The Bishop of Whitby, the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, dedicated a window to a pioneering aviator at St Mark’s Church, Marske-by-the-Sea, on Sunday 1st November.
The new window, created by Ann Sotheran, commemorates Edward Petre, who was killed in an accident at Marske in 1912, as the weather deteriorated whilst he was attempting the first non-stop flight from London to Edinburgh.
Churchwarden of St Mark’s Church, Sue Sotheran said, “Marske has connections with aviators going back to the early days of flying. In 1908, Robert Blackburn flew his first monoplane along the beach, reaching an altitude of four or five feet! We wanted this new window to recognise the pioneering spirit of these early aviators, and mark the tragic death of Edward Petre at Marske.
“The left-hand light of the window shows the east coast of England, with Edward’s flight path as a red line, and his Martin Handasyde monoplane in the sky above Marske. As well as commemorating Edward, the window is also dedicated to the airmen of the Royal Flying Corps based at Marske in World War One, who gave their lives in the service of the country.”
Bishop Paul said, “Ann’s beautiful window is a fitting testament to Edward Petre and the airmen who trained at Marske in World War One. The words ‘They shall mount up on wings of eagles’ from the book of Isaiah in the Bible has been linked with aviation since its first days, and as well as reminding us of the eagles’ wings in the badge of the Royal Air Force, they recall Edward Petre’s strong Christian faith. The bravery of the pilots in those dangerous early days was the foundation for all the developments that have led to safe modern air travel.”