1914-1918 First World War Centenary

26 September 2018

Thomas Earle Gordon Scaife, MC, was the son of Thomas Earle Scaife and Clara Scaife, of Burnholme, Robertson, Cape Province, South Africa, where he lived prior to arriving at Harper Adams Agricultural College on 15 January 1907. He left the College on 23 December 1909 intending to farm in the Cape Colony. 

Scaife was killed in action, when flying as an observer on BE2c, shot down by AA fire over Lesboeufs (Somme). He was awarded the MC "For conspicuous gallantry and skill when on contact patrol work during active operations, often flying low under heavy fire. On one occasion, when flying at 1,000 feet, his petrol tanks were pierced by shell fire. He managed to stop the holes and enabled his pilot to bring the machine home."

He is remembered with honour at the Arras Flying Services Memorial

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1638338/scaife,-thomas-earle-gordon/

The Arras Flying Services Memorial is located in the town of Arras, Pas de Calais, France and commemorates almost 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, the Australian Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/99996/arras-flying-services-memorial/