Davidson, Robert William

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-12-02

Birth Date: 1925-July-23

Born:

Son of Robert and Marjorie E. Davidson, of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

3 OTU- Operational Training Unit

Base

RCAF Stn. Patricia Bay, British Columbia

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Sergeant

Service Numbers

R/268109

3 Operational Training Unit, Patricia Bay, British Columbia. Canso aircraft crashed.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Canso A Serial: 11086

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

Consolidated Canso Catalina PBY PB2B A-10 OA-10 Black Cat

RCAF Canso A (Serial No. 9754), No. 162 Squadron, F/L David Ernest Hornell aircraft.
Hornell pby Yarmouth 1943 (003).jpg image not found

The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations.RCAF

YouTube Canso PBY

Wikipedia Wikipedia Canso PBY

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

3 OTU (3 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.

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - RCAF Station Patricia Bay B.C.

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy


Canso 11086

Canso A 11086

Delivered new to storage. To No. 3 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC on 1 July 1944. Still with this unit, based at Comox, BC, when reported missing on 3 December 1944. Pigeon from this plane returned to base 4 days later, without a message. Crashed near Kennedy Lake, east of Tofino, wreckage not located until July 1945. All nine occupants killed.

1944-05-29 Taken on Strength Western Air Command 2019-08-20
1944-December-02 Accident: 3 Operational Training Unit Loc: Straits Of Juan De Fuca Names: Davidson | Day | Mahoney | Nash | Pautenaude | Porter | Ramsay | Staples | Trudel
1945-06-05 Struck off Strength Written off after going missing, see comments 2019-08-20