There are two pilots buried here
Grave Encl No.4 X.C.3 Captain Gifford Davidge Horton, Pilot, 98 Squadron. KIA 31 May 1918. He was flying an Airco DH9, B7657, taking off from Coudekerque Airfield located about two miles south of Dunkirk. The aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Bruges. He was originally posted as Missing in Action. He was buried in Waregem Cemetery and his body was exhumed by the Americans in June 1922 and reburied in Bedford House Cemetery. He had completed his training in April 1918 and was then posted to 98 Squadron on 26 May 1918. His mother was listed as his Next of Kin and her address was listed as ‘c/o Lyconing National Bank, Williamport, Pennsylvania, USA.
His observer, 2nd Lieutenant Harold Jeffrey McConnell is buried in Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery. Read more about that cemetery here https://www.theypressalient.com/post/larch-wood-railway-cutting-cemetery
98 Squadron
The Squadron was formed on 30 August 1917 at RFCS Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, but soon moved to Old Sarum, Wiltshire. As a day-bombing unit equipped with the Airco DH.9, it moved to Northern France in April 1918, immediately seeing action during the Battle of the Lys, and then during the Second Battle of the Marne and the Battle of Amiens. From 1 November 1918 the squadron was employed chiefly with reconnaissance work.
The Squadron claimed 40 enemy aircraft destroyed, 35 'driven out of control', and 4 'driven down'. Thirteen aircraft of the Squadron were shot down over enemy territory, and another 13 declared missing; ten crashed or crash-landed in Allied territory and about 31 were damaged or destroyed in accidents. Nineteen men were killed in action, 22 were reported missing, 14 were wounded, 13 injured in crashes, 16 taken prisoner and five accidentally killed.
Grave Encl. No.4 VIII.E.24 Lieutenant Richard Mayberry, Age 26. 3rd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers attached Royal Flying Corps. He was from Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Pilot, 70 Squadron. KIA 15 November 1917. Flying a Sopwith Camel, B2444 WF. Battlefield burial Map ref J.34.a.20.30. Body exhumed and reburied at Bedford House. Identified from Button, wing & flying helmet. He was seen in combat with an enemy aircraft at Tenbrielen at 11:50am. Unteroffizier Kurt Reinhold of Jasta 24 claims to have shot him down east of Zillebeke Lake at 12:25pm. Reinhold had four victories between 31 July and 7 December 1917. He was to die in an accident while test flying at Emerchicourt airfield.
70 Squadron
The Squadron was formed on 22 April 1916 at Farnborough and was equipped with Sopwith 11/2 Strutter being re-equipped in 1917 with Sopwith Camels, a single seater biplane fighter aircraft. This was a highly successful squadron with 287 victories and had nineteen aces.
You can read more about Bedford House Cemetery here https://www.theypressalient.com/post/bedford-house-cemetery
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