PL - William John Keenan Died

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Keenan, William John (Aircraftman 2nd Class)

Died 1941-August-23

Male Head

Birth Date: 1918 (age 23)

Son of Ethel May Keenan, of Hopetown Darlington. Co. Durham, England.

Service
RAFVR

Unit
12 SFTS- Service Flying Training School

Base
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Rank

Aircraftman 2nd Class

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position

Service Numbers
1106577

Died of a heart attack while playing football. Was on temporary duty from North Battleford at the time of the incident. No mention of the death in the Daily Diary of 12 Service Flying Training School, Brandon, Manitoba. Mension of the death and funeral in the ORB of 35 Service Flying Training School, North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry â€“ 1941-08-25

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry â€“ Newspaper Clipping regarding funeral

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com

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

Burial
Google Map

Google Map

North Battleford City Cemetery, Canada
Plot 1642

12 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (12 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.

Cessna Crane

For More information on RCAF Station Brandon see here

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Station Brandon MB

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Chater MB

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Douglas MB

General 12 SFTS Brandon MB History

1941-05-16 Primary Location Brandon MB Canada Current site of Brandon Municipal Airport CYBR
1941-05-16 Relief Field Douglas MB Canada Approximate location. Turf runways returned to agriculture.
1941-05-16 Relief Field Chater MB Canada Abandoned returned to agriculture.

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