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Howe, Robert Wendell (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1956-December-06

Birth Date: 1932-November-07 (age 24)

Born: Hillsdale, New Brunswick

Son of Ora J. and Violet (nee Parks)Howe of Kings County, New Brunswick. Brother of Frank and Foster Howe.

Home: Hillsdale, New Brunswick

Enlistment: Moncton, New Brunswick

Enlistment Date: 1952-06-25

Service
RCAF
Unit
2 AOS- Air Observer School
Base
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Rank
Flying 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
Service Numbers
207644
Was he killed on Mitchell HD 325 which was lost on the same day from the same unit? F/O J.W. Daly also killed.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

North American Mitchell B-25 B-25D B-25J

North American B-25J Mitchell Mk. III
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.

The North American B-25 Mitchell was flown by the RCAF during and after the Second World War. The RCAF flew the B-25 Mitchell for training during the war and continued flying operations after the war, in Canada with most of 162 Mitchells received. The first B-25s had originally been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell Mk. I, 42 Mitchell Mk. IIs, and 19 Mitchell Mk. IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in May 1944 and flew Mitchell Mk. IIs on high-altitude aerial photography sorties. No. 5 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Boundary Bay, British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia, operated the B-25D Mitchell in a training role together with B-24 Liberators for Heavy Conversion as part of the BCATP. The RCAF retained the Mitchell until October 1963.

No. 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell Mk. IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No. 406 (Auxiliary), which flew Mitchell Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No. 418 Operated a mix of Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs until March 1958. No. 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell Mk. IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960. In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make up for attrition and to equip various second-line units.. Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page

YouTube Mitchell Bomber

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Mitchell Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (164), Canadian Aircraft Losses (73), Canadian Ferried (5)
last update: 2021-09-23 15:53:49

Mitchell B-25D / Mk. 2PT HD325

Ex USAAF B-25D-35-NA serial number 43-3796, ex RAF Mitchell Mk. II HD325. Officially identified as a B-25D in early RCAF records. Delivered to stored reserve. Issued on 9 March 1944 to No. 5 Operational Training Unit at Boundary Bay, BC. Assigned to No. 3 Reserve Equipment Maintenance Unit at Carberry, Manitoba on 4 February 1946. Stored by No. 10 Repair Depot at RCAF Station Gimli, Manitoba by 1948. To Avro Canada at Malton, Ontario for conversion to Pilot Trainer, 1 June 1949 to 1 April 1950. To North West Air Command when completed. To North West Industries in Edmonton, Alberta for repairs and modifications, 6 July 1951 to 14 November 1952. To Training Command at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario when completed. Later to No. 2 Air Observer School at RCAF Station Winnipeg. Category A crash while with this School on 6 December 1956. Also reported with No. 2 air Navigation School at time of crash.
1944-03-01 Taken on Strength Western Air Command as a new aircraft 2019-08-20
1957-01-07 Struck off Strength Struck off and scrapped 2019-08-20

2 AOS- Air Observer School (2 Air Observer School)

Air Observers were later called "navigators". For recruits in this stream, the training path after ITS was 8 weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), 1 month at a Bombing & Gunnery School, and finally 1 month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF. For example, Nos. 7, 8, and 9 were run by CP Airlines. However, the instructors were RCAF. The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer. They trained in the Avro Anson.
NO2 AOS Edmonton 1941

Formed at Edmonton, Alberta - 5 August 1940

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Edmonton Alberta

  • Museum Bomber Command Museum

    • Disbanded at Edmonton, Alberta - 14 July 1944
    Re-formed at Winnipeg, Manitoba 15 November 1955

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Winnipeg Manitoba

    • 1940-08-05 Primary Location Edmonton AB Canada Originally named Blatchford Field eventually became Edmonton Municipal Airport CYXD closed in November 2013 and developed into Edmonton community of Blatchford.

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