RCAF History Forum

[Moose47]

G'day

Here we have an Avro Wright T. S, (Two Seat) Patrol, Canadian government registration
G-CYGK. It was the sole example of the type and taken on strength with the R.C.A.F. on
the 14th of July, 1925. The aircraft was later given the R.C.A.F. serial number 12.
It served with No. 1 (Operations) Wing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The aircraft was severely
damaged on the 16th of July, 1929, and subsequently written off. It was struck off strength
on the 17th of January, 1930.

Cheers...Chris

[Moose47]

B-17 Crash at Mud Lake

This tragic accident happened at approximately 23:00 hours on the 21st of November, 1943. Authorities at R.C.A.F. Station Goose Bay, Labrador were notified at 14:30 hours on the 22nd of November by natives who came across the crash site. Up to that point it had been the worst crash since the inception of the station. On the 23rd of November, the crash was deemed a total loss and the Americans took over salvage operations.

The aircraft was a Boeing B-17G-5-BO Flying Fortress, United States Army Air Force serial number 42-31219. It was built by Boeing in Seattle, Washington and the construction number was 6333. The aircraft was delivered to the U.S.A.A.F. on the 4th of October, 1943 after work was done on it by Continental Airlines at the Boeing Modification Centre at Denver Municipal Airport (Denver, Colorado). It was assigned to the 710th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) of the 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on the 21st of November, 1943.

Sixty two B-17's departed Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska between the 8th and 12th of November, 1943 for the trans-Atlantic crossing for duty with the Eighth Air Force from their new home at R.A.F. Rattlesden (U.S.A.A.F. Station 126) located 9 miles south-east of Bury. St. Edmonds in Suffolk, County. The squadron's tail code was IJ.

Sixty aircraft arrived in England but two were lost enroute. B-17G s/n 42-31219 was one of them. This B-17 crashed into Mud Lake as a result of a mid-air explosion shortly after take-off from R.C.A.F. Station Goose Bay.

Note: It has been erroneously recorded and as a consequence perpetuated that the accident took place 30 miles east of Goose Bay over Lake Melville.

Crew 75-37 of B-17G s/n 42-31219 were as follows:

Aircraft Commander
O-024092 Captain Lester Stroud White from Missouri

Co-Pilot
O-751125 2nd Lieutenant Frank W. Haag – he enlisted in Washington, D.C.

Bombardier
O- 738818 2nd Lieutenant Thomas P. Cameron from Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Navigator
O-748084 2nd Lt Gilligan Moseley from Georgia

Aerial Engineer-Gunner
12149319 Technical Sergeant Martin B. Slattery from Rhode Island

Assistant Aerial Engineer-Gunner
38249797 Sergeant Lorenz Kirchoff – from Texas. His body was not recovered and is still listed as missing

Radio Operator-Mechanic-Gunner
12172664 Technical Sergeant Alfred Haag from Renneslaer Falls, New York

Assistant Radio Operator-Mechanic-Gunner
32668089 Sergeant George J. Oakley Jr. from Utica, New York

Armorer-Gunner
39324149 Corporal Raymond Hodges from Oregon

Assistant Armorer-Gunner
38106156 Sergeant Augustus Gene Farmer from Collingsworth, Texas

Cheers...Chris

[Moose47]

G'day

Its quiz time again folks. This one should be fairly easy for you. What type of aircraft is this and where was the photo taken.

I'll mail you a 'Roll up to Win" coffee tab if you can guess the year.

Cheers...Chris

[Old Dog Flying]

DH Comet MkII, 1961.

Barney

[beech 18]

April 13, 2014

This photo was taken in 1967 in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
It is a photo of the R.C.A.F. Expediter flight line.
(Beech 18 aircraft).

An Avro 504 is performing a flyby.

Photographer not known.
Details of the photo not known.

[Moose47]

G'day Beech 18

Great photo and thanks for posting it.

The Avro 504K was part of a cross-Canada Centennial tour that included a CF-101 Voodoo and CF-104 Starfighter.

The CT-128 Expediters are from No. 3 Advanced Flying School which operated them until February, 1970 at Portage.

Cheers...Chris

[Moose47]

G'day Barney

Right basic ident but wrong version. Wrong date too.

Keep trying!

Cheers...Chris

[linecrew]

Comet I of 412 squadron.

Could this be the initial delivery of 5301 in 1953 on it's way to Uplands? It came across from the UK via Keflavik and Iceland...not sure which place the pic would've been taken.

[Moose47]

G'day linecrew

Good try!

Cheers...Chris

[SpeedChecks]

Sorry for the off topic post but I was just wondering the number of service years one must go through with the ROTP program for pilot..? Cheers

[oldncold]

chris are you the same guy that was in 121ku sea island sqn in the early 60's if so pm me

[Moose47]

G'day

The Royal Canadian Air Force has the distinction of being the first air force in the world to use purely jet-powered transport aircraft. The R.C.A.F. purchased two de Havilland DH-106 Mk. IA's and brought them into service on the 29th of April, 1953. They were serial numbers 5301 and 5303. Both aircraft served with No. 412 'Falcon' (T) Squadron based at R.C.A.F. Station Uplands, Ontario. They aircraft were converted to Mk. IXB standards in January, 1957. The Comet served the R.C.A.F. well until being struck off strength on the 20th of July, 1965.

The photo was taken at R.C.A.F. Station Whitehorse on the 29th of March, 1958.

Cheers...Chris

[Moose47]

G'day

Here is the next quiz.

What type of aircraft is this? A small hint 'Boobs'.

Cheers...Chris

[roscoe]

Hawker Tomtit, a trainer type.

[Moose47]

G'day roscoe

It is indeed a Hawker Tomtit.

The Royal Canadian Air Force brought two on strength on the 15th of May, 1930. They first served with No. 112 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (Auxiliary) at R.C.A.F. Station Winnipeg, Manitoba. From there, Tomtit s/n 139 served with No. 1 Air Armament School at R.C.A.F. Station Camp Borden, Ontario. Both Tomtits were loaned to No. 2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at R.C.A.F. Station Trenton, Ontario from No. 7 (General Purpose) Squadron's Communications Flight at R.C.A.F. Station Ottawa.

They finally served with No. 12 (Communications) Flight which was formed at R.C.A.F. Station Rockcliffe, Ontario on the 10th of September 1939. The Flight had been formed from the Air Force Headquarters Communications Flight which in turn had been the Communications Flight, also known as the General Purpose Flight, of No. 7 (General Purpose) Squadron. The Flight was re-designated as No. 12 (Communications) Unit on the 30th of July 1940 and then as No. 12 (Communications) Squadron on the 30th of August 1940.

In April, 1941, these aircraft were converted to instructional airframe status and given the new serial numbers A 130 and A 131 respectively. Both aircraft were struck off strength from the R.C.A.F. on the 24th of July, 1943.

Cheers...Chris

[beech 18]

July 19, 2014

Bristol Freight.

Photo found on the web.
Unknown photographer.

[Moose47]

G'day Beech 18

What a nice shot, thanks for sharing it.

It is a Bristol Type 170 Freighter Mk. 31M, s/n 9699, one of two of the type used by the RCAF overseas. Both aircraft were taken on strength with the RCAF on 24th of March 1955 and later struck off strength on the 15th of May 1967.

This aircraft served with No. 137 (T) Flight at No. 30 Air Material Base Langar, Nottinghamshire in support of the RCAF's No. 1 Air Division. It was taken on strength with No. 109 Communications Flight at No. 2 (F) Wing, Grostenquin ( Gross Tin Can), France, sometime in late 1962 or early 1963.

No. 109 Communications Flight became No. 109 (KU) *KU - Composite Unit and moved to No. 1 Wing, Marville France. The last scheduled flight was made by a Bristol, when Bristol 9699 flew to Decimomannu and back on the 27th/28th of October, 1966.

Bristol Freighter s/n 9699 and coded GC*699 experienced a loss of control while landing in a strong crosswind at Orly Airport, Paris France on the 16th of May 1958. The aircraft drifted off the runway and struck runway and taxi lights damaging both main gear tires. The aircraft was repaired. This aircraft later carried the RCAF Air Weapons Unit, Decimomannu, “Archer” crest on the tail in 1966.

Barney, care to share any memories of this aircraft type?

Cheers...Chris

[Old Dog Flying]

One of the two, can't remember the airframe, was on a GCA final at Marville late at night and the new controller mis-read the elevation scope indications resulting in a fatal crash. I believe it was New Years Eve 1963. The NPM-11 radar was faulty which to my recollection, gave a very elongated side lobe to the elevation presentation which in turn had the aircraft target placed well below the glidepath.

There was more to the story but... better left alone

Barney

[Moose47]

G'day Barney

Freighter s/n 9696 and coded KC*A, crashed into a hill 1½ miles from Marville, France while on a GCA controlled approach on the 3rd of December 1955. The aircraft was written off.

Cheers...Chris

[Old Dog Flying]

That was not the same date as I was in Germany when the one I mentioned happened.. 1955 was away too early.