Name
Archibald Onslow Farmer
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/05/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
69th Training Squadron
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NARBOROUGH (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, Barnet memorials not yet fully researched(*1)
Pre War
Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire in 1893 (recorded Q1 1893 in the Barnet registration district), Archibald Onslow Farmer was the eldest son of Archibald Sidney, an accountant, and his wife, Maude Agnes (née Whitehead) Farmer. His parents were married (recorded in the Bromley registration district) in the third quarter of 1890.
Archibald (Jnr.) grew up in Arkley, near Barnet, but by 1911 the family had moved to Bushey and were living at ‘St Austell’, 70 Bushey Grove Road. Archibald was 18 years old and was a clerk at the Stock Exchange.
Wartime Service
Archibald enlisted at Private 1750 in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry and served in the Egyptian theatre of war from 5th November 1914. Whilst there he won the 100-yard race at the Territorial Sports centre in Cairo. A newspaper report (undated) stated, “The final of the 100 yards produced the best struggle of the day. Trooper Farmer of the Herts Yeomanry broke the tape first by half a yard. The winner’s time was good considering the state of the track. He is a prominent South of England handicap runner”.
He also served as Private 105241, still with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry.
He was discharged from the Yeomanry on 1st December 1917 to take up a commission as Second Lieutenant in the Training Squadron 69 of the Royal Flying Corps. He died in a training accident on 30 May 1918 and was buried at Narborough (All Saints) Churchyard, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
He is commemorated on the Bushey Memorial and at St Paul’s Church, Bushey.
The following extract about the accident is from The Great Government Aerodrome of Narbourough (please visit the www.narboroughhistory.org.uk website).
"When Capt. W.E. Johns was flying instructor at Narborough in 1918, he was convinced of a more sinister reason for some of the crashes. Many years later he wrote “…at least one or two spies were tampering with our machines – half sawing through joysticks so that they snapped off short in the air, cutting through control wires and the like. Machines broke up in the air every day”. His best friend, Archie Farmer, who jumped to his death after the port wing of his aircraft “went up like a sunshade” is buried alongside several fellow officers in a quiet corner of Narborough churchyard".
The dataset included with the Air History website (please visit www.airhistory.org.uk) gives the details as “Wings folded back, side-slipped and dive - pilot jumped clear a few feet from ground”.
When his mother applied for Archibald’s medals, her address was given as Vilano, Sea View, Isle of Wight.
Additional Information
Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk. Additional information on the nature of the accident leading to his death taken from websites www.narboroughhistory.org.uk and www.airhistory.org.uk. *1 If known, the ‘Barnet’ memorial is given, however ‘Barnet’ now appears to be the generic name for many historically separate Hertfordshire locations with Barnet in their name. While we try to unravel these – any help gratefully received! – we have to record ‘Barnet’. It may be that a person appears on several historical ‘barnets’. As this work is done, we will add further detail.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
