62nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
David Roderick Eccles was a Canadian, who lived in the USA and who joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), training in Canada before arriving in Gloucestershire.
Little is known of his early life: a Canadian Veterans’ website states he was born in the UK but there is no evidence for this and it appears more likely that he was born in New Brunswick, Canada on 31 December 1899. The CWGC Register states that he was the son of Samuel Green and Margaret Ann Eccles. The principal sources of information are his RFC file in the National Archives (AIR76/145/174) and newspaper report in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of New York City, dated 11 December 1917.
The newspaper reported that Eccles was a native of Canada but after the death of his parents he had come to reside with his uncle, H W Cronk, of 916 52nd Street, Brooklyn and that he had lived with him for five years. His mother’s maiden name was Cronk, so this was probably her brother. After studying at Heffley’s Business School he was employed as an accountant. He was an active member of St Jude’s Church at Bay Ridge and a member of the Boys’ Brigade.
In June 1917 the Canadian Army conducted a recruiting campaign in New York City and Eccles responded and was accepted for training in the Royal Flying Corps. He spent the months of June to August 1917 at Toronto and Camp Borden training for service abroad. In September he was posted to the ‘Advanced Airplane School’ at Cirencester.
His RFC record confirms this transfer. He had been on the Army ‘General List’ and on 22 September 1917 he had received a commission as a Temporary Second Lieutenant. He had arrived from Canada on 26 September and joined 62 Squadron, Rendcomb on 30 October. The squadron was equipped with the Bristol F2b Fighter at that time. His record indicates attendance at 2nd Auxiliary School of Air Gunnery on 23 November and his death due to injuries received in an aeroplane accident on 5 December.
The newspaper report states that Mr Cronk (who is stated in the RFC record as his next of kin) was notified by cable on 5 December that Eccles had met with a serious airplane accident that morning and had been removed to Cirencester Cottage Hospital. He was later informed that death occurred at 3.30pm on 6 December. However the CWGC Register and the RFC record state the date of death to be 5 December; he was 18 years of age. Unusually there appears to be no report of the accident or inquest in the Gloucestershire newspapers of that time.
Mr Cronk cabled to request that his nephew’s body be sent to Canada, for interment in the family plot at St John’s, New Brunswick. Evidently Eccles had two younger brothers, Roy and Harold and younger sisters, Lois and Grace. His Medal Index Card at the National Archives indicates that his medals were sent to his brother, Roy, c/o Mr H W Cronk at the above New York City address.
For whatever reason, Second Lieutenant Eccles remains were not returned to Canada, and he now lies in North Cerney (All Saints) Churchyard, where a standard CWGC headstone marks his grave.
Researched by Graham Adams October 2014