Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of George Rokes Mott and Elizabeth Mott, of 73, Salisbury St., Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Lieutenant A E P Mott of Melbourne, a member of the Royal Flying Corps, has been drowned at Montrose Bay, in Scotland. He was flying when his machine fell into the water and both he and the machine sank. He was 22 years of age.
Lieutenant Mott received his first military training as a cadet under the Commonwealth compulsory training scheme. He rose from the ranks in the 58th Senior Cadet Battalion to the rank of colour sergeant, and when he became 18 years of age was transferred to the 34th Battalion of Engineers  (Electric Company).  In that corps, after much hard work, he reached the rank of corporal and at the beginning of the war he was on duty at the Port Phillip  Heads with his corps for four months. He had been apprenticed to a maker of electrical instruments in Melbourne, and had erected a wireless plant at his mother's home at Moonee Ponds.  In obedience to the official order this plant was dismantled at the outbreak of the war, but it did not lie idle. The enthusiastic lad took it to the Heads with him and during his four months' stay there used it on the pilot boat. He returned home and enlisted as a private in the Australian Flying Corps, receiving many months of training at the Central Flying School, Point Cook under Major E Harrison.

Leaving for Egypt as sergeant in charge of a wireless section of the flying corps early in 1916 he was appointed to commissioned rank in May 1916, as a second lieutenant in charge of wireless equipment. His work was so appreciated by his superior officers that he was sent to many parts of Egypt to erect wireless stations. Trying experiences fell to his lot there, but he did good work.

ln addition to his strictly official duties he conducted experiments and made improvements in the wireless instruments in use in Egypt. He also improved the wireless apparatus carried on aeroplanes by which the airmen were able to transmit messages from the aeroplanes over a radius of 20 miles. He was  recommended for further training in England, and was so highly commended that he was given a pass to visit all the wireless instrument factories and depots in England for the purpose of study.

He had been, engaged in this way for some months and was on his way back to Egypt in the Transylvania when she was sunk by a submarine. In this ship he lost all his instruments and the notes taken during his months of study in England. Three times before had he tried to leave England for Egypt but each time some mishap prevented him from sailing.

After the sinking of the Transylvania he returned to England. His reputation had spread, and Lieut-General Sir Henry Chauvel, in command of the Australian troops operating in Palestine; Colonel E H Reynolds, director of aviation in the AIF; the general in charge of the Middle East command in England, and the  Australian Flying Squadron in Egypt were all applying for his services. Promotion was not rapid enough for him in the wireless section of the flying corps, and he was training for his pilot's certificate when he met with his death.

Three brothers of the late airman are on active service. One, Captain J F Mott recently escaped from a prison camp in Germany, after a daring and dangerous journey of 100 miles. His other two brothers are Quartermaster-Sergeant A A B Mott of the 58th Battalion, and Private G Mott of the flying corps. His mother is Mrs E Mott, of 73 Salisbury street, Moonee Ponds. The deceased soldier was the youngest son of the family.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Arthur Ernest Percival Mott was born on 6th October, 1895 at Skenes Creek, Apollo Bay, Victoria to parents George Rokes Mott and Elizabeth Mott (nee Allan).

Arthur’s father – George Rokes Mott died on 9th August, 1910 & was buried in Fawkner Cemetery, Victoria.

On 28th January, 1915 Arthur Ernest Percival Mott enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 20 year old, single, Instrument Maker from 73 Salisbury Street, Moonee Ponds, Victoria. Arthur Mott stated on his Attestation Paters that he had served 2 years with Senior Cadets from 1911-1913 & 2 ½ years with Citizen Forces (34th Company Engineers) from 1913 to 1916.

Corporal (Air Mechanic) Arthur Ernest Percival Mott was posted to “C” Flight, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps on 31st January, 1916. He was promoted to Sergeant on 1st March, 1916.

Sergeant Arthur Ernest Percival Mott, Service number 309, embarked from Melbourn, Victoria on HMAT Orsova (A67) on 16th March, 1916 & disembarked at Suez on 14th April, 1916.

He was posted to “F” Division, Headquarters at Heliopolis on 21st April, 1916.

On 18th May, 1916 Sergeant Mott was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant vice Lieutenant W. J. Trealor transferred from Wireless Section to 1st Squadron as Observer.

2nd Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Percival Mott was promoted to Acting Flight Sergeant on 10th June, 1916.

On 18th August, 1916 Acting Flight Sergeant Mott, A.F.C., was to be Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Mott was to be Assistant Equipment Officer – Wireless from 21st August, 1916.

He proceeded to Alexandria from Kantara (Egypt) for embarkation with 67 Australian Squadron. on 23rd October, 1916.

On 8th November, 1916 Lieutenant Mott embarked for England from Alexandria on Megantic.

He was appointed Flying Officer Pilot on 17th November, 1917 from Equipment Officer Class III.

Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Percival Mott, was flying a Sopwith Camel B. 5614 on 24th December, 1917 to gain practice in aerobatics. He was accidentally drowned at sea at Montrose, Scotland around 11.10 am on 24th December, 1917 as a result of an aeroplane accident.

A Court of Enquiry was held on 24th December, 1917 at Montrose, Scotland inquiring into the circumstances attending the fatal accident to Lieutenant A. E. P. Mott, Australian Flying Corps, on Sopwith Camel No. B. 5614. The Court took evidence, though the wreckage had not been recovered from the sea.

Finding - The Court are of the opinion that the accident was caused through the pilot losing consciousness in the air, probably owing to spinning and flying on his back.

The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Percival Mott contains a letter from A.I.F. Headquarters which reads: “Drowned at Sea – Aeroplane accident. Montrose 24.12.17. Body recovered from sea and buried 23.1.18 at Sleepy Hillock Cemetery Montrose. Single grave No. 33. Sec. 7. Class A. Not in consecrated ground as not usual in public cemeteries in Scotland. Military Funeral. Rev. W. Hoocock Wesleyan Methodist officiating. Undertakers D. T. Wilson & Sons, 99/103 High St, Arbroath, Scotland. Coffin – Polished oak. Relatives not present at funeral – not practicable to get there in time.”

A second letter from A.M.W.B. Searcher at Hqtrs reads: “At 10.40 am on 24-12-17, Lt. Mott went up in a thoroughly tested machine to pass through his tests in aerobatics. In so doing he brought the machine out in a dive. Shortly after the machine regained its normal flying position he appeared to do a half roll, and remained upside down while he continued to glide. When about 3000” from the ground he appeared to regain control of the machine and brought her out to a normal glide. The left wing went down, and the machine nose-dived vertically into the sea, about a mile N.E. of Sourdyness. Only very small pieces of broken wood were found floating on the water. It is believed the accident was caused by through the pilot losing consciousness in the air, probably owing to spinning and flying on his back.”

Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Percival Mott was buried on 23rd January, 1918 in Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose, Scotland – Plot number A7. 33 and has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/montrose.html