THE LAST CREW

Captain Arthur Stanley Elliott. Photo kindly provided by Becky Saunders.

Sergeant Percy James Waghorn

COXWAIN

Born in Keston, Kent on 30 March 1893. Percy was a carpenter before he enlisted in the RNAS as an Air Mechanic 1 on 21 November 1914. His parents were William and Rebecca Waghorn.

With a trade as an Airship Rigger he was promoted to Leading Mechanic on 1 August 1915. He was a Corporal on the formation of the RAF on 1 April 1918 and had been promoted to Sergeant by July 1919.

Percy lost his life with the rest of the crew of N.S11 on 15 July 1919. His body was never found.

Waghorn left effects to the value of £125 12s 6d to his father William Waghorn who was keeper of The Star Beerhouse, Capel Hill, Kent.

Service numbers: F2161/202161

Percy Waghorn’s service history. Image: The National Archives

Percy is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton. Photo: Helen Wallbridge.

One objective of this site is to put faces to the names of the crew. While this often seems an impossible task we have got closer with the help of Becky Saunders and a fantastic photograph Percy Waghorn, her great uncle and a coxwain of NS11 when she was lost.