LEST WE FORGET
Second Lieutenant Charles Frederick REEVE
From Australia serving in the Royal Flying Corps
Service No: 57 (Australian Army)
Born: Geelong VIC, December 1895
Enlisted in the Army: 13 February 1915
Unit: 2nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, based at Hesdigneul, France
Died: Injuries from an Aircraft Accident, France, 13 May 1917, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
CWGC Additional Information: Only son of Charles and Annie Reeve, of 8 Mitchell Street, St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Remembered: Commemorative Roll, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 14 April 1916, Second Lieutenant Reeve resigned from the Australian Army and accepted a Commission in the British Army.
During take-off practice for a contact patrol on 11 May 1917, BE2d aircraft 6253, flown by Second Lieutenant Reeve, stalled, nose-dived and crashed onto a house at the end of the Aerodrome. He was badly cut and died from his injuries two days later.
References:
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, REEVE CHARLES FREDERICK
National Archives UK RAF Casualty Book AIR 1/968 page 234, 236141