Page 710 - Reading Mercury

Fri 3rd July
BROOKLANDS ACE IS KILLED IN AIR CRASH
DEATH BY MISADVENTURE
A man with an exceptionally long and active flying career, during which he had had
many spectacular escapes from death, Flight-Lieut. Christopher Stainbank Staniland,
has been killed in a flying accident on Friday at the age of 36. Flight-Lieut. Staniland
was a famous Brooklands racing motorist and flier. His death closes the career of a
speed-king who has had many spectacular escapes.
He was chief pilot to the Fairey Aviation Company. Slight and fair with a friendly
boyish grin, he devoted his life to the quest of land and air speed records and had
chosen for his career that most arduous and dangerous jobs.—a test pilot. He had
many spectacular escapes from death.
He became a member of the Caterpillar Club in 1933 when he jumped from his
machine which became out of control on a trial spin they had started at 14,000 ft..
Landing three miles from his wrecked plane, he ran across country to rescue secret
instruments and information from the machine, which was on the Air Ministry’s
secret list. He found two policemen guarding the wreckage one of whom asked if he
had seen the crash. “Yes, thank you,” replied Staniland, “I had an excellent view.”
Staniland was also relief driver to Capt. G.E.T. Eysron when the latter broke the
world’s 24-hour record at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, in 1935.
At the Inquest on Monday it was revealed that the plane (which was on the official
secret list) crashed to earth in a vertical spin; there were many eye-witnesses.
George W. Garner, aerodrome foremen stated that the aircraft left at 11.10 a.m. on
Friday for a trial flight. Flt.-Lt. Staniland was a very experienced pilot, and was Chief
test pilot at the ‘drome.
Police Sergeant Thomas A Costar said that at 11.35 he was patrolling the main road,
when he heard an apparent explosion in the air. On looking up he saw the aircraft
coming down from 8,000 feet in a vertical spin, and that several pieces of aircraft
were flying in the air.
The machine came down until 1,000 feet from the ground, when it went into a flat
spin once and then again in a vertical spin, crashing behind some trees. On going at
once to the scene of the crash the police sergeant found the pilot dead in the cockpit.
After removing the body to Wokingham Mortuary, he saw the throttle was wide open
and that parts of the wings and tail planes were missing. These were later recovered at
distances of up to one mile away.
The coroner, Mr. R.J. Payne, in recording a verdict of “death by Misadventure,”
said that Flight-Lt. Staniland was a very distinguished pilot, and that his early death
was a very great loss to the country.

th
Sat 4 July
WESCOTT ROAD SCHOOL
On Wednesday the Mayor and Mayoress paid a visit to the school gardens at High
Close. Each plot was visited, and the boys questioned upon their work. The Mayor
praised the young gardeners’ efforts, and gave them some useful advice. Other
visitors were the Hon. Mrs. Corfield, O.B.E., Mr. and Mrs. J. Egerton Thorpe, Mr.
E.S. Whaley, Mr. E. Perkins and Dr. E. Ward.

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