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Lieutenant George Henry HEASMAN
6 Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps Date of birth: 26th August 1890 Date of death: 20th January 1918 Killed on active service aged 27 Buried at Mount Noddy Cemetery in East Grinstead
George Henry Heasman was born at East Grinstead on the 26th of August 1890 the elder son of Henry Heasman, a gentleman, and Eliza Dinah (nee Payne) Heasman of Southwick House, London Road, East Grinstead. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Seconds House from September 1904 to July 1907 and served as a member of the Officer Training Corps. His father was a well known owner of race horses and he taught George to ride. He spent a season with the Foxhill trainer W.T. Robinson and won his first hurdle race in 1911 at the Kempton Park January Meeting on his father's horse "Jeanne La Folle". He followed this with further success in Austria and in the UK. Following the outbreak of war he enlisted as a Private in the 19th Hussars, sometimes known as "The Jockey's Regiment", where he served in B Squadron and was posted for training at Longmoor Camp. He applied for a commission on the 1st of October 1914 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cavalry on the 24th of November 1914. In 1915 he was attached to King Edward's Horse (Special Reserve) and he went to France in May 1916. He was appointed to the Royal Flying Corps as a Flying Officer (Observer) on the 20th of April 1917 and was posted to 70 Squadron; his rank had seniority from the 29th of November 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of May 1917. On the 20th of August 1917, having returned from France, he was posted to No. 8 Training School for pilot training. On the 29th of October 1917 he was promoted to Flying Officer and was posted to 72 Squadron, based at Netheravon and, on the 8th of December 1917, he was posted to No. 3 Training Squadron. On the 20th of December 1917 he was posted to 85 Squadron. On the 4th of January 1918 he was posted to 6 Training Squadron as an instructor. On the 20th of January 1918 he took off from Upavon Flying School near Pewsey in Wiltshire in Avro 3241 with his student, 2nd Lieutenant J.A. Anderson, for a training flight. While undertaking a climbing turn the aircraft stalled which caused the aircraft to nose dive into the ground killing George Heasman and seriously injuring Anderson. His father applied for his medals in February 1922. He is commemorated on the war memorial at East Grinstead and on the memorial in St Swithun's Church, East Grinstead. His brother, Lieutenant Frederick James Heasman MC OL 222nd Searchlight Training Unit, Royal Artillery, died on active service on the 4th of June 1940.

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