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Grissom, Ervin Earl (Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1943-April-15

Birth Date: 1924 (age 19)

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Grissom, of Lake Charles.

Home: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Service
RCAF
Unit
133 Sqn- Squadron
Base
Boundary Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Rank
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
R/137479
133 Falcon Squadron. Sgt Grissom was flying Hurricane aircraft 5387 and was engaged in formation training when he broke away from the formation without warning. He was killed when his aircraft dove into the ground about thirty minutes later, one half mile east of the aerodrome at Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Sergeant Pilot Grissom is buried in the Graceland Cemetery, Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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

Hawker Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc.
Source BBMF

The Hawker Hurricane is a single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s"“1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Hurricane developed through several versions, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers, and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Versions designed for the Navy were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, with modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.

A major manufacturer of the Hurricane was Canadian Car and Foundry at their factory in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. The facility's chief engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes". The initiative was commercially led rather than governmentally, but was endorsed by the British government; Hawker, having recognized that a major conflict was all but inevitable after the Munich Crisis of 1938, drew up preliminary plans to expand Hurricane production via a new factory in Canada. Under this plan, samples, pattern aircraft, and a complete set of design documents stored on microfilm, were shipped to Canada; the RCAF ordered 20 Hurricanes to equip one fighter squadron and two more were supplied to Canadian Car and Foundry as pattern aircraft but one probably did not arrive. The first Hurricane built at Canadian Car and Foundry was officially produced in February 1940. As a result, Canadian-built Hurricanes were shipped to Britain to participate in events such as the Battle of Britain. Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) was responsible for the production of 1,451 Hurricanes. Wikipedia and Harold A Skaarup Web Page


YouTube Hurricane

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Hurricane

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrek Publications Hurricane - Kestrel Publications

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (454), RCAF 400 Squadron (1), Canadian Aircraft Losses (358)
last update: 2021-12-21 01:11:03

Hurricane Mk. XII 5387

FNRAF RoundelD

Delivered to stored reserve with No. 4 Training Command. Issued to No. 133 (F) Squadron at Lethbridge, Alberta on 3 July 1942. Still with this unit when it transferred to Western Air Command and moved to RCAF Station Boundary Bay, BC on 26 October 1942. Coded "FN*D". The a/c was on a formation training flight (as No. 3 in the flight) when, 30 mins after take-off, it suddenly broke away from the formation without warning and dove into ground 1/2 mi east of Boundary Bay on 15 Apr 1943, and was totally destroyed. Flight Sergeant (USA) E.E. Grissom was killed. Carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected as a possible cause
1942-06-23 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1943-April-15 Accident: 133 Squadron Loc: Aerodrome Names: Grissom
1943-04-19 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

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