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Son of Steel Caldwell and Lillian Caldwell, of "Eurabba," Young, New South Wales Australia.

Anthony Steel Caldwell paid his own fare and sailed on Mongolia on 8 July 1916 for England & arrived on 22 August to join Royal Flying Corps.

Second Lieutenant Cyril Harvey Trollope, Pilot, & Second Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell, Passenger (under instruction), from No. 15 Reserve Squadron were flying a RE8 Serial number A4192 from Doncaster on 4 May 1917. The Pilot tried to turn back when downwind at 150 -200 ft with a failing engine, the plane sideslipped and did a spinning nosedive into the ground. The aeroplane was wrecked. Both airmen subsequently died within a few hours.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Anthony Steel Caldwell was born at Eurabba on 31st January, 1892 to parents Steel Caldwell & Lillian Caldwell (nee Freestone). His birth was registered in the district of Grenfell, NSW, Australia.  

He sailed on Mongolia on 8th July, 1916 for England & arrived on 22nd August to join Royal Flying Corps.

On 1st September, 1916 Anthony Steel Caldwell, a 24 year old, single, Grazier from 96 Invanhoe Hotel, Bloomsbury Street, W.C., when he joined Officers Cadet Battalion at South Farnborough. His service number was 68265.

He was posted as 3rd Air Mechanic on 4th September, 1916.

On 11th November, 1916 3rd Air Mechanic Caldwell was posted to School of Military Aeronautics, Christchurch, Oxford, England.

3rd Air Mechanic Anthony Steel Caldwell was discharged on 25th January, 1917. “His services being no longer required having been selected for appointment to a temporary commission as 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) for duty with Royal Flying Corps.”

Second Lieutenant (on probation) Anthony Steel Caldwell was on General List effective 26th January, 1917.

On 30th January, 1917 Second Lieutenant Caldwell was posted to No.  41 R.S. (Reserve Squadron).

He was posted to No. 15 R.S. (Reserve Squadron) on 5th March, 1917.

On 4th May, 1917 Second Lieutenant Cyril Harvey Trollope, Pilot, & Second Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell, Passenger (under instruction), from No. 15 Reserve Squadron were flying a RE8 Serial number A4192 from Doncaster. The Pilot tried to turn back when downwind at 150 -200 ft with a failing engine, the plane sideslipped and did a spinning nosedive into the ground. The aeroplane was wrecked.

Second Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell died on 4th May, 1917 as a result of an Aero accident. Second Lieutenant Cyril Harvey Trollope also died in the accident.

A Court of Inquiry was held into the accident & it was found that the “Pilot turned down wind with failing engine & insufficient flying speed.”

Second Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell was buried in Hyde Park Cemetery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England – Plot number MX. 400 and has a Private headstone. His death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

[Second Lieutenant Cyril Harvey Trollope, aged 20, of Royal Flying Corps was buried in Plaistow Cemetery, Bromley, Greater London, England.]

Newspaper article – Doncaster Chronicle -11 May, 1917:

DIVE TO DEATH

TWO FLYING OFFICERS KILLED

An inquest was held on Monday afternoon last, touching the deaths of Second-Lieutenant Sydney Harvey Trollope (20), of Bromley, Kent, and Second-Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell (25), belonging to Australia, both of the Royal Flying Corps.

It was shown that last Friday evening, shortly after 7 o'clock, Lieut. Trollope, a fully-qualified pilot, ascended with Lieut. Caldwell, who was still under instruction.

The aeroplane crashed to the ground, and both officers were killed.

A Major of the Flying Corps said he heard the engine missing fire, and noticed that the pilot, Lieut. Trollope, tried to turn the machine reund, with a sharp left-handed turn and a steep bank. The machine side-slipped in wards toward the ground, then got in to a spinning-nose dive to the ground, from a height of from 150 to 200 feet. The officers were got out and sent to the infirmary, but were dead before arrival.

Answering the coroner, witness said officers were not allowed to fly in this class of machine until they were experienced. It was the same type of machine that figured in a previous fatality. Deceased had done four hours on one. He did the wrong thing. He “turned down” with a failing engine, which was about the first thing they were taught not to do. If your engine failed, it was better to go straight on, even if it was into a brick wall if you were not sufficiently high, because in turning you lost so much speed. Deceased was not high enough to do what he did, and he did absolutely the wrong thing, and broke one of the first rules of flying. He was an officer who had got on quickly, and probably was a bit over confident and thought he could do anything. Some of the best pilots had come to grief in the same way. The accident was due to turning down with a failing engine when not sufficiently high from the ground.

Another officer described Lieut. Trollope as a very good pilot.

The doctor of the infirmary having declared death to be due to injuries and shock.

The Coroner said they were sorry to lose these men, for we wanted every one of them we could possibly get, but there it was — accidents would occur.

In returning a verdict of accidental death, the jury also expressed regret.

WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS

The body of Lieut. Caldwell was laid to rest with full military honours on Tuesday afternoon. The coffin, covered with a Union Jack, was placed upon a gun carriage, and was escorted from the infirmatory to the cemetery by a large number of officers and men of the Royal Flying Corps. The service was impressively conducted by the Vicar, and at the conclusion the usual volleys were fired over the grave, and the “Last Post”' was sounded. Beautiful floral tokens were sent by the officers and men of the corps. Large crowds watched the progress of the cortege through the town and there was a big assembly at the cemetery. It is worthy of note that the “Last Post” was sounded by buglers from the Volunteers, Bugler Gordon Pearson being the leader.

The Caldwell family, through the good services of the Rev A. Poole, C.E. minister, and formerly of Grenfell, and now of Hanford Vicarage, Stoke-on-Trent, England, visited Doncaster and cemetery, and found that their son had been buried in a grave 8ft deep. It was evident that a second military burial in the same grave may have taken place at any time ; to obviate this, the grave was purchased, and a certificate of same obtained, and is now in the possession of Mr Poole. Through the courtesy of the officers of the Royal Flying Corps, the Caldwells have received photos of the funeral procession and grave of their son, as well as many assurance of regret at the loss of his life, and affirming that he gave great promise of becoming a very efficient pilot ; was always a good colleague and loyal comrade.  

Second Lieutenant Anthony Steel Caldwell is remembered on the Commemorative Roll Book, located in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The Commemorative Roll records the names of those Australians who died during or as a result of wars in which Australians served, but who were not serving in the Australian Armed Forces and therefore not eligible for inclusion on the Roll of Honour.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/doncaster.html