Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands

Captain Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands MC (9 September 1897 – 8 May 1919) was a Canadian World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.

Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands
Nickname(s)"Paul"
Born(1897-09-09)9 September 1897
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Died8 May 1919(1919-05-08) (aged 21)
Northolt
Buried
St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks, Kent, England
AllegianceKing George V of the British Empire
Service/branchInfantry; aviation
RankCaptain
UnitHampshire Regiment, No. 70 Squadron RFC, No. 24 Squadron RAF
AwardsMilitary Cross

Early life

Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 9 September 1897.[1] He was a minister's son; Canon Beanlands was rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria. Beanlands' mother was Laura Maud Hills. Both parents would predecease their son.[2]

The younger Beanlands was educated at Oundle School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before joining the Hampshire Regiment in December 1914, in the first few months of World War I.[1]

World War I

On 3 March 1916, Beanlands was promoted to lieutenant in the Hampshires.[3] On 31 May 1916, he was forwarded as a second lieutenant to be a Flying Officer with the Royal Flying Corps.[4] On 1 September 1916, he was promoted to temporary lieutenant while serving with the RFC.[5] Five days later, he scored his first aerial victory, killing aces Hans Rosencrantz and Wilhelm Fahlbusch in their reconnaissance two-seater.[1] On 1 December 1916 he was appointed as Flight Commander, with a promotion to temporary captain.[6]

He transferred postings to 24 Squadron, where he scored eight more victories between 25 August 1917 and 18 March 1918.[1] On 11 April 1918, he was reported wounded in action in Flight magazine.[7] By that time, he had won the Military Cross, which was gazetted 25 April 1918:

...He has brought down three enemy aeroplanes out of control and driven down several others over the enemy lines.[8]

List of aerial victories
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I

Beanlands' first victory was scored while he was with 70 Squadron. The rest of his triumphs came with 24 Squadron.

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location Notes
1 6 September 1916 @ 1845 hours Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter serial number A1902 Roland reconnaissance plane Destroyed by fire Elincourt, France Observer/gunner: C. A. Good. Victory shared with William Sanday and three other members of the RFC. Wilhelm Fahlbusch, Hans Rosencrantz KIA.
2 25 August 1917 @ 0600 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9165 German reconnaissance plane Destroyed by fire Bellenglise, France
3 25 August 1917 @ 0600 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9165 German reconnaissance plane Driven down out of control Bellenglise, France Shared victory.
4 13 November 1917 @ 1230 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9304 Albatros D.III fighter Captured Schoorbakke
5 13 November 1917 @ 1230 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9304 Albatros D.III fighter Driven down out of control Schoorbakke
6 18 November 1917 @ 1105 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9304 Albatros D.III fighter Driven down out of control Nieuwpoort-Dixmude, Belgium Shared victory
7 30 November 1917 @ 1255 hours Airco D.H.5 s/n A9304 Albatros D.V fighter Driven down out of control East of Bourlon Wood
8 18 March 1918 @ 1140 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a fighter s/n C1081 German reconnaissance plane Driven down out of control Villers Le Sec, France Victory shared with Harold Redler[9]

Post World War I

Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands survived the war, only to die in a flying accident at RAF Northolt on 8 May 1919.[2] He was buried in the northwest corner of the new ground in the cemetery of his father's home parish, at Sevenoaks (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Kent, England.[10][2]

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References
  1. "Bernard Beanlands". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  2. Spooner, Stanley, ed. (29 May 1919). "Personals". Flight. Vol. XI no. 22. p. 715. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  3. "No. 29730". The London Gazette. 1 September 1916. pp. 8596–7.
  4. "No. 29646". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1916. p. 6476.
  5. "No. 29784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 October 1916. p. 9926.
  6. "No. 29860". The London Gazette. 12 December 1916. p. 12126.
  7. Spooner, Stanley, ed. (11 April 1918). "The Roll of Honour". Flight. Vol. X no. 15. p. 394. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  8. "No. 30651". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 1918. p. 4995.
  9. Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
  10. "Beanlands, Bernard Paul Gascoigne". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
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