Craig, Wilfrid Gordon

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-03-21

Birth Date: 1925

Born:

Fred & Ellen Craig

Home: Merlin, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

1 FIS- Flying Instructor School

Base

RCAF Stn. Trenton, Ontario

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot Officer

Service Numbers

J/41200
Prev: R/187958

Home
Google MapMerlin, Ontario (parents)
First Burial
Google MapUnion Cemetery, Pardoville, Ontario

Crashed near Ameliasberg, Ontario (Prince Edward County, 5 miles west of Mountain View aerodrome).

One wing detached in flight after spar failure, aircraft destroyed by post crash fire. Came down in a farm field on Wilson Road. Pilot Officer Craig and Pilot Officer Ross, RAAF both killed.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Cornell Mk. I Serial: FH723

All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.

Cornell FH723

Pilot Officer Craig, Wilfrid Gordon (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1944-March-21
Union Cemetery, Pardoville, Ontario, Canada

Male Head

Pilot Officer Ross, Alexander Robert (RAAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1944-March-21
St George's Cemetery, Trenton, Ontario, Canada

Fairchild Cornell

Fairchild Cornell Mk. II
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Fairchild_Cornell_159.jpg image not found

In early 1942, an agreement was signed between the Canadian Government and Fairchild Aircraft, which licenced Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario to construct the PT-26 Cornell in Canada. The first 800 Cornells used by the RCAF were supplied from Fairchild, until production commenced at Fort Erie in November 1942. By the end of the war in 1945, 2,853 Cornells had been built by Fleet - 1,565 for the RCAF and 1,288 for the RAF.

PT-26 Cornells were flown at many of the Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where they replaced the Fleet Finch and the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainers. After the Second World War, many Cornells were sold to the civilian market, but some were retained by the RCAF, where they were finally retired in 1948.CWPHM



YouTube Cornell Trainer

Wikipedia Wikipedia Cornell Trainer

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

1 FIS (1 Flying Instructors School)

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - RCAF Station Trenton ON

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - Course List NO1 FIS Trenton ON

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy

Cornell FH723

Cornell Mk. I FH723

Ex USAAF PT-26, serial number 42-14371. To RCAF in Canada, retained RAF serial number. With No. 1 Flying Instructor School at RCAF Station Trenton when it crashed on 21 March 1944, near Ameliasberg, Ontario (Prince Edward County, 5 miles west of Mountain View aerodrome). One wing detached in flight after spar failure, aircraft destroyed by post crash fire. Came down in a farm field on Wilson Road. Pilot Officer W.G. Craig and Pilot Officer A.R. Ross, RAAF both killed.

1942-09-30 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1944-March-02 Accident: 1 Flying Instructor School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Duncan | Reeder | Watson
1944-March-21 Accident: 1 Flying Instructor School Loc: Mountain View Names: Craig | Ross
1944-05-04 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07