LEST WE FORGET
Cadet Cecil Thomas WATTS
Service No: 31928
Born: Stratford, London, England, October 1892
Enlisted in the Army: 11 September 1916
Unit: No. 8 (Training) Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Aircraft Accident, England, 3 September 1918, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Woodgrange Park Cemetery, East Ham, England, United Kingdom
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Watts, of 30, Water Lane, Stratford
Place of Association: Taroom QLD (location of residence on enlistment)
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 3 September 1918, Cadet Watts was killed in the crash of Sopwith Camel aircraft C.101 near Leighterton Aerodrome, Gloucestershire. A witness reported that the aircraft did a right hand vertical turn at about 2,500 feet. The machine began to spin slowly to the right and eventually spun into the ground. The Court of Enquiry concluded that Cadet Watts while attempting a right hand vertical turn in machine C.101 went into a spin and that the pilot did not push his control sufficiently forward to bring the machine out of the spin. The court also found no blame was attributable to any other person and that machine C.101 was in flying order on leaving the ground.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, WATTS CECIL THOMAS