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Watson, William James (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-12-04

Birth Date: 1869-01-01 (age 26)

Son of George C. Watson and Clara B. Watson; husband of Faith E. Watson, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Husband of Faith E. Watson, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Home: Fort Frances, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
17 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Souris, 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
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/36161
Winnipeg Free Press December 4, 1944

F/O Watson and LAC K.A. Tingay were flying in fog and were trying to locate the aerodrome when they hit a telephone pole. They were both killed when Anson aircraft 11514 crashed near the aerodrome at Souris.

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)

Crew on Anson Mk. II 11514

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 11514

Delivered to storage on 25 March 1943. Issued from storage for use by No. 17 Service Flying Training School at Souris, Manitoba, delivered there on 14 April 1943. To No. 2 Air Command on 1 December 1944. Still with No. 17 SFTS when it was totally destroyed in a Category A crash at 11:00 on 4 December 1944. Struck a telegraph pole near Souris while attempting to locate the airfield in fog. Flying Officer W.J. Watson and LAC K.A. Tingay, RAF killed. To No. 8 Repair Depot for write off on 11 December 1944.
1943-03-15 Taken on Strength No. 2 Training Command 2019-08-20
1943-July-02 Accident: 17 Service Flying Training School Loc: Glen Ewen Names: Astill | Starink | Ursell
1944-December-04 Accident: 17 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Tingay | Watson
1944-12-21 Struck off Strength Written off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

17 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (17 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

SFTS17 Patch

For More Information on RCAF Station Souris see here

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Souris MB

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Hartney MB

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Elgin MB

  • General Manitoba Historical Society - 17 SFTS

  • General Hillmanweb.com - 17 SFTS History

  • 1943-03-08 Primary Location Souris MB Canada Currently site of Souris Glenwood Industrial Airport CJX5
    1943-03-08 Relief Field Elgin MB Canada Approximate location. Turf runways returned to agriculture.
    1943-03-08 Relief Field Hartney MB Canada Currently Hartney Airport CKT5

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