Memorial - Silver Queen 1920
The Monument plaque reads as follows: The
first aircraft to reach this country, the Silver Queen, a Vickers Vimy
bomber, crashed near this place on 6th March 1920. The aircraft was
flown by Lieut-Col Pierre van Ryneveld DSO, MC and Flight Lieut. Quinton
Brand DSO, DFC. The other members of the crew were Mr FW Sherratt, an
engineer from Rolls Royce and Flight Sgt Newman (RAF) an airframe
engineer.
This was the first flight from London to the
Cape. Silver Queen I After the crash and some days later the flight was
continued and completed by van Ryneveld and Brand in a DH9 aircraft
named Voortrekker.
All the other challengers that started from
England abandoned their flights. The De Havilland machine piloted by
Lieutenant Cotton, of Australia, smashed its tail and three wings;
Major Bradeley's Handley-Page crashed near Atbara, while Major Welsh's
Royal Force machine was forced to descend in a damaged state at
Koroska. The Times Vickers Vimy bomber crashed at Abercorn and was
smashed beyond repair.