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Britland, Lionel Poston (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-September-21

Male Head

Birth Date: 1920-January-09 (age 21)

Son of William and Vera Britland, of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Service
RCAF
Unit
32 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Base
RCAF Stn. Patricia Bay, British Columbia
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
Wireless Air Gunner
Service Numbers
2341A
AC2 D.B. Wortley, Sergeant L.P. Britland and Flying Officer L.W. Brooks were all killed when Anson aircraft 9818 crashed four and one half miles north-west of Yale, British Columbia. All 3 men were cremated and buried at the crash site. According to his service file he was part of 111(F) Squadron and was attached to 32 Operational Training Unit, Patricia Bay at the time of the crash.

General Article from Esprit de Corps Magazine regarding the attempted recovery of the Crew by Anne Gafiuk

Canada Primary Source Ancestry.ca "� Service File of War Dead 1939-47

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

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

Sergeant Lionel Poston Britland was cremated.

Home
Google MapVancouver, British Columbia

Google MapOttawa War Memorial
Panel 1 Column 2

Anson N9818

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 N9818

Assigned to Western Air Command on 3 September 1941, for use by No. 32 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC. Destroyed when it struck a mountain peak north-west of Yale, BC late in the afternoon on 21 September 1941. All 3 occupants killed, pilot Pilot Officer L.W. Brooks, Sgt. L.P. Bretland and D.B. Hartley (on leave from McLeod, Alberta). Aircraft was ferrying to Western Air Command when it crashed. Crash location also reported as 4.5 miles south-west of Yale?

1941-06-25 Taken on Strength Aircraft Repair 2019-08-20
1941-September-21 Accident: 32 Operational Training Unit Loc: Yale British Columbia Names: Britland | Brooks | Wortley
1942-02-21 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

32 OTU (32 Operational Training Unit)

The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew trainees. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.

More information on the RCAF Station at Patricia Bay, British Columbia can be found at:

RAF Roundel RCAF.info - Patricia Bay, British Columbia

Museum BC Aviation Museum Video On History Of Pat Bay

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