July 2012 marks the centenary of what was eventually to become a significant event in the history of Bramford.
The Loraine family lived at Bramford Hall, inherited by Lady Frederika Mary Horatia (née Broke) from her uncle Sir George Broke of Nacton. Lady Frederika was married to Rear Admiral Sir Lambton Loraine, 11th Baronet of Kirkharle in Northumberland, an estate which the family had owned since the 15th century. Sir Lambton and Lady Frederika had four children: Eustace, Percy, Jacqueline and Isaura.
Captain Eustace Loraine
The heir to the title and estate was Eustace who was born in London on 13th September 1879. Educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant with the Grenadier Guards on 5th July 1899. He was promoted to Lieutenant in May 1900 after his arrival in South Africa where he served in the first Boer War until his return to England in May 1902. Awarded the Queen’s Medal with three clasps and the King’s Medal with two, he served as adjutant, Grenadier Guards from July 1905 until September 1906. In 1908 he was promoted to Captain and spent two years in the West Africa Frontier Force where his commanding officer was Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard of the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Having been wounded in 1903 he almost left the army but was persuaded to remain and take the post of Assistant Commandant of the South Nigeria Regiment. In 1906 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
Captain Loraine had a striking appearance being 6 feet 3 inches tall with red hair, this combined with his lively personality and intelligence made him popular with his colleagues.
In 1909 Louis Bleriot made the first flight across the English Channel in an aeroplane, which fired Loraine’s imagination and made him determined to take up flying.He went on unpaid leave to Hendon where he learned to fly and qualified with the Royal Aero Club Certificate number 154 on 7th November 1911. By the time the Royal Flying Corps was formed early in 1912 he was an accomplished pilot. He wrote to Trenchard in June 1912 saying ‘You don’t know what you’re missing. Come and see men crawling like ants’. Trenchard accepted the challenge and later went on to establish the Royal Air Force.
Captain Eustace Loraine at the controls of a Valkyrie aircraft
On the morning of Friday 5th July 1912 Captain Loraine was at Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain helping to test fly a Nieuport monoplane. After an initial flight where some problems were experienced he returned to base for adjustments to be made. On taking off for a second time the plane climbed, banked to turn, but immediately fell to the ground. His companion, Staff Sergeant R.H.V. Wilson was killed instantly and Captain Loraine died later at Bulford Hospital.
The site of the crash at Greenlands Bottom, near the intersection of the A344 and the A360 roads and less than a mile west of Stonehenge, is now known as ‘Airmen’s Cross’
There is a stone cross memorial in middle of the grass island at the junction and its inscription reads:’To the memory of Captain Loraine and Staff-Sergeant Wilson who whilst flying on duty, met with a fatal accident near this spot on 5th July 1912. Erected by their comrades’
The unveiling of the memorial in July 1913 with the Loraine family on the left.
Airmen’s Cross dedicated to Captain Loraine and Staff Sergeant RHV Wilson
His body was returned to Bramford Hall on 8th July and on Wednesday 10th a funeral cortege proceeded through the village, accompanied by a detachment of Grenadier Guards, to the Bramford Church where he was buried with full military honours.
The death of Eustace meant that his brother Sir Percy became next in line to inherit the title becoming the 12th. After serving in the second Boer War in 1904 Sir Percy joined the Foreign Service and was present at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. He spent most of his life as a diplomat, serving in Tehran, Athens, Cairo, Ankara and Rome. Although married, when he died 23rd May 1961 without an heir, the Baronetcy died with him.
The elder sister Jacqueline was a chronic invalid who spent all her short life in nursing care.
The younger sister, Isaura, was very popular in the village helping to start the Girl Guides and was godmother to several local children. She died in 1949 having never married.
With the death of the four Loraine children the estate and title was left without an heir. The house and land were eventually sold and most of the house was demolished.
Had it not been for the accident on Salisbury Plain or if Sir Eustace Loraine had left an heir, the village of Bramford could have been a very different place today.
1) Can you please confirm the date of birth of Captain Eustace Loraine.
I have found various sources giving 3rd Sept 1879 whereas you state 13th Sept 1879.
2) Can you also confirm the location of his grave. I have what I believe to be an image of Loraine family graves in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Bramford where the headstone of Isaura Loraine is legible (adjacent to others without standing headstones) and NOT in the grounds of Bramford Hall.
I am currently researching the early history of the Royal Flying Corps and I am aware of the event which lead to Capt.Loraine’s death. Thank you and best regards,
Vic LORRIMAN. No.3(F) Squadron Association
1) I don’t know where I obtained the date of 13th September, I think your date of 3rd is correct as it is given in the pedigree of the Loraine family, and even gives the time of 10.55 a.m. The date of the 13th might have been a mis-reading.
2) Eustace Broke Loraine is definitely NOT buried at Bramford Hall. There was a huge cortege which accompanied the coffin down through the village to the church. There is a series of photos taken along the route. The whole family are buried together, the only stone now legible is that of Isaura. A lot of information was given to me by Air Vice Marshall Barrie Newton who might be able to help if you need it. Good luck with your research.
I’ve just realised that it says in the above article that Jacqueline Loraine was an invalid, she wasn’t, and she didn’t die young, but she didn’t live in Bramford and therefore didn’t come into our history. I think she might have been a teacher or head girl at a school elsewhere. Sorry I can’t be more exact.
Delayed response to your earlier information for which I thank you. I visited St.Mary’s church on 31 August to obtain photographs of the Loraine graves accompanied by Jenny Seggar (who introduced me to your Bramford history; copy now on order). I am guessing that the grave stone adjacent to Isaura’s headstone is that of Capt. Loraine since he pre-deceased his Father and Brother who are buried to the left. No grave for Isaura ? Cremated, perhaps, and simply a headstone raised by Sir Percy ? Also, the family memorials within the church; still no reference to Jacqueline ? An aside. The Airmen’s Cross memorial is now located at the current Stonehenge Visitor Centre. The original location vanished under a new roundabout.
In the 1939 register, Jacqueline was living at Lagoon View, Kingsway, Hove. Although only 56, she was then described as ‘incapacitated’. She died in Sussex 20 years later.
Can i ask is that why the road is called Loraine Way between Bramford and Sproughton?
Sorry for the delay in answering your question. Loraine Way in Bramford was built in the 1920’s to bypass the village street – the name seems to now extend beyond the village boundary to Sproughton. It seems to be a more recent extension of the name adopted by highway authorities perhaps – although the official postal address for the properties in Sproughton is “Bramford Road, Sproughton”
The Eustace Broke Lorraine Memorial Trophy was given to the Royal Air Force and was awarded to thetop person graduating as a pilot at the conclusion of their flying training. With the closure of No 6 FTS school at RAF Ternhill I wonder where it went and is it still in use by the Royal Air Force
1) Please note only one ‘R’ in ‘Loraine’. (A quick look at the actual trophy inscription will confirm this)
2) The Loraine trophy was inaugurated by his brother (Percy) and sister (Isaura) in the mid 1940s. It was, and still is, awarded to the top student of the RAF’s Basic Fast Jet (BFJ) course. Note that it is awarded not “.. at the conclusion of their flying training” because the candidates of the course are already qualified pilots and progressing to ‘Fast Jets’
3) The incumbent custodian of the trophy is No.72 Squadron based at RAF Valley.
4) Interesting to note that the surviving widow of Sir Percy Loraine politely declined an invitation to attend a BFJ course graduation ceremony and present the Trophy to the successful candidate claiming ‘ .. a lack of interest in military aviation’ !
5) The above information was obtained from various sources including the National Archives, No. 72 Squadron, former recipients of the Trophy and ongoing communication with a surviving distant relative, 3rd cousin/3 times removed, of Captain Eustace Loraine.
Vic Lorriman (No.3(F) Squadron Association)
Very interesting. Hopefully someone, somewhere will know the answer!