Airship Disaster R38 Maypole man killed
A tragedy occurred on the afternoon of 24 August 1921 when thousands of people in Hull witnessed the R38 airship explode and plummet into the Humber Estuary.
From Dartford Museum Curator, Dr. Mike Still
‘Among those who lost their lives on the ill-fated airship R38 was Air Craftsman Roy Parker, son of Mr and Mrs Parker of 3 Denton Terrace, Maypole Estate, Dartford Heath. Roy Parker was for some time at the Bexley National Schools, but later went to the Maypole Estate Schools, under Mr F. Snell. (*From the maypolehistory website it shows that the Maypole School Register shows he entered the Maypole School on 13th February 1913. The 1911 Census showed he was aged 10 years when he lived at No. 3 Denton Terrace with his father Henry - an accounts clerk -and his mother Kate together with his other siblings). He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917 and received his instruction at Eastchurch. Before enlisting he was for a time at Vickers’ Crayford Works where he was a great favourite with his mates. He was only 21 in July but had been employed on our largest airships. He went to America last year with Captain Scott in the R34, and after the voyage he received a volume of “The Log of HMA R34” presented by Sir Ernest Hodder Williams in memory of the great achievement. On this voyage he was the youngest member of the crew. When he was home last in July, on the occasion of his coming of age, he spoke to his parents of the voyage he was looking forward to in the R38, but said he doubted “if the Americans would ever get her home”. He apparently had some premonition of a disaster and as a matter of fact he had a narrow escape on her when she recently made a bad landing and was severely damaged. At that time he was in charge of the port aft engine and it is thought he was in that position at the time of the disaster. Great sympathy is felt for his family.’
The other airship on which Parker served, R34, was commanded by Major George Scott and was the first aircraft to fly from east to west across the Atlantic. It also made the return voyage, making it the first aircraft to do that as well. Also, since the ground crew in America didn’t know how to assist an airship in landing, Major E.M. Pritchard jumped by parachute to teach them, making him the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe! This all explains why a souvenir book was given to the crew.
The below link expands on the disaster.
