On 28 October 1915 when visiting the Royal Flying Corps close to Bethune in northern France, King George V suffered a serious riding accident. This is the Field Marshal's service dress cap and jacket he is believed to have been wearing at the time. His Journal entry on this day reads:

Passing on to the Flying ground I rode down the lines of 1st Wing, R.F.C. who gave 3 cheers as all the other troops had done. Unfortunately my horse was only a few yards off them at the time, took fright, reared straight up & fell back on top of me, giving me an infernal bad fall, which completely knocked the wind out of me. They picked me up and took me back to Aire in the motor car as quickly as possible. I suffered great agonies all the way."

King George V, Journal