A holocaust of air experts: victims of the R101 disaster. The British R101 airship crashed near Beauvais in France, on its maiden voyage to Egypt and India, on 5th October 1930, with the eventual loss of 48 out of the 54 passengers, officials, officers and crew on board. Amongst those who perished, shown on this page, were Wing-Commander Colmore, Lieutenant-Colonel V C Richmond, and Squadron-Leader W H L O'Neill.