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Gallant, John (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-September-12

Male Head

Birth Date: 1916-April-22 (age 27)

Daniel and Amelia Gallant, of Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ann D. Gallant, of Brantford

Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Service
RCAF
Unit
9 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Centralia, Ontario, Canada
Rank
Flight Sergeant
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
2480
9 Service Flying Training School, Centralia, Ontario. Two Anson aircraft were in a mid-air collision one and one half mile north of the aerodrome at Centralia. One aircraft returned safely to base. FS Gallant was killed when aircraft 7537 crashed.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Find-A-Grave.com

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

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Anson Mk. II 7537
  2. Anson Mk. II 7307

All the aircraft in the above list are in this report.

Burial
Google Map Greenwood Cemetery, Canada
West Half Lot 14 Sec G Grave 7

There were no casulaties listed on Anson Mk. II 7307

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. II 7537

With No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School at Jarvis, Ontario when it received Category B damage on 28 July 1942. Reported with No. 9 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Centralia, Ontario when it collided with Anson 7307 on 12 September 1943. Student F/Sgt. J. Gallant (re-mustered from ground crew) killed in this aircraft.
1942-02-02 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1942-July-28 Accident: 1 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: St Catharines Names: Craven | Milward | Murdock
1943-September-12 Accident: 9 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Cormack | Eriksen | Gallant
1943-09-29 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

Anson Mk. II 7307

Delivered to storage. Issued from storage on 21 September 1942, delivered on 5 October 1942. With No. 9 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Centralia, Ontario when it collided with Anson 7537 on 12 September 1943, landed at Centralia without further damage. Originally classified as Category B damage, but was not repaired before being scrapped. To No. 6 Repair Depot on 18 September 1943, by this date damage was reported as Category A.
1942-03-16 Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command 2019-08-20
1942-October-19 Accident: 6 Service Flying Training School Loc: Brighton Names: Pearce | Redfern | Stephens | Williams | Wilson
1943-September-12 Accident: 9 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Cormack | Eriksen | Gallant
1943-09-29 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2020-10-05

9 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (9 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.

Graduation Class Centralia

1941-01-01 Primary Location Summerside PEI Canada Currently site of Summerside Airport CYSU
1941-01-01 Relief Field Wellington PEI Canada Approximate location returned to agriculture.
1941-01-01 Relief Field Mt Pleasant PEI Canada Abandoned returned to agriculture.
1942-07-08 Primary Location Centralia ON Canada Currently site of Centralia/James T. Field Memorial Airport CYCE
1942-07-08 Relief Field St Joseph ON Canada Approximate location returned to agriculture.
1942-07-08 Relief Field Grand Bend ON Canada Current site of Grand Bend Private Airport CPL4

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