A Memorial Plaque to Major John Lawson Kinnear, D.S.O., M.C., Royal Flying Corps
Bronze, (JOHN LAWSON KINNER), marked with the worker's number "39" between the lion's rear foot and tail on the obverse, partial maker mark "WA" (Royal Arsenal, Woolwich) on the reverse, 121 mm, scattered green residue evident in the recessed areas on the obverse from cleaning, casting error and contact marks on the reverse, better than fine. Accompanied by copies of his Index Cards and Service Records from the National Archives, along with a Graves Registration Report Form.
Footnote: John Lawson Kinnear was born on February 9, 1890 in Copgrove, Yorkshire, the younger son of the Reverend Henry Gott Kinnear of Copgrove Rectory and Frances Jane Kinnear (nee Lawson) of Park House, Ripon, Yorkshire. During his teenage years, he was educated at Stubbington, Fareham, Hants from 1903 to 1905, at Knaresborough, Yorkshire from 1905 to 1906 and at West Wratting Park, Cambridge in 1907. He attended Sandhurst and was commissioned into The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 28421 of Tuesday, October 4, 1910, page 6978: "The King's (Liverpool Regiment), John Lawson Kinnear, in succession to Lieutenant J. Wheen, promoted". The Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding the 1st Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) noted on October 9, 1913, that Kinnear was a "good map reader and field sketcher" and that he had "knowledge of Mechanical Engineering", as well as being able to speak, read and write French fluently. These qualities enabled him to be eventually approved for transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, after three years' service with the Liverpool Regiment. In a letter dated November 4, 1913 at Aldershot, while with 1st Battalion, Liverpool Regiment, Lieutenant Kinnear "refused employment with the West African Regiment, after being selected and orders issued on 100/Infantry/354. G.O.C.-in-C. (General Officer Commanding-in-Chief), Aldershot recommended (16/11/12 = November 16, 1912) that this officer should not be considered for extra-regimental employ for at least 3 years". In a follow-up letter dated November 14, 1913, it was noted that Kinnear had applied for appointment to the Royal Flying Corps and would "be selected for the Corps, on probation, provided that he obtains the certificate of the Royal Aero Club as an aviator" and that "on his graduating at the Central Flying School, it will be decided whether he is most suitable for continuous or reserve service. If selected for continuous service he will be seconded for a period of four years, but should there be no vacancy in the Military Wing he will be temporarily posted to the 1st Reserve. If selected for reserve service he will be posted to the 1st Reserve for a period of four years." Four months later, in a letter dated March 14, 1914 at Aldershot, in regards to the appointment of Lieutenant Kinnear, Liverpool Regiment, to the Royal Flying Corps, the commanding officer noted that "owing to this officer having undergone an operation recently, he will not be able to obtain the certificate of the Royal Aero Club for some little while", although it does not specify the nature of Kinnear's operation. Soon after, Kinnear did attend the Central Flying School at Upavon, Wiltshire and earned his certificate, taken on a Maurice Farman Biplane, on August 31, 1914 and was designated as a Lieutenant (Flying Officer) effective October 3, 1914, the announcement appearing in the Fourth Supplement to the London Gazette 28944 of Friday, October 16, 1914, on Monday, October 19, 1914, page 8362. Lieutenant Kinnear volunteered for flight training and was posted to No. 6 Squadron in France in 1914. He was a Lieutenant (Flying Officer) with the The King's (Liverpool Regiment), when he was named to the rank of Temporary Captain (Flying Commander) effective June 11, 1915, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 29206 of Friday, June 25, 1915, page 6169. The following month, he was transferred to No. 1 RAS (Reserve Aeroplane Squadron) on July 19, 1915, but returned to No. 6 Squadron shortly thereafter. Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Kinnear, Royal Flying Corps was Mentioned in Despatches twice, the first of which was announced in the Supplement to the London Gazette 29422 of Friday, December 31, 1915, on Saturday, January 1, 1916, page 12. Shortly thereafter, Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Lawson Kinnear, Liverpool Regiment and Royal Flying Corps was awarded the Military Cross, the announcement appearing in the Fourth Supplement to the London Gazette 29438 of Tuesday, January 11, 1916, on Friday, January 14, 1916, page 584. He was a Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) with No. 8 Reserve Squadron, when he was recommended for promotion to the rank of Captain in March 1916 and was transferred to No. 19 Squadron on March 19, 1916. He was officially promoted to Captain, retroactive to September 25, 1915, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 29618 of Friday, June 9, 1916, page 5738. Lieutenant Kinnear, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) was transferred to No. 42 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps as its Squadron Commander, on June 1, 1916 and was promoted to the rank of Temporary Major, effective June 1, 1916, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 29641 of Tuesday, June 27, 1916, page 6344 and in Flight Magazine of Thursday, July 6, 1916, page 520. Captain (Temporary Major) Kinnear, Royal Flying Corps was Mentioned in Despatches a second time, the announcement appearing in the Fourth Supplement to the London Gazette 30421 of Friday, December 7, 1917, on Tuesday, December 11, 1917, page 12923. He was placed with the Home Establishment effective December 8, 1917 and five days later, on on December 13th, he was posted to No. 1 Training Station, Beaulieu. Captain (Temporary Major) John Lawson Kinnear, M.C., Liverpool Regiment and Royal Flying Corps was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 30450 of Friday, December 28, 1917, on Tuesday, January 1, 1918, page 23 and in the Supplement to the Edinburgh Gazette 13136 of Wednesday, January 2, 1918, page 29. He was declared "unfit for General Service for one month but fit for Home Service, however, no flying for three weeks" on March 7, 1918. Three and a half weeks after the declaration of his fitness, the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged to form the Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918. Four weeks after the creation of the Royal Air Force, Major John Lawson Kinnear, D.S.O., M.C., 1st Training Squadron, Royal Air Force was killed on April 28, 1918 at Beaulieu, Hampshire, during a display of stunt flying. A large crowd saw the 28 year old Major doing rolls, loops and spins when, as one set of wings of his Sopwith Scout became detached, he spun to the ground, switching off his engine just before impact. He is buried in East Boldre (St. Paul’s) Churchyard, East Boldre, Hampshire, England, Grave 7, one of twenty graves (five from the Royal Flying Corps, fourteen from the Royal Air Force and one grave of an American airman that has been removed) for airmen. Kinnear was the most senior and distinguished officer to die while stationed at the nearby East Boldre Aerodrome. The announcement of his death "as the result of an accident while flying in Hants" appeared in Flight Magazine of Thursday, May 9, 1918 and it was noted that both his parents had predeceased him. He is confirmed as having flown thirty-nine types of machines (aeroplanes) while with the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force. For his First World War service, he was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He left his estate to his sister, Mary Alexandra Stobart (wife of George Herbert Stobart), Tow Law, County Durham, the administration taking place at Wakefield, West Yorkshire on February 8, 1919, consisting of 2,543 pounds, 17 shillings, 5 pence.