Sqn Cmdr Theophilus Chater Vernon RN
Squadron Commander. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service.
Died Saturday 15 September 1917. Aged 30. Buried Malo-les-Bains Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Ref: I. A. 15.
Born Hong Kong 5 September 1887. Son of John Yardley Vernon.
Theophilus was a former pupil of Beaumont College, Old Windsor, Berkshire, and was in residence at the school on the night of the 1901 census. He obtained his Royal Aero Club Flying Certificate on 15 April 1915 at the Central Flying School, Upavon, Wiltshire, flying a Maurice Farman Biplane, at which time his contact address was the Thatched House Club, St. James Street, London, SW. There appears to be some confusion as to how Theophilus actually lost his life. Some publications record his death as having occurred whilst flying a Sopwith F1 biplane scout, which crashed at Terhand-Becelaere, France. Other reports state that he was killed by an enemy sniper during a salvage adventure which he was conducting in No-Man’s Land.
At the time of his death; Theophilus’s home address was 6, Artillery Mansions, Westminster, Middlesex And his will states that he left £139 15s to John Yardley Vernon Vernon, his father.
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Night of 14th September:
During the night, SCdr Vernon led a party out into “No-man’s-Land” to salvage Campbell-Orde’s Camel B3820. The enemy opened fire on the salvage party and SCdr Vernon, who had been working on the Camel, was shot. Lt. Trussell and W.O. Simpson carried Vernon back to the front line trench with some difficulty. From there, Vernon was transported to La Panne Hospital where he died. Vernon was subsequently buried at Malo Cemetery on the 17th September. No further attempts were made to salvage the Camel and it was written off as a total loss.
There is evidence to believe that FLt AR Brown was a member of the Salvage party and that he received a gunshot wound to the leg for which he subsequently had to receive hospital treatment.
Extensively researched in a forthcoming book about the history of No.9 Squadron RNAS.
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