Flying Marines

1. Name	Francis Stanley MAY
2. Date Commissioned	1 January 1929
3. Date retired	Killed in flying accident, Malta, 7 Sept 1936
4. Rank	Lieutenant RM
5. Awarded wings	May 1934
6. Flying schools	R.A.F. Leuchars 17 September 1933
7. Aircraft types flown	Fighters. Hawk variants. Nimrod, Osprey
8. Squadrons	802 Sqdn. Courageous 7 September 1934 to 31 December 1934 802 Sqdn. 1 January 1935 to 22July 1935 802 Sqdn. Glorious 23 July 1935 to 7 September 1936
9. Aircraft Carriers	Courageous and Glorious
10. Senior Appointments	None
11.Decorations	None
12. General	May learned to fly in 1933 and qualified as a fighter pilot. He was posted to 802 Squadron on 7 September 1934 and flew in this squadron from Courageous and Glorious. Exactly two years after joining the squadron he was killed at Hal Far on 7 Sept 1936. It seems that whilst taking off from Hal Far airfield in Malta his engine failed and he committed the one error all pilots are warned against - he attempted to turn back instead of landing straight ahead. As a result he stalled and spun into the ground. He was buried at sea off Malta from H.M.S. Glorious on 8 September 1936.
13. R.A.F Rank	Flying Officer 17.9.33