Lansdale, Ernest Conway (Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1916-September-30

Lansdale started working for his father, a Provisions Merchant in 1911 in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. He joined the Royal Army Service Corps, his fathers unit, in 1913 as a private, served in France and rose to the rank of Lieutenant, before transferring to the RFC in July, 1916. After flight training he was assigned to 11 Sqn flying FE-2b' s. He took off from his airfield at Izel-Les Hameau, France, with his gunner Sgt.Clark at 9:30AM on the morning of September 30 on a bomber escort mission. As the bombers approached their target near Bapaume the group was attacked by a squadron of Albatross Scouts. One got on Lansdale's tail and fired on them until the BE went down in a spin from which it did not recover. It crashed behind the lines. Gunner Clark died on impact, pilot Lansdale about an hour later. The German pilot was Manfred von Richtoffen.

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