D.H.9 - which film?

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As the attached photograph shows, Airco D.H.9 G-EBEP crashed on a house in Sanderstead, Surrey, on 17 November 1928. According to contemporary press reports, it was one of five aeroplanes being filmed for a cinema film and it had been marked up as a German aeroplane. Does anyone know in which film it was participating and/or the identities of the other four participating aeroplanes?

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Doesn't help much, but here's a photo of it before.....

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I think that it's unlikely, masmudge, as All Quiet on the Western Front was a US film and all the location scenes were shot in California. Furthermore the stills on the impdb website are stated to be of a D.H.9A, whereas G-EBEP was a D.H.9 based at Croydon with Surrey Flying Services. I searched, online, all UK made films released in 1930 and 1931 and failed to find one that obviously fits the bill.

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2 possibilities perhaps ??

Journeys End (1930)
Lost Patrol (1929)

Both remade of course

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Perhaps it's a film that never got beyond the production stage?

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It was 17 Nov 1928 NOT 1929

Hull Daily Mail - Saturday 17 November 1928

CRASH INTO HOUSE. AEROPLANE COMES TO GRIEF HIGH WIND. OCCUPANTS BADLY INJURED. • LONDON, Saturday.—An aeroplane, owned by the Surrey Flying Services, crashed into a house at the summit of East Hill, Sanderstead, to-day, and the occupants were seriously injured. The side of the house, 'which is known as Katoomba," and is tenanted by Mrs Carlisle, was demolished, and the 'plane, after striking the house, fell into the garden, where its nose was buried the earth. Mr Victor Osborne, of Deering-road, Croydon, who, with many others, rushed to the scene immediately tbe crash was beard, described the scene to Press Association reporter. The machine was apparently flying low and struck a small ornamental tower of the house." he said. " It turned a complete somersault and then fell into the garden. The noise of the crash was tremendous. Two ambulances were rushed to the top of the steep hill within few minutes, and two of the three persons who, I believe, were the 'plane, were immediately taken to hospital. rear portion of the 'plane —quite a small machine —was sticking over the fence and the people who hurried to the spot were prevented from approaching the wrecked machine. The whole of one side of the house seemed to have been torn away and the tower, so far as I could see, was demolished. " A man who lived a quarter of a mile away told me that just before the crash the aeroplane flew very low over his garage. Whether the pilot was in difficulties I cannot say." It is believed the 'plane was one of two engaged filming operations. There was a very high wind blowing at the time of the crash. The injured were: Fredk. Ernest Smith (35), of Wynot," Mount Park-avenue, Purley, pilot of the machine, who is suffering from concussion and abrasions (his condition is critical) ; and Fredk. Kent (28), of Purley, his companion in the machine, who has a fractured arm. Both men are detained Croydon General Hospital.

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Possibly, bazv. However according to IMDb, the 1930 film of Journey's End was an Anglo-American production with the location filming taking place in California. The 1929 version of Lost Patrol is a possibility. However this was set in Mesopotamia and I believe that the British were fighting the Turks, rather than the Germans, in that theatre. So why paint the D.H.9 in faux German markings? Unfortunately I can find no location details for this film.

Maybe, SA99. If so, that will make it more difficult still to identify the title of what was to have been the film!

Sorry, Paul. It was a slip of the finger. Jackson is to blame. He gave the date as 1929 (in British Civil Aircraft 1919 - 1972) but all the contemporary press reports indicate clearly that it was 1928. Perhaps some kind moderator can do the necessary!

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Sadly Smith died 3 years later

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...1931&styleid=3

SMITH, Ernest Frederick - the Dundee Evening Telegraph of April 3rd reports: "Mr Charles Maurice Brown, of Coombe Lodge, Addington Hill, Croydon, and his companion, Captain Frederick Ernest [sic] Smith (37), of Mount Park Avenue, Purley, were killed when their 'plane crashed from a height of 500 ft. at Carshalton, Surrey.
Two years ago (sic) Captain Smith was severely injured when an aeroplane which was taking the part of a German bomber for a British film crashed into a house at East Hill, Sanderstead, Surrey."

2.4.31 Avro Avian IIIA G-EBZD, C M Brown, Croydon

Crashed off loop, Carshalton, Surrey

Charles Maurice Brown (27) killed

Fg Off Ernest Frederick Smith (36) killed (RAFO)

http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm

PS I can't see the House on Google Maps

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DH.9, EP was D5799 but this give no more helpful information.

John

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Thank you, John. As to the Avian crash in which Smith died:

Western Daily Press - Saturday 04 April 1931

PLANE'S PLUNGE TOWARD HOUSES

DRAMATIC CRASH IN THICKLY POPULATED AREA.

Two Airmen Perish in Dive During Loop.

JUST MISSED CHURCH.

Spectators' Fear as 'Plane Rushed Down.

An aeroplane crashed in a thickly populated part of Carshalton, near Croydon, on Thursday, killing its two occupants. The machine dived at terrific speed from a height of 500 feet, narrowly missed a church and some houses, and buried its nose in some trees. It is remarkable that no one other than the occupants of the machine was injured.

The occupants of the 'plane were Captain Frederick Ernest Smith (37), of Mount Park Avenue. Purley, an experienced and skilful civil pilot, and Mr Charles Maurice Brown, of Coombe Lodge, Addington Hill, Croydon. Mr Brown was the owner of the machine.

The 'plane was fitted with dual control, and it is not certain which of the two men was in charge of the machine when it crashed. The 'plane set off for a local flight at 4.30 p.m., and crashed 20 minutes later. It went into an upward loop, failed to recover and after narrowly missing a church and several houses crashed into Park Hill Road, Carshalton, at a point where it is joined by Hall Road. St Patrick's Church stands at the corner.

The 'plane nose-dived into a group of trees between the church and a house. People from the houses and the nearest hangar immediately rushed to the wrecked 'plane and dragged out the two men, but both were beyond assistance. The nose of the machine was buried in the trees, and wings and fuselage spread fan wise among the branches.

SWOOPING TOWARDS HER HOUSE.

The machine came down in a thickly populated part of Carshalton, and it is remarkable that no one other than the occupants of the 'plane was hurt. Within an hour of the accident the debris of the wrecked 'plane was removed. Mrs R. Stemenson, who lives in Park Hill Road, was certain that the machine was going to crash into her house.

"I was looking out of the window," she said, "and watched the 'plane go into a loop. Then suddenly it swooped downwards, and I caught my breath as it plunged towards our houses. It caught in the branches of the tree next door."

A mechanic employed by the Henderson Aviation Bureau, saw the accident while he was preparing another machine for a flight.

"It looked," he said, "as if the pilot had failed to recover from a nose-dive. A second later there was a terrific crash, and a series of rending noises. I knew it must be all up for the men in the machine because she crashed downwards at a terrible speed. The amazing thing is that the machine did not burst into flames."

WIDOW'S STORY OF WAR ROMANCE.

Mrs Smith, the widow of one of the dead men, lives with her parents and her two boys aged 12 and 7, at Purley. She said "I have always dreaded that this would happen. I knew it would come sooner or later, although he was such a careful pilot. My hubby and I met under very romantic circumstances. During the war I was helping to build at an aerodrome in Huntingdon the very 'planes that he and his comrades were flying in France. One day when he was overhauling his machine he noticed the trade marks of the makers, and decided to visit them when he came home. He did so and met me there and we were married in 1918."

Mr Brown was the youngest son of Sir Herbert Brown. Sir Herbert, who was knighted in 1920, has been prominently associated with hospital work, is a Governor of St Thomas's Hospital, London, and chairman of Croydon Hospital.

Two years ago Capt Smith was severely injured when an aeroplane, which was taking the part of a German bomber for a British film, crashed into a house at East Hill, Sanderstead, Surrey.

Capt Smith took up a small 'plane to show Mr Levine, the American millionaire Atlantic flyer, how to land when he made his surprise flight from Le Bourget to Croydon some years ago.

Interested in the location which is not far from me, may have an opportunity to walk past tomorrow and have a look - assume it is one of the houses at the top of the road which is near the summit of the ridge.

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So they painted the cross on the rudder but left the 'G' on the tailplane? We're not talking about a big-budget movie here, are we? It might have passed at the time, but if it was a 'classic' movie and still in any way in circulation, we or people like us would have noticed that slip and know the film, wouldn't we? I'd have to admit I haven't watched any really old aviation movies for a while, so perhaps I'm wrong...:rolleyes:

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If it was a silent film, it might be lost as are something like 90% of silent films due to the unstable nitrate film stock.
Now 1931 is late for a silent film, but some were made that late.

The Hollywood WWI aerial epics (Dawn Patrol, Hells Angeles, etc.) are well known, I've never heard of a UK produced film of that genre.

Visited the site today in drizzly conditions, risking almost certain pneumonia! :love-struck:

House has been rebuilt as was and looks practically identical to the view in the image avion ancien posted, which was taken from the alleyway connecting East Hill with West Hill.

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..... and no sign of D.H.9 remnants in the garden, I presume! ;)

My god! I never thought to check the garage rafters or the wooden gazebo for DH DNA... :o:highly_amused:

Text from ASN:

Written off when crashed at Sanderstead, near South Croydon, Surrey 17.11.1928. Shortly after takeoff from Croydon, while climbing, aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field in Sanderstead, south of the airport. The pilot was injured.