Flying Officer 2nd Lieutenant Richard Borlase Jenkins
9th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
Died of Wounds
Date of Birth: 21 August 1896
Place of Birth: Pennard, Bishopston, Glamorgan, Wales
Date of Death: 18 January 1916 aged 19
Buried: Terlincthun** British Cemetery, Wimille, France.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
2nd Lieutenant Pilot Richard “Dick” Borlase Jenkins age 19.
Born in Pennard, Bishopston, Glamorgan, on 21 August 1896, Dick was the son of Charles, solicitor, and Maud Jenkins. The 1901 census showed him with his parents living at Penybrn, Bishopston, Glamorganshire.
He attended Sherborne School, Dorset from 1910-1914. His parents later moved to 'Oakley', Teignmouth.
Richard was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 15 June 1915 whilst serving with 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, he gained his flying certificate on 5 August 1915 and was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps at the end of September.
In October 1915 he was gazetted as Flying Officer and attached to 9th Squadron, RFC; he flew to France in December 1915.
He was wounded whilst on a flying mission over German lines but managed to return to his airfield where he died of wounds on 18 January 1916*.
Dick was buried at Villers-Bocage, but later reburied in Terlincthun** British Cemetery, Wimille, France. A gratuity of £35 was paid to his father in 1920.
His grave Inscription reads: “Dick”.
Died on 18 January 1916 at a Casualty Clearing Station in France of wounds received in action in a fight with a German Fokker plane as he was returning from bombing a German depot.
Being unarmed at the time, he was making for home, his plane was hit in every part but the engine, he himself being struck on the side of the head. He made a perfect landing on his return, and appeared only slightly wounded, but died a few hours after of a haemorrhage of the brain.”
Taken from Roll of Honour at Sherborne School.
*RAF records show he died late on 17 January, but many official records state 18 January.
** Many casualties were reburied in official Commonwealth War Graves at a later date, which enabled all the graves to be cared for properly.
A British airman dropping a bomb.© IWM (Q 67698)
During Dick's time in the The Royal Flying Corps, bombs were dropped by hand from airplanes (or airships) and aimed by the naked eye.
