Martinsyde G100 7487

This profile is taken from a series of photo's depicting Cole's Martinsyde after the raid on the Turkish Fourth Army Headquarters on the Olive Mountain in Juresalem on the 26th of June 1917. The operation was fraught with mechanical failure on the return trip home from five of the eight aircraft which took part. Near Beersheba the BE of Lieutenant Brown had an engine siezure and was forced to land, Lieutenant Austin picked Brown up in his BE but 5 miles later Austin's BE also suffered engine siezure and was forced to land. Cole attempted to pick both Brown and Austin up in his Martinsyde 7487 but with the poor ground and the extra weight combined to such that the Martinsyde stalled at 10 feet and the undercarriage cracked. Three made their way through no-mans land before being found by an Australian Lighthorse patrol.

The Martinsyde 7487 had not been burnt and the aircraft was attempted to be recovered later when the ground had been captured by entente forces. Captain Murray Jones attempted to fly the aircraft off but he crashed the aircraft on the bumpy ground. When another attempt was made to salvage the aircraft it had been hacked to pieces by Turkish patrols and was struck off charge.