W.---  2nd Officer  Enid Frances Lilian Knight-Bruce
flag england + za-1928flag b. 19 Feb 1889, Bloemfontein, South Africa 

 

1 Apr to 27 Nov 1941 

enid bruce 1935  RAeC 1935

     

 

Father: Bishop George Wyndham Hamilton Knight-Bruce DD; mother Louisa [Torr], from Carlett Park in Cheshire.

Her father was Bishop of Bloemfontein between 1886 and 1891, Bishop of Mashonaland between 1891 and 1895, and Vicar at Bovey Tracey, Devon, between 1895 and 1896. He died on 18 Dec 1896

 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Knight-Bruce

 

Next-of-kin: Col. J C L Knight-Bruce, of The Sea House, nr Brighton

Enid had an elder sister, (Caroline) Ethelfloed Knight-Bruce, and two brothers

 She was awarded £7 by the Royal College of Music in 1911, and £8 in 1912, for violin.

 

2 Apr 1915: "A DANGEROUS DOG. At Newton Abbot, on Tuesday, Miss Enid Knight-Bruce, Highweek, was summoned for being the owner of a dangerous bulldog, which was not kept under proper control.

Supt. Crooke said he would not ask for the animal to be destroyed, but simply for an order to be made to keep it under control.

Several witnesses spoke to having been attacked by the dog. Defendant said she did not consider the dog very dangerous. It had very high spirits, and turned to people half in fun. 

Miss Knight-Bruce was ordered to pay the costs, £1 16s. 6d. " - Teignmouth Post and Gazette

"Enid Knight-Bruce, of Western House, Newton Abbot, was fined £2 on Tuesday, for failing to comply with an order on March 26th to keep a dangerous bulldog under control. " - Teignmouth Post and Gazette - Friday 10 Sep 1915

 

She was engaged to "Mr. Piers Gilchrist Thompson, second son of Canon and Mrs. Thompson of Hayes Rectory, Kent, and Liberal ex-MP for Torquay" in 1925:

  Looking forward to it!

 

... but eventually she m. 23 Apr 1938 in Babbacombe Church, nr Torquay, Devon, Capt. Ralph T Edge:

"The bride is an experienced pilot, and holds the position of hon. flying instructor to the Women's Reserve. She flew from Brackley to Oxford, and motored from there to Torquay.

A keen student of industrial problems, she has also engaged in a good deal of philanthropic work. In pre-war days she opened a rest-home for men engaged in the dock strike in London, and another of her activites was assisting in the distressed areas of Wales and the Midlands under the auspices of the Industrial Christian Fellowship. She later went to America and gave a series of lectures on 'Industry', 'Mediaeval Economics', and 'England'" - Western Times - Friday 29 April 1938

 She does not seem to have used her married surname after 1940.

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Address  in 1941: 384 Kensington Close, London W8


"A careful pilot and is shaping well" on 29 May, but went on indefinite sick leave (collitis) from 6 Aug and did not return to duty

exp in ATA:

Moth: 38hrs 40min;

Magister: 2hrs 35min.

Resigned


Moved to 2a Kensington Court Gardens, London W8, and lived with her sister Ethelfloed (who d. 1956)

d. 25 Apr 1969 - Kensington, London

[I'm not entirely sure when or where Enid was born; her ATA record has "19 Feb 1900, Eastham, Cheshire" but her Royal Aero Club Cert. has "19 Feb, 1903, Bloemfontine (sic) South Africa". My guess is 1889 in Bloemfontein, as her 1969 death certificate says she was 80 at the time, and anyway her father died in 1896.]

 


 Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):download grey

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