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Bennett, William Arthur James (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-08-07

Male Head

Age: 21

Son of Captain George A. Bennet and Florence Bennet, of Westmount.

Home: Westmount, Quebec

Service
RCAF
Unit
1 GRS- General Reconnaissance School
Base
Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Rank
Pilot Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/43697
1 General Reconnaissance School, Summerside, Prince Edward Island. P/O Bennett lost his life when Anson aircraft 11800 crashed at Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Avro Anson

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.

The Avro Anson was known by a number of nicknames including "Faithful Annie" or "Flying Greenhouse". It was the first aircraft to be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force to have a retractable undercarriage, which was a comparative novelty in 1936. In 1940, a Canadian government owned company, Federal Aircraft Limited, was created in Montreal to manufacture the Anson for Canadian use. Nearly 3,000 Anson aircraft were produced and, in the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was the standard trainer for many pilots, observers (navigators), wireless operators and bomb aimers. More than 20,000 aircrew received training on the Anson. In Canadian service, the aircraft was substantially re-designed with the substitution of North American engines and many other airframe and equipment changes. Harold Skaarup web pages

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (4404), RCAF 400 Squadron (6), Canadian Aircraft Losses (257)
last update: 2022-02-22 21:45:24

Anson Mk. V 11800

To Canada Car & Foundry at Moncton for wing modifications, 26 to 29 April 1944. Back to Eastern Air Command when completed. Category A crash on 7 August 1944, while with No. 1 General Reconnaissance School at Summerside, PEI. To No. 4 Repair Depot on 31 August 1944, for scrapping.
1943-11-10 Taken on Strength Eastern Air Command 2019-08-20
1944-August-07 Accident: 1 General Reconnaissance School Loc: Cheticamp Cape Breton Names: Astle | Bennett | Burke | Ogilvie
1944-09-08 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and components 2019-08-20

1 GRS- General Reconnaissance School (1 General Reconnaisance School)

The General Reconnaissance School trained pilots and air observers in the techniques required for ocean patrol. It was the equivalent to an Operational Training Unit (OTU), and last stop before aircrew were assigned to operations. The topics included DR Navigation, Astro Navigation, Compasses and Instruments, Meteorology, Signals, Reconnaissance, Coding, Ship Recognition, Aerial Photography, and Visual Signals.
  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Summerside PEI

  • General from%20RCAF%20Station%20Summerside%2C%20PEI., Wikipedia Page

  • 1941-01-01 Primary Location Summerside PEI Canada Located at Summerside Airport Airport Ident CYSU

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