18 August 1914

The R.A.F B.E.8 saw service on the Western Front early in the war. It was prone to spinning, and several machines were lost in crashes. On 18 August 1914 a B.E.8 crashed at Peronne, killing its observer and injuring the pilot, Lt. R. Smith-Barry. He recovered (although he needed to walk with a stick for the rest of his life) and established a school teaching spins and spin recovery.