TWO expert airmen taking part in a practice ‘dog fight’ over Oxford during the First World War were killed when their aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed.

One pilot, Second Lieutenant Edwin Westmoreland, jumped from his plane, but with no parachute, died instantly as he hit the ground.

The other, Second Lieutenant Joseph Packer, was found dead in the burning wreckage of his machine in a cornfield.

The two airmen, both based at Port Meadow aerodrome, had been ordered to practise aerial fighting against each other in powerful two-seater Bristol Fighters.

The collision occurred in the Marston/Elsfield area on the morning of Tuesday, August 20, 1918 when, it is believed, one pilot lost sight of the other during a manoeuvre.

Details of the crash have been uncovered by Peter Smith, of Arthur Street, Osney, who has been researching the history of Port Meadow aerodrome. He writes: “Westmoreland’s Bristol Fighter’s wings folded on impact with Packer’s aircraft, and he was then seen to jump to his death with his arms outspread. Parachutes were not issued to pilots until 1919.

“Packer’s aircraft caught fire in mid-air, crashing in flames in a cornfield. The only consolation from this tragedy is that both pilots were flying solo without observers. The death toll could have been much worse.”

Eyewitness Albert Gammon, of Headington, was working in a hayfield near Marston when he saw the two aircraft engaged in fighting practice overhead.

He told an inquest in Wolvercote Parish Room that “one machine struck the other, the wings seemed to double, they began to fall and one of the machines caught fire”.

Coroner Mr AH Franklin recorded a verdict of accidental death after hearing that the pilots were “expert airmen” and the aircraft were “in proper condition”.

Westmoreland, 23, was born in 1895 in Victoria, Australia, emigrated to South Africa, and enlisted with the Royal Flying Corps in July 1917. He is buried at Wolvercote cemetery.

Packer, 21, whose mother hailed from Brize Norton, joined the Royal Flying Corps after spending the early part of the war in the Army. He is buried in his home town of Swindon.

Flying training of pilots and instructors was improved in the latter part of the war to try to reduce the high number of casualties.

As a result, deaths in training dropped from one per 90 hours flying to one per 192 hours by 1918.

But despite the more structured approach, accidents still occurred, as the crash at Marston showed.

When he died, Westmoreland had 103 hours’ flying experience on a variety of aircraft, which was considered significant.

Packer was described as “a successful aviator” who had given numerous exhibitions of flying, including “very fine displays of looping the loop”.

* Mr Smith and colleagues are planning a permanent memorial near the Port Meadow aerodrome site to the 17 airmen who died in 12 crashes during the First World War. Fundraising is expected to start soon.