4 , ▁crash ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁The ▁dem ise ▁of ▁R 1 0 1 ▁effectively ▁ended ▁British ▁employ ment ▁of ▁rig id ▁air ships ; ▁the ▁g ird ers ▁of ▁the ▁compar atively ▁successful ▁R 1 0 0 ▁were ▁destroyed ▁by ▁steam roller , ▁and ▁sold ▁for ▁sc rap . ▁▁ 2 9 ▁December " On ▁Dec . ▁ 2 9 th , ▁the ▁word ▁was ▁received ▁that ▁Lie ut . ▁W . H . ▁Sher wood ▁of ▁this ▁squad ron , ▁( 1 6 th ▁Re con na issance ▁Squadron ) ▁who ▁was ▁on ▁an ▁extended ▁cross - country ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Pennsylvania , ▁crash ed ▁and ▁was ▁killed ▁near ▁Water ford , ▁Pen na ., ▁about ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁mile ▁from ▁his ▁parents ' ▁home . ▁Lie ut . ▁Sher wood ▁was ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Kelly ▁Field , ▁Texas , ▁with ▁the ▁July , ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁class ." ▁L t . ▁William ▁H . ▁Sher wood , ▁assigned ▁at ▁Marshall ▁Field , ▁Fort ▁R iley , ▁Kansas , ▁had ▁depart ed ▁Rod gers ▁Field , ▁Pitts burgh ' s ▁first ▁municipal ▁air port , ▁in ▁Douglas ▁O - 2 5 A , ▁ 3 0 - 1 8 6 . ▁▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁ 1 8 ▁January ▁" E lect rical ▁trouble ▁in ▁the ▁ins ulation ▁of ▁their ▁D . H . ▁plane ▁developing ▁suddenly ▁and ▁without ▁warning ▁almost ▁proved ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁two ▁Bro oks ▁Field ▁officers