P Bowman Rank: Civilian Status: Killed in Flying Accident 1942-08-21

Anson 6877

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

last update: 2022-02-22 21:45:24

Anson Mk. I 6877

Ex RAF AW454. To No. 4 Training Command on 6 September 1941, for use by No. 3 Service Flying Training School at Calgary, Alberta. Crashed into a lake near Candiac, Saskatchewan (about 60 miles east-south-east of Regina) on 21 August 1942 while on a night navigation exercise. Was with No. 3 Air Observer School at Regina, Saskatchewan at the time. Scrapped by No. 10 Repair Depot.

1941-08-20 Taken on Strength No. 10 Repair Depot 2019-08-20
1942-August-21 Accident: 3 Air Observer School Loc: Canadian Stnorth Saskatchewan Names: Bowman | Davidson | Douglas | Insall
1943-02-19 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

3 AOS (3 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.

Pilot Officer C. Miall, No. 3 Air Observer School, Regina, 1940

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Regina Saskatchewan

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Brora Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts Of Saskatchewan

NO3 AOS started to move to Pearce AB 12 September 1942 however this plan was short lived and the portion of the unit that had moved initially returned to Regina.

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Pearce AB

General Southern Alberta Historical Society - Diary 3AOS

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts Of Southern Alberta

Museum Bomber Command Museum of Canada