Regina, Saskatchewan
Cessna Crane aircraft 7742 and Cessna Crane aircraft 4000 were each on separate night solo navigation exercises and collided in mid-air. The aircraft crashed three miles east of Mehan, Saskatchewan. Leading Aircraftman R.T. Creber was killed in aircraft 4000 and Leading Aircraftman Zara was killed in aircraft 7742.
Zora, John Elias (Leading Aircraftman)
Killed in Flying Accident 1943-July-05
Birth Date: 1922-March-14
Born:
Parents: Son of John and Mary Zora, of Regina.
Spouse:
Home: Regina, Saskatchewan
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
11 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/176365
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Accident Card - Cessna Crane Mk. I serial:7742
This accident involved 2 aircraft on 1943-July-05. They are: Cessna Crane I s/n 7742, Cessna Crane I s/n 4000.
This accident involved 2 people. Zora JE, Creber RT
This accident had 2 fatalities. Leading Aircraftman John Elias Zora RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/176365 Crane 7742,Leading Aircraftman Robert Thomas Creber RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/162342 Crane 4000
Unit Desciption
11 SFTS (11 Service Flying Training School)
Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.
There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.
NO11 SFTS Opening Day 1941
For more Information on RCAF Station Yorkton see here
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Yorkton SK
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Sturdee SK
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Rhein SK
11 SFTS Yorkton SK History
Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial - 11 SFTS Yorkton History
Vintage Wings - Ghosts of Saskatchewan
YouTube - Abandoned Saskatchewan