Flight Cadet Henry Herbert Wade Ryan

Henry Wade was born to Henry and Emma Ryan of Norlington Road, Leytonstone, London in 1894. His brother, Edward John Ryan was born in 1895 and his sister, Dorothy Ryan in 1905. Henry lived in St Johns Road, Shoreditch, London, Middlesex in 1901 before moving to High Road, Leyton in London and he was employed as a photo-engraver.

He enlisted in the Air Force on 30th October 1917 and started his military life on 7th November 1917 as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class in the Royal Flying Corp. He was stationed at St Leonards in the Officer Cadet Wing of Corps No 5. He moved to Corps No 1 on 4th December 1917 and then moved to the Royal Flying Corps No 6 in the School of Aeronautics in Bristol on 8th February 1918.

On 31st March 1918, he was appointed as a Private, 2nd class in the Royal Air Force School of Aeronautics before moving to the RAF School of Armaments in Uxbridge where he graduated on 11th May 1918 and became a Flight Cadet in the RAF No 5 Training Depot Station at RAF Collyweston.

On 23rd August 1918, he became a pilot but died 5 days later at the age of 25 in a flying accident. At 14:30 on 28th August 1918, his aircraft entered a flat turn at 500ft and nose-dived into the ground near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and caught fire.

He is buried in Priory Road Cemetery in grave number R40.

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