Taunton Elliott Viney

Death and German military funeral

Viney was killed five months later on 21 May 1916 when he was based in France while serving with No. 5 (Naval) Wing, RNAS. He failed to return from an air raid on Mariakerke in a Sopwith 1½ Strutter (serial number # 9384).

The manner of Viney's death and his funeral are verified by notes in his service record, official correspondence and correspondence from fellow officers, as well as artefacts and photographs which are now in the collection of the Imperial War Museum.

Viney's mother received a letter from E. T. Newton-Clare, Flight Command, Acting CO, No 5 Wing, postmarked 19 July 1916. The letter confirmed that Viney had been killed on 21 May 1916 while on a bombing raid on an aerodrome at Ostend. Newton-Clare writes: “A few days ago a German aeroplane dropped two message bags in the French lines, which were forwarded to us. The message said as far as I can remember the translation ‘Lieutenant Taunton Viney with his bi-plane was shot down by us and fell into the sea. All efforts were made to save him but he was dead when we reached the machine. He is buried …… and was afforded full military honours’. They enclosed two large photographs one of the funeral and one of the grave. On the grave was an inscription “To our brave enemy”. We copied the photographs and enclosed them together with the message to the Headquarters Intelligence Office who will or have forwarded them to the Air Department Admiralty who will send them to you”.

Viney’'s service record summarises this information: "A/67580 V. A. Dover 2.6.16:- Killed 21.5.16. Message dropped at La Panne from a German Aeroplane, that he was picked up in the water off Ostende, and all efforts to restore life were unsuccessful. Buried in Ostende – Mariakerke Cemetery".

Viney's service record indicates that he was buried at Ostend, in the Mariakerke Cemetery. He was reburied in the Ostend New Communal Cemetery where his grave is marked by a marble Commonwealth War Graves headstone.

The story of Viney bombing a submarine from an open-cockpit bi-plane captured widespread attention at the time and earned him a place in the history of aerial warfare.