Hawker Hart at South Cliff Gardens, Scarborough.
K2455's sister aircraft, K2456 was also modified to carry the passenger in more comfort during communications work.
On the 8th of August 1938 this London Communications Squadron Hart took off from Hendon at 09.30hrs, it was to be flown north to
Abbotsinch Aerodrome, Glasgow.
A refueling stop was made at North Coates en-route and the aircraft flew in a general northerly direct from leaving the Humber area, probably
following the usual coastal route.
At just before 12.30hrs the aircraft was flying very low in bad visibilty just off the Scarborough coast and heading
straight for the cliffs in the
South Bay. Thick fog blanketed the whole area at the time. It was thought the pilot saw the cliffs approaching at the last
moment and climbed steeply, this caused the aircraft to stall and the it crashed into the Cliff Gardens,
it narrowly missed the tower of the Waldorf Hotel, possibly
after taking action to avoid this, it banked steeply and went into a dive. It crashed into trees ten feet below the
Esplanade, the wheel section hitting a sharp bend on a path way. The crash happened just in front of the Granville
Hotel and close to the Marina Hotel. The aircraft was a complete wreck but somehow both the occupants only had
scratches. The airmen were seen by a local doctor who told them to have bed rest and they were put up in the
Granville Hotel over-night. The pilot was blamed for the crash, it was said he should have turned back for North Coates
instead of flying on through the fog, no disiplinary action was taken however.
The aircraft was built to contract 117876/31 by Vickers Ltd at Weybridge and delivered directly to 33 Sqdn at Bicester on 18th March
1932. It was returned to Vickers at Weybridge on 27th September 1932. It was next issued to 24 Sqdn at Northolt on 28th January 1933
and moved with the unit to Hendon on 9th July 1933. It sustained Cat W/FA at Scarborough and the wreckage was taken
to Station Flight, Driffield for assessment where it was deemed beyond repair and struck off charge on 9th October 1938 with total
flying hours of 590 hours, 40 minutes.
Pilot - P/O D I McMonnies. Ok. He had a total of 277 hours flying time when this crash occured, 181 of which were on the Hawker Hart. It is also thought that he survived the impending War and was still in service in the early 1950's.
Passenger - Air Commodore Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet RAF DSO OBE, of Tadcaster, Yorkshire. Ok.
Lt Geoffrey Bromet and Air Vice-Marshal Bromet (Photos - Flight).
Geoffrey Bromet was born on 28th August 1891, he qualified as Royal Navy pilot at the Bristol School of Flying at Brooklands under the tuition of
Mr F Warren Merriam in early January 1914. His training had begun in April 1913 at the Bristol School where he flew at Salisbury Plain and
other locations. Lt Bromet gained his brevet in early October 1913 and gained his Royal Aero Club Certificate (No.714) on 22nd December 1913. He was made a F/Lt from an Acting F/Lt on 1st August 1914 and on the same date he
was posted to HMS Pembroke, but attended Eastchurch Naval Fying School prior to actually going there.
On 5th March 1915 F/Lt Bromet was piloting seaplane no.172 (with Lt Brown flying with him), owing to the importance of locating concealed
guns the aircraft had to be flown very low. Bromets aircraft was struck in the region of 28 times by enemy fire. Almost certainly flying from the
"Ark Royal" he was able to return where repairs were carried out. In August 1915 he was commended for serice in action at Gallipoli.
He became the commander of "Naval 8" squadron in October 1916, the Units first Commanding Officer.
The second being Christopher Draper DSO (who was involved in a number of training accidents
in the Marske area in WW1 (detailed on this website elsewhere). His DSO was Gazetted on 12th May 1917 for "This
officer commanded a squadron of the R.N.A.S., attached to the Flying Corps, with conspicuous ability and success.
Under his command the squadron developed into a most efficient and formidable fighting force, which has brought great
credit to the Royal Naval Air Service."
He was engaged to Margaret Ratcliffe in September 1916 and on 26th February 1917 it was announced that Sqdn Commander G R Bromet RN, the son
of Mr and Mrs G Bromet of Tadcaster, Yorkshire was married to Margaret Ratcliffe, daughter of Lt.Col. and Mrs Ratcliffe of Lillington, Leamington Spa.
He served throughout the First World War.
On 1st January 1919 he was awarded the OBE and on 1st August 1919 he was awarded a permanent commission as a Major.
By 1931 he was a Group Captain and was on the Staff of the Coastal Area. Bromet wrote the first
history of "Naval 8" around this time. By August 1940 he was Air Vice-Marshal Bromet and was one of the main officers in
charge of Coastal Command. Following the War he retired at his own request and he was made Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet DSO, KBE and Lieut Governor
of the Isle of Man. a role he gave up in 1952. His first wife died in 1961 and his later married Jean Conan Doyle. He was MiD on 1st January 1941 and also awarded the CBE on 17th March 1941, and the KBE on 14th June 1945
He died on 16th November 1983, Air Vice Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet. KBE, CB, DSO, DL. His medals and decorations are held by the RAF Museum.
I suspect there could be a publication which details this airmans career. He is almost certainly the highest ranked airman
ever to have had a flying accident in Yorkshire and one of the most decorated and a widely recognised Yorkshireman.
D I McMonnies would rise through the ranks. As a W/C he commanded 296 Sqdn from 26th August 1943 to 12th September 1944.
I have yet to locate the site of the crash at Scarborough.