Photo: Dorothy Hall

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 3 page 13

2nd Lieutenant George Andrew Bentham

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 3 page 13

Flight Magazine entry Baldwin 11/10/1917

In St.James Churchyard is a family headstone, on which the cross or monument is missing, which includes the following:

Sergeant and Pilot Royal Flying Corps
Born February 14th 1888, missing and
presumed killed at the Battle of the
Somme while flying near Beaumont
Hamel, November 3rd 1916.

Pro Deo - Pro Rege - Pro Patria

No name is given, but on the other side is:

Alan Godfrey Baldwin
For five years Vicar of this Parish
Died March 31st 1906
aged 48 years.

"Love is the fulfilling of the law"
Erected by Parishioners and friends.

Cuthbert Godfrey Baldwin was born 14th February 1888, at Byers Green, Durham. He was the son of Reverend Alan Godfrey Baldwin, Vicar of Burnopfield, Durham, and his wife Margaret, daughter of the late Matthew Crossman of Berwick-on-Tweed.

He was educated at the Newcastle Grammar School and Elm Park School, Shotley Bridge. Cuthbert was a solicitor and undertook his final exam in 1912.

At the outbreak of war, he was residing at 2 Priory Villas, Frien, Barnet Middlesex, and became an articled clerk with Crossman, Block, Mathews and Crossman's of Gray's Inn. London, before being admitted as a solicitor in July 1912.

He underwent a flying course at Hendon, at his own expense, obtaining the Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate (No. 2423) on the 9th February 1916, enlisting as a Air Mechanic. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in January 1916.

He served with the British Expeditionary Force and was promoted to Sergeant, he then joined 18 Squadron in France on the 14th September 1916, as a pilot and was reported missing after the fighting near Beaumont Hamel on the 3rd November 1916, and is now officially assumed to have been killed on or about that date. He was unmarried.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

Sergeant Cuthbert Baldwin (FE2b No 7010 Albatros DII No 491/16 18th Squadron Royal Flying Corps), was shot down with his observer, George Bentham Andrew by Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (The Red Baron).

Footnote:

George Andrew Bentham, 2nd Lieutenant 18 Squadron; 7/East Surrey Regiment, was born in 1894, the eldest of three sons, to Mr and Mrs Bentham of 92 Ritherdon Road, Upper Tooting, Balham, London, S.W. He was educated at the Monkton Combe Junior School (1907), them went on to senior school where he was quite a 'games player'. In cricket, a slogger quite devoid of all style, useful as a run-getter and a very plucky fielder. He left Monkton Combe in 1910 and entered the business world. On the outbreak of war, he enlisted as a private in the 10th (The City of London) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, Service number 7331. Sent to France on the 31st July 1915. After service in the trenches, he returned home for training and eventual commissioning into the Royal West Kent Regiment on the 18th March 1916. Transferred then to the 7th Battalion, East Surrey regiment. He then requested to be transferred into the Royal Flying Corps. He then after training, was posted to the Western Front. His machine was last seen crashing 2000yds behind the German Lines. Age 21 years.

Source:Under the Guns of the Red Baron Franks, Norman; Giblin, Hal; McCrery, Nigel ISBN 1-904943-97-7 (1995 & 2007)

Cuthbert Godfrey Baldwin is remembered in Berwick-upon-Tweed on B25.08 at Burnopfield on B155.01 and B155.02

Royal Flying Corps History
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen victims
The CWGC entry for Sergeant Baldwin