Forestell, Thomas Bernard (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-March-20

Sergeant Thomas Bernard Forestell RCAF

Birth Date: 1923-November-21

Born:

Parents: Son of Daniel and Lena Forestell, of Coniston, Ontario. Brother of Bernard Lawrence Forestell.

Spouse:

Home: Coniston, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

1 AOS- Air Observer School

Base

RCAF Stn. Malton, Ontario

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

R/184192

Home
Google MapConiston, Ontario
Final Burial
Google MapLasalle Roman Catholic Cemetery
Family Plot Grave 2 Sec 1 Lot 726N
Sergeant Forestell was on a navigation exercise and made a slipping turn to the left on making his final turn before landing. He was killed when Anson aircraft 6626 crashed 300 yards north-west of the aerodrome at Muskoka, Ontario. He was carrying four passengers, one of whom was injured. The others escaped injury.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1944-03-20

BROTHER to Robert Samuel Forestell.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

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

Accident Card - Avro Anson Mk. I serial:6626

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1944-March-20. Anson I s/n 6626.

This accident involved 5 people. Cummins DW, Forestell TB, Lawson O, Mason BE, Stewart RG

This accident had 1 fatality. Sergeant Thomas Bernard Forestell RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/184192 Anson 6626

Unit Desciption

1 AOS (1 Air Observer School)

Air Observers were later called "navigators". For recruits in this stream, the training path after ITS was 8 weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), 1 month at a Bombing & Gunnery School, and finally 1 month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF. For example, Nos. 7, 8, and 9 were run by CP Airlines. However, the instructors were RCAF. The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer. They trained in the Avro Anson.
No. 1 Air Observer School. Dominion Skyways (Training) Ltd. Malton, Ontario.

The School was established at Malton, Ontario. The former school is now the Toronto (Pearson) International Airport.

More information on the RCAF Station at Malton can be found at

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Malton Ontario

Unvetted Source Wartime Canada - Wings presentation December 1943

Project 44 BCATP

Unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy