Dad joined in '49 wanted to go flight crew but according to him , gramps would sign only for ground crew being that dad was just turned seventeen . Gramps a ww1 vet and gased in 2nd battle of ypres ,did not want his only child and son to go through the horrors of some things he had seen . So dad did the basic and the aero /flt eng tech, then while changing props on a lancaster on a very cold november night somewhere on the prairies got a bad frost bite on the forehead. He was in a base hospital for a few weeks and while there his approval for officer canidate aircrew (pilot) came down the pike . Dad was elated until finding out that the frost bite had altered his previously excellent vision and as fast as one can say scramble to your aircraft his dream vapourized. he stayed In the rcaf for 16 years (cd) was a crew chief on harvards /be18 expeditors flew around alot with wing commanders to keep the plane tip top and ready to go at a moments notice.told me about having to . just about every thing out one night due to ice as the thing couldnt keep altitude.
After claresholm ,ab. closed in the 50's he got involved in helicopters eventually with the 121ku out of sea island b.c. . Back then it was a mixed fleet of otters and flying bananas h21's Dad did several years there , involved in many difficult searches as a flight engineer / sar tech the sar tech role evolved out of flt techs on helicopters he and vic hodge, don mcfarlane were the first west coast flt engineers on the new lab's back in '63 I have many pic of dad hanging out the door of a flying banana or lab then finished his airforce days teaching helicopters engine and airframes in trenton. his official airforce flt crew log shows 400 hrs on helicopters for searches including search for trans canada airlines, that went missing in the mountains in '56. Several small planes wrecks and fishermen rescued of damaged or sinking boats. . after the airforce he joined okanagan 2 stints totaling 20 yrs and finished his aviation career in victoria at v.i.h. (9years) with a plaque that he still proudly displays today from the helicopter international association 48yrs of service and professionalism . you can find my dad these days as an active member of the maple ridge legion in b.c where he is enjoying his later years (81). John Hodgson thx/ pm me if you worked with him and would like to reconnect .
Here's a nice aerial shot of R.C.A.F. Station Claresholm, Alberta in the 1950's whem the No. 3 Flying Training School operating Harvards was involved in the massive N.A.T.O. Pilot training program.
I can tell you that the place does not look that good now.
This is just one of hundreds of Anson incidents and accidents involving Ansons during the British Commonwalth Air Training Plan's operation in Canada during the Second World War.
This accident ocrurred at 11:15 hours on the 7th of July, 1942 at No. 5 Service Flying training School, Brantford, Ontario. It involved two Avro ansons.
Anson Mk. III s/n 6049
Flying Instructor - J7068 Pilot Officer W.J. Whittaker, R.C.A.F.
Pupil Pilot - 658812 LAC J. C. Gentil, R.A.F.
Other Crew - R88938 LAC A.S. Barkey, R.C.A.F.
Other Crew - 133620 LAC L. Williams, R.C.A.F.
*Note: LAC is short for Leading Aircraftman
The second aircraft, an Avro Anson Mk. I serial number 6838 was unnocupied.
Both aircraft sustained Category B damage as a result of the accident.
The Pupil Pilot was carrying out Sequences 6,7,8, under the guidance of the flying instructor. While approaching to land, Anson 6049 veered to the left of the corner of the hangar. The pilot banked to miss the hangar and ended up hitting Anson 6383 on the port wing with its undercarriage. The Anson proceeded to carry on and crash on top of a gravel pile between the hangars.
Thankfully there were no injuries. It would appear that the school`s Chief Flying Instructor was not amused. Pilot Officer Whittacker`s Flying Instructor`s Log Book was endorsed Carelessness. He ended up doing four days of Orderly Officer as a disciplinary action.
Cheers...Chris
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RCAF 6049 Prang.jpg (148.01 KiB) Viewed 4707 times
This prang involves a Harvard Mk. II s/ AJ923 from No. 34 Service Flying Training School at Medicine Hat, Alberta. It happened on the 24th of March, 1943 at Rose Lynn.
The aircraft was being flown by 72150 Squadron Leader R. D. Pexton, R.A.F. ,Squadron Commander of one of the school's squadrons who was enroute to a crash site. When Pexton located the crash site, he circled an adjacent field three times. The field looked to be stubble and a good surface to land on. On touching down, the Harvard rolled a few yards until the main gear sank into deep snow causing the aircraft to flip over. Pexton was not injured. Nor was there any court of inquiry or disciplinary action taken. Goes to show that rank has its privilege.
The crash site Pexton was flying over was that of an Avro Anson Mk. II s/n 8262 from No. 34 S.F.T.S. It was a fatal crash killing all five onboard the day before. The crew had been doing a cross country navigation exercise on the 22nd when they carried out a forced landing due to fumes in the cockpit. The following day the accumulator was charged and the staff pilot 1348828 Pilot Officer A. W. J. Grellis, R.A.F. took off with three pupil pilots and one passenger. The Anson struck the roof of a building five miles after take and crashed. It was subsequently consumed by fire. The conclusion of the Accident Investigation Board was that Pilot Officer Grellis had deliberately engaged in unauthorized low flying over a small village.
Cheers...Chris
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34SFTS Harvard Prang1.jpg (58.94 KiB) Viewed 4548 times
We go way back to the early 1930's with this photo of a Canadian Vickers Vedette Mk. V. (m/n CV125). The aircraft type was first flown on the 11th of July, 1928. It was taken on strength with the Royal Canadian Air Force on the 9th of July, 1929. The Vedettes were used in aerial photography using a nose-mounted oblique camera and on forestry patrols.
You will notice the YZ on the aft fuselage. That was part of the Canadian civil registration G-CYYZ it carried while operating with the Directorate of Civil Government Air Operations. This organization was formed on the 1st of July, 1927. D.C.G.A.O. controlled all air operations carried out by state owned aircraft except for those of a military nature. Despite being a civilian organization, it was commanded, administered and staffed by R.C.A.F. personnel who had either been seconded or attached to it.
G-CYYZ was struck off strength with the R.C.A.F. on the 23rd of August, 1933. The aircraft was sold to the Saskatchewan government where it was given the Canadian civil aircraft registration CF-SAC. CF-SAC was withdrawn from use by the provincial government on the 21st of May, 1936.
The pilot of this Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Harvard Mk. IIB was a little to heavy on the breaks.
The aircraft belonged to VC 922 (Heavier-than-air Composite Air Squadron) assigned to HMCS Tecumseh but based at Calgary Airport between 1954 and 1959. It was one of a small number of R.C.N. Reserve Training squadrons that were responsible for training Naval Reserve pilots.
This particular Harvard was declared surplus by the Royal Canadian Air Force and transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy where it was re-serialed as NAVY*940.
* Note the Chinook Flying Service Champ on the ramp.
Cheers...Chris
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RCN Harvard Nosed Over.jpg (57.96 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
The Royal Canadian Air Force operated 20 Douglas DB-1 Digbys otherwise known as the B-18 Bolo in U.S. service. They were taken on strength with the R.C.A.F. on the 29th of December, 1939 and later struck off strength on the 14th of November, 1946. The serial number range was 738 to 757.
The Digby served in the bomber reconnaissance role with the following operational units of Eastern Air Command.
No. 5 (BR) Squadron
No. 10 'North Atlantic Squadron' (BR) Squadron
One confirmed U-Boat kill (U-520) by Digby s/n 747 and coded 'X' on the 30th of October, 1942. The aircraft was flown by Flight Lieutenant D. F. Raymes and crew
My dad had some stick time on the Digby.He was 12 Communications. He was an aeroengine mechanic and spent most of his time flying around VIP's in two Gooses: RCAF 926 and 941. 926 is now a wreck parked in a bone yard in Port Hardy. It was serial number 1038. 941 was written off in the Caribbean in the 80's.
When you say "The Goose", do you mean Grumman Goose or the centre of the universe as I know it, Goose Bay, Labrador?
The first shot is of my second favorite aircraft (the first being the DC-3/C-47) seen on a typical cold winter morning at Goose Bay.
Followed by a shot of R.C.A.F. Grumman Goose s/n 917 from No. 122 'Flying Joe Boys' (Composite) Squadron seen in better days. The aircraft flew into trees near Yakatasa, Alaska on the 21st of July, 1942 while navigating at low-level due to bad weather while on a flight to Anchorage, Alaska. The aircraft was completely destroyed.
Cheers...Chris
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Goose Bay Vulcan.jpg (78.05 KiB) Viewed 4169 times
The 'Goose' - as in Labrador (A/M Robert Leckie High 63-65) - but fwiw, I think my father might've flown the Goose (airplane) at some time during his RCAF service.
My father used to tell me the Mark 1 Harvard used to kill quite a few of its pupils - apparently it had a large radio behind the back seat which gave it an aft c of g. If you attempted a 3 pointer and you rounded out too high it would give you a flick roll and land on its back. My father died a few years ago so it's up to you lot to prove this slander. I know that you are supposed to wheel land a Harvard - maybe this is why?
were the first west coast flt engineers on the new lab's back in '63 I have many pic of dad hanging out the door of a flying banana or lab then finished his airforce days teaching helicopters engine and airframes in trenton. his official airforce flt crew log shows 400 hrs on helicopters for searches including search for trans canada airlines, that went missing in the mountains in '56. Several small planes wrecks and fishermen rescued of damaged or sinking boats. . after the airforce he joined okanagan 2 stints totaling 20 yrs and finished his aviation career in victoria at v.i.h. (9years) with a plaque that he still proudly displays today from the helicopter international association 48yrs of service and professionalism . you can find my dad these days as an active member of the maple ridge legion in b.c where he is enjoying his later years (81). John Hodgson thx/ pm me if you worked with him and would like to reconnect .
