Name
Lionel Francis Derek Lutyens
19 Nov 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/05/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
Royal Aircraft Establishment (Farnborough)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THURSLEY (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD
North of Church.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Aldenham School Memorial, Aldenham, Farnborough & Cove War Memorial Hospital, Farnborough Hampshire, Roll of Honour, SW Poltechnic, Chelsea, London
Pre War
Lionel Francis Derek (“Derek”) Lutyens was born at Maidnewton, Dorset on 19 November 1894, the eldest son of Lionel C Lutyens and Lucy Mary (nee Burd). At the 1901 Census, Derek was aged 6 and living with his parents, Lionel and Lucy at 4A Queen Anne’s Gardens, Bedford Park, London. Later they moved to 26 Queen Anne’s Grove.
Derek was educated at Elstree and Aldenham School. It is not clear to what extent he undertook employment prior to the Declaration of War. His attestation suggests he was undertaking office work.
Wartime Service
He volunteered on 29 Aug 1914 as Private, 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, was rapidly promoted to Corporal before being sent for Officer Training. He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 15 Dec 1914, in the same regiment, and was promoted Lieutenant 18 Mar 1916.
He went to France with his regiment in 1915, and remained there as bombing officer until after the battles of Pozieres and La Boiselle. He transferred to the General List about Nov 1916, and to the Royal Flying Corps in 29 Mar 1917.
He trained at the Royal Naval Air Service Training Station at Vendome in France, transferring to 64 Squadron as an Assistant Instructor in Jun 1917, and was eventually chosen as a pilot for the Experimental Squadron at the Royal Air Factory (now Establishment), Farnborough in Aug 1917.
His RFC record states that he had completed 3 years of training in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and also since joining the RFC he had undertaken 2 months work in Aerial Gunnery at Oxford and 8 months experimental flying on all types of aeroplane.
Lieut. L F D Lutyens RAF was killed while on active service, on a test flight on 8 May 1918. He was accompanied by a civilian, D H Pinsent as engineer and observer on Airco D.H.4 A7671 at or near Maplesham Heath. The machine was undergoing pressure tests on the tail plane which failed and the plane crashed and broke up at Frimley. Mr Pinsent’s body was discovered in the nearby Basingstoke canal.
Biography
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
