of Lieutenant G.O.Owen-Jones. The funeral will take place on the 31st inst, at the
Tabraxia
