I'm confused !!!! I'll give you everything I've got and then if you could tell me what happened with this flyer ... there seems to be some dispute regarding the submarine he sank ... but he got the DSC for it ... so I don't understand .... also could somebody tell about the accident that killed him please ! Thanking you in advance ! Altogether 179 Jerseymen served in the Royal Flying Corps or the Royal Naval Air Service of whom eight died. One of these was Lt Charles Stanley Mossop DSC who in August 1918 landed his seaplane in St Helier Harbour in order to pay an unofficial visit to his parents’ home in nearby Commercial Buildings. He had been awarded the DSC for sinking with bombs the German submarine UB32 in the English Channel. Two days after greeting his parents he was killed landing his damaged craft at Port-en-Bessin near Cherbourg Flight Sub-Lieutenant Charles Stanley Mossop DSC L.G. 17 November 1917 p 11921 For services in action with Enemy Submarines UB 32 Fate ..... 22 Sep 1917 - Possibly sunk by bombs dropped from RNAS aircraft at 5145N 0205E. 24 dead (all hands lost). http://www.uboat.net/wwi/boats/index.html?boat=UB 32 UB-32 Ditfurth, V. Sept 22 Near Sunk L.V. Bomb Sunk by bombs dropped by seaplane No. 8695. 8695 - A brief history Delived Felixtowe for erection 21.7.17; Dunkerque 10.9.17. Dropped 2 * 230-lb bombs on U-Boat 8/5 miles NE of northern end of East Hinder Bank 22.9.17 Originally believed to be UC72 (but this lost 2 days earlier) so possibly UB32 which failed to return from North Sea operations around this time. Crew - Flight Sub-Lt NA Magor, FSL CES Lusk, CPO EA Boyd & Eng LM RA Lucas ( ????? ) This aircraft also attacked U-Boat 30 m N of Dunkerque on 29.9.17 Same two pilots but O/L SC Evand and AM Reid Aircraft still around 17.11.17 where it was recorded 'un-servicable' and deleted from list on 24.11.17 No 243 Squadron Formed on 20 August 1918 from No's 414 and 415 Flights at Cherbourg, from where its Short 184s carried out anti-submarine patrols along the French coastline out to and including the Channel Islands. It disbanded on 15 March 1919. Lieutenant MOSSOP Charles Stanley D.S.C. Royal Air Force 243 Squadron Pilot August 13, 1918 Died of accidental injuries received while flying at Port-en-Bessein 13 August 1918 aged 20 Son of Mr and Mrs Charles Mossop of 'Cambray', Millbrook, Jersey, Channel Islands Tourlaville Communal Cemetery, France - A 1 In Memory of Lieutenant CHARLES STANLEY MOSSOP D S C 243rd Sqdn. (Cherbourg), Royal Air Force who died age 20 on 13 August 1918 Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mossop, of "Cambray," Millbrook, Jersey, Channel Islands. Remembered with honour TOURLAVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY AND EXTENSION
Annie To add a little to the story, Lt C S Mossop DSC (pilot) and Lt Robert Edmund Horton (observer, from Kirby Cross in Essex), of No 243 Sqn RAF were both killed while flying in Wight 'Converted' seaplane No 9859 on 13 August 1918. The aeroplane's tailplane collapsed during take off. FSL Mossop was flying Wight 'Converted' No 9860 when he and AM Ingledew bombed and sunk UB32 on 18 August 1917. I don't think he had any connection with Curtiss H.8 No 8695, which probably attacked another [unidentified] U-boat. I hope that this helps. Gareth
Thank you Gareth - for the details of our flyers death ! uboat.net were a month off in their date of the sinking of UB32 ! ... no wonder I couldn't figure it out !! Annie
I found this with the new numbers ..... Aircraft '9859 Wight "converted" tractor biplane seaplane 250-hp Eagle7 engine, delivered October 1917; Cherbourg by 12 October 17; petrol leak, forced landing in the Channel damaged under carriage on take off, landed Bembridge 30/11/17 ([pilot] Flight Sub Lieutenant CS Mossop [crew not recorded]); Dropped 100 pound (lb) bomb on Uboat 12 N of Cape La Hague 21/12/17 (pilot FSL T Eyre[crew not recorded]); Dropped 100 lb bomb on white Uboat 5005N 0100W 4/1/18 (FSL WBE Powell [crew not recorded]); Dropped 65 lb & 2x100 lb bombs on Uboat 5012N 0050W 25/1/18 (Flight Commander CW Scott & AM2 W Ward); became 414/5 Flights Cherbourg 25/5/1918 (in 243 Squadron from 20/8/18); Tailplane collapsed on take off crashed Port-en-Bessin 12/8/18 (FSL CS Mossop & Lieutenant RE Horton both killed).' '9860 Wight seaplane delivered Cherbourg (via Calshot) 24/7/17; Dropped 2x100 lb bombs on UB32, sunk, 25miles NE of Cherbourg 18/8/17 (FSL CS Mossop awarded DSC & AM Ingledew awarded DSM) Dropped 3x100 lb bombs on Uboat 25m NE of Cherbourg 4/9/17 (FSL CS Mossop[crew not recorded]); Dropped 2 bombs on Uboat 7m S of St Catherine's then Engine failure, forced landing, abandoned, sank 6/12/17 (FSL CS Mossop and another [no name given] picked up by HMS P32. Quoted from Ray Sturtivant & Gordon Page Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Numbers (Air Britain, Tonbridge. 1992)
Look what else I found ?? .... his papers ! http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...ID=376&POSCATLN=7&POSCATID=14000*-5160502&j=1 A photo of his headstone will be available http://www.twgpp.org/information.php?id=539716 Annie
