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Darnell, Frederick William (Squadron Leader)

Killed in Flying Accident 1949-April-21

Birth Date: 1913-April-26 (age 35)

Born: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Son of Edith (nee Smith) and Fredrick of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Husband of Antoinette Marie (nee Antaya) of Ottawa, Ontario.

Home: Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Enlistment Date: 1940-01-08

Service
RCAF
Unit
412 (T) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Base
RCAF Station Rockcliffe
Rank
Squadron Leader
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
Service Numbers
19643

Expeditor Mk. 3T 1425

Transport 1949-April-21 to 1949-April-21

412 Squadron RCAF Station Rockcliffe. Known as the VIP Squadron, 412 Squadron transported dignitaries and "Very Important People". Expeditor aircraft 1425 departed RCAF Station Rockcliffe for a flight to RCAF Station Chatham and vanished with seven passengers and crew aboard. The wreckage of the aircraft and remains of the crew were not found until August 30,1955, in a heavily wooded area, some 65 miles west of Chatham, New Brunswick

Flight Lieutenant J F Thomas (RCAF), Flying Officer K Hinde (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman J T C Cavanagh (RCAF), Wing Commander B H Beck (RCAF), Wing Commander J H Drury (RCAF), Squadron Leader F W Darnell (RCAF) and civilian passenger L C Parkes were all killed in this flying accident

Expeditor 1425 was the last of 44 ordered by the RCAF, the surviving aircraft were converted to 3T military trainer configuration in 1952

General Aviation Safety Network

Squadron Leader Darnell was serving with the Air Material Command Headquarters at the time of his death

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Burial
Google Map Beechwood Cemetery, Canada
Military Plot Grave 90 Lot G Section 27

Crew on Expeditor Mk. 3T 1425

Beechcraft Expeditor

(RCAF Photo) (Source Harold A Skaarup web page)
Beechcraft CT-128 Expeditor Mk. 3TM (Serial No. A-734), (Serial No. CA-134), RCAF (Serial No. 1534), coded AO-N, Air Transport Command.

The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November 1969 (over 32 years, a world record at the time), over 9,000 were built, making it one of the world's most widely used light aircraft. Sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis, or floats, it was also used as a military aircraft.

During and after World War II, over 4,500 Beech 18s were used in military service"”as light transport, light bomber (for China), aircrew trainer (for bombing, navigation, and gunnery), photo-reconnaissance, and "mother ship" for target drones"”including Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF), United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan; and United States Navy (USN) UC-45J Navigator, SNB-1 Kansan, and others. In World War II, over 90% of USAAF bombardiers and navigators and pilots trained in these aircraft.

In the early postwar era, the Beech 18 was the pre-eminent "business aircraft" and "feeder airliner". Besides carrying passengers, its civilian uses have included aerial spraying, sterile insect release, fish stocking, dry-ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, air-mail delivery, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, weapon- and drug-smuggling, engine testbed, skywriting, banner towing, and stunt aircraft. Wikipedia




YouTube Expeditor

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Expeditor

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (415), Canadian Aircraft Losses (21), RCN On Strength (1)
last update: 2021-10-16 20:08:00

Expeditor Mk. 3T 1425

Ex USAAF C-45F serial number 44-87316. Served with No. 12 (Com) and No. 412 (T) Squadrons post war at Rockcliffe and Uplands. Delivered Air Commodore Millar, AOC MCHQ from Rockcliffe to Winnipeg, arriving on 17 October 1946. Carried Air Vice Marshal Slemon on Arctic tour, September 1947. Also served with Admin Unit at Uplands, date unknown. Was personal transportof the Air Officer Commanding Air Material Command Headquarters, but maintained and operated by No. 412 Squadron, when it crashed. Went missing on flight from Rockcliffe to Chatham on 21 April 1949, wreckage not found until 1955. 3 fatalities.
1945-07-12 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1949-09-01 Struck off Strength Struck off, after going missing, see comments. 2019-08-20

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