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Prest, William Henry (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-02-25

Age: 20

Son of Vincent N. Prest and Carrie E. Prest, of Lucknow.

Home: Lucknow, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
1 ANS- Air Navigation School
Base
Rivers, Manitoba, 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/64134
1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba. Battle aircraft crashed.

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)

Crew on Battle Mk. I 1675

Fairey Battle

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199067)
Fairey Battle, RCAF (Serial No. 1639), wearing target towing stripes, used in bombing and gunnery training, July 1941.

The Fairey Battle is a British designed single engine light bomber, used as a trainer in the RCAF. The Battle was powered by the same high-performance Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that powered various contemporary British fighters including the Spitfire. It was, however significantly heavier, with its three-man crew and bomb load. Although it was a great improvement over the aircraft that preceded it, the Battle was relatively slow and limited in range. It was only armed with two .303 in machine guns facing the rear, and was found to be highly vulnerable to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire.

The Fairey Battle participated in direct combat missions during early stages of the Second World War and earned the distinction of attaining the first aerial victory of an RAF aircraft in the war. In May 1940 the Battle suffered heavy losses, frequently in excess of 50 percent of aircraft sortied per mission. By the end of 1940 the type had been entirely withdrawn from active combat service, and was relegated to training units overseas, with many serving in Canada.

The RCAF received its first batch of eight Battles in August 1939, at RCAF Station Borden, Ontario. A total of 802 Battles were eventually delivered from England, serving in various roles and configurations, including dual-control trainers, target-tugs, and gunnery trainers for the Bombing and Gunnery schools of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Canadian use of the Battle declined as more advanced aircraft, such as the Bristol Bolingbroke and the North American Harvard were introduced. Battles remained in RCAF service until shortly after the end of the war hostilities in 1945. No. 111, 115 and No. 122 Squadrons of the RCAF flew Battles.

Fairey Battles were not manufactured in Canada, but they were assembled, serviced and modified here, including the installation of turrets at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Montreal. Harold Skaarup web page with revisions

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Fairey Battle Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrek Publications Fairey Battle - Kestrel Publications

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (740), RCAF 400 Squadron (1), Canadian Aircraft Losses (39), RCAC (1)
last update: 2023-04-25 23:23:58

Battle Mk. I 1675

Ex RAF L5612. TOS 3 June 1940 at Trenton. To No. 1 Training Command for No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, Jarvis Ont; Converted to target tug. To No. 3 Training Command 11 Dec 1941 for No. 9 Bombing & Gunnery School, Mont-Joli Que. Stored reserve 1 AC 9 Apr 1945; struck off 17.6.46 to War Assets Corporation [1536 hrs].

1940-06-03 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1946-06-17 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20


1 ANS- Air Navigation School (1 Air Navigation School)

Nos. 1 & 2 Air Navigation Schools offered four-week courses in astronavigation and were the last step for Air Observers.

The RAF schools, Nos. 31, 32, and 33, provided the same training as Air Observer Schools.

NO1 ANS Ansons Rivers MB
  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Trenton ON

  • NO1 ANS moved to Rivers Manitoba 23 November 1940
  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Rivers MB

  • NO 1 ANS was redesignated Central Navigation School after an amalgamation with NO 2 ANS from Pennfield Ridge, NB May 11 1942

  • Museum Manitoba Historical Society - 1 ANS History

  • 1940-02-01 Primary Location Trenton ON Canada Current site of CFB Trenton CYTR
    1940-11-23 Primary Location Rivers MB Canada Current site of Wheatland Spuds Plain Airport CRS5

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