Name
Geoffrey Wynne Bavin
17 July 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/04/1916
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps & Lincolnshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GREAT BERKHAMSTED (ST. PETER) CHURCH CEMETERY
Terrace (South) Grave 6
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
(Family grave Inscription - see Biography)
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter’s Church Plaque, Berkhamsted, Berkhamsted School Memorial, Garden of Remembrance War Memorial, Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted, Westminster Abbey Staff War Memorial, London, Army Flying Museum War Memorial, Middle Wallop, Hants.,
Pre War
Geoffrey Wynne Bavin was born on 17th July 1897 in Berkhamsted, the third son of Major John Thomas Bavin (12th Queens) and Grace Bavin, and one of seven children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Lindum, Upper King's Road, Great Berkhamsted, when his father gave his occupation as musician. They had moved to 95 High Street, Berkhamstead by 1911 when Geoffrey was at school and his father was then working as a music master at Berkhamsted School.
He was educated at Westminster Abbey choir school and was a chorister at Westminster Abbey and also attended Berkhamsted School and Sandhurst Military College.
Wartime Service
Geoffrey joined the army and was gazetted from R.M.C. Sandhurst on 20 October 1915 as 2nd Lieutenant with the Lincolnshire Regiment.
He took his flying certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane on 24th November 1915 and was killed in a flying accident at Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wilts on 1 April 1916, aged 18. No one witnessed the accident, but he was seen beginning a descent from a height of 2,000 feet. The machine was a new one, (Airco DH2) which had arrived from Farnborough the day before.
A verdict of Accidental Death was recorded.
His commandant said of him "He was an extraordinarily fine pilot and had he lived would undoubtedly have been in the front rank of airmen. On the day of his death he was about to take up a position in the experimental squadron, where his fine flying would make him very useful. He was a clean, straight boy, and is a great loss, not only to his family, but the the Service."
Additional Information
His father, then a Captain and later Major Bavin, received a war gratuity of £35 and pay owing of 8s. Geoffrey had debts of £9 18s 5d which his father settled.
N.B. Medal Index Card shows only that Geoffrey died. No award of medals appear to have been given.
His father served with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, brother Charles served as Lieutenant with the Shropshire Light Infantry (attached to the Machine Gun Corps) and received the Military Cross, brother Arthur served with the Army Service Corps as Lieutenant.
Geoffrey's headstone (not CWGC) bears the inscription:
In loving memory of Geoffrey Wynne Bavin, Second Lt Lincolnshire Regiment, Flying Officer RFC, who was killed while flying at Upavon, April 1st 1916 in his 19th year. When his master called him for promotion, he found him at his post."
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jo Bayley, www.rectorylanecemetery.org.uk, aviation-safety.net, www.westminster-abbey.org, livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org
