Curry, Fred Burpee
Killed in Flying Accident 1943-03-26
Birth Date: 1918
Born:
Home: Ottawa, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
115 (BR) Sqn- Squadron
Beware
Base
RCAF Stn. Annette Island, Alaska
Rank
Squadron Leader
Position
Squadron Leader
Service Numbers
C/993
Home
Ottawa, Ontario
The squadron flew on communications, artillery co-operation and rescue operations under 'Western Air Command'.
Took off from Annette Island and encountered a sudden snow squall and crashed, during a landing attempt, into the sea six miles north-west of Annette Island at Warburton Island, Alaska. Pilot and six passengers (3 USO performers and 3 RCAF members) killed
Killed:Squadron Leader Fred Burpee Curry, RCAF pilot KIFA Ashes Scattered On Tamgas Mountain, Annette Island, Alaska, USA.LAC Edward Kitchener McMichael, RCAF ?OC? KIFA Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Panel 2. Column 5.F/Lt Ian Macmillan Dowling, RCAF passenger, KIFA, Greenwood Cemetery, Brantford, Ontario, East half Lot 362. Grave 2.F/Lt Ernest Bunting Stapleford, RCAF passenger KIFA Victoria Lawn Cemetery, St Catharines, Ontario, Sec. A. Plot 249. Grave 1.Civilian Maxine Gloeckner, (USO - United Service Organizations) passenger KIFA Oak Grove Cemetery, St Louis, Missouri, USA, Hillcrest/So 1/2-253/3Civilian Adelaide J Kaiser, (USO) passenger KIFA no home town or burial place found.Civilian Christine Street, (USO) passenger KIFA no home town or burial place found.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
www.findagrave.comThis incident involved multiple aircraft:
- Norseman Mk. IV Serial: 2481
All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.
Noorduyn Norseman
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Noorduyn Norseman, also known as the C-64 Norseman, is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Distinctive stubby landing gear protrusions from the lower fuselage make it easily recognizable.
Introduced in 1935, the Norseman remained in production for almost 25 years with over 900 produced. A number of examples remain in commercial and private use to this day. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
The Noorduyn Norseman was designed by Robert Noorduyn in Montreal in the mid-1930s as a rugged transport plane, well suited to operations in the Canadian North. The prototype (CF-AYO), a floatplane, first flew from Pointe aux Trembles, Quebec on November 14, 1935. A high winged monoplane, powered by a Wright Whirlwind 420 hp engine, the aircraft had an all welded steel tubing fuselage covered with fabric. The wings were of all wood construction and were fabric covered as well. The Norseman was designed with a rugged landing gear that was equally at home on floats, skis or wheels.
The prototype proved somewhat underpowered. So, after further development, the definitive Norseman, the Mark IV, powered by a 550 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp flew from Noorduyn's Cartierville, Quebec, factory in November 1936. Were it not for WWII, the production run would have lasted probably less than a hundred planes.
Until 1940, Noorduyn had sold only 17 Norseman aircraft, mainly to commercial operators in Northern Canada and to the RCMP. However, once the war started the Royal Canadian Air Force ordered 38 Norsemen as Wireless and Navigational trainers for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. In July 1941, following the establishment of a successful transatlantic ferry route from Canada to the UK by the Royal Air Force, aviation pioneer Bernt Balchen was enlisted by the United States Army Air Force to evaluate another ferry route across Greenland. Balchen requested six Norsemen for the job. Impressed with their performance, the USAAF then issued the UC-64A specification for a rugged military light transport plane. After the US entry into the war, more than 800 Norsemen were produced for both the USAAF and the RCAF. During WWII, Noorduyn Norseman aircraft were flown in several theatres of war, including Alaska, Europe and Australia. Eventually, it served with the military in eight countries.
On Sept. 25, 2015, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum took delivery of the latest addition to their growing fleet of flying aircraft "“ Noorduyn Norseman Mk. V (CF-GSR). Obtained from Ernie and Donna Nicholl at Huron Air & Outfitters as a split donation/purchase in early 2014. CF-GSR had previously served several operators including Canadian Forest Products, Austin Airways, Slate Falls Airways, Silver Wings Air Service, Ilford-Riverton Airways and Bearskin Airlines Most of its life was spent on floats ut it was configured over to wheel landing gear before being ferried to Hamilton Airport. Although CF-GSR never saw service with the RCAF, in keeping with the Museum's mandate, the Norseman will bepainted in a RCAF scheme at some point in the future. Wikipedia and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Norseman
Wikipedia Norseman 
Harold A Skaarup Web Page Norseman 2481
Norseman Mk. IV 2481
Put in Reserve Storage for the Western Air Command. Transferred to No. 13 Operational Training Unit of the Western Air Command on September 26, 1941. Operated by No. 122 (K) Squadron on west coast, from 1942. Category A accident near Anette Island, Alaska, on 26 March 1943.1941-05-02 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1943-March-26 Accident: 115 Squadron Loc: 55 08' North 131 36' W Names: Curry | Dowling | Gloeckner | Kaiser | Mcmichael | Stapleford | Street
1943-06-10 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares 2019-08-20