The 100th anniversary of a former viacr’s son who died in the war was commemorated earlier this week.

Lieutenant Ernest Osbourne Tracey was in a fatal accident during a training flight in Wiltshire 100 years ago. The young man was the only son of the Reverend Harry Frank Tracey, chaplain to the Forces and of Alice Rose Tracey of Dartmouth.

The 18-year-old was flying at about 9pm on May 31, 1918, when he collided with another aircraft being flown by 19-year-old Lt Stanley Burnet.

Flight Cadet Tracey died instantly and Lt Stanley died from shock and burns in hospital two hours later.

Flight Cadet Tracey’s father, Rev Tracey was the parish priest at St Clement’s in Dartmouth from 1890 to 1914 and he brought his son home to be buried in St Clement’s church yard where there is a memorial to him today.

Ernest Osborn Tracey was educated at Blundell’s School, Tiverton, Devon Woolwich and then went onto serve in the Royal Flying Corps.

In 2017, the memorial was restored with the assistance of the Britannia Royal Naval College charities committee which provided funding.

To commemorate the anniversary of Flight Cadet Tracey’s death there was a short service held on Thursday, May 31, after the eucharist service at St Clement’s church.

The service was led by Fr Bob Boyle, a parish priest and accompanied by the Reverend Keith Robus, the Royal Navy Church of England chaplain at the BRNC. Officer cadets also attended from the college.