Gardner, Michael John

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-10-15

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Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Son of William John and Florence May Gardner, of Epsom, Surrey

Home: Epsom, Surrey, England

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAFVR

Unit

45 Group (RAF)

Base

Dorval, Quebec

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Sergeant

Service Numbers

1335878

Home

Epsom, Surrey, England

First Burial

Ottawa Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Mitchell Mitchell II FR369

Ferry Flight 1942-October-15 to 1942-October-15

45 (T) Group (RAF) Dorval, Quebec

45 Group RAF Transport Command, Dorval, Quebec. Mitchell I aircraft disappeared on a ferry flight over the Atlantic Ocean after leaving Gander, Newfoundland with the loss of the entire crew

Flight Lieutenant RL Moss (RAFVR), Pilot Officer FJ Pook (RAFVR), Sergeant MJ Gardner (RAFVR) and British civilian Radio Officer LRJ Vine were missing, presumed killed in this flying accident

The missing have no known grave. Moss, Pook and Vine are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Gardner is commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial

Ocean Bridge, The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl A Christie, pages 314, 395n52

General [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

Mitchell Mitchell II Serial: FR369

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

Findagrave.com

Mitchell FR369

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Sergeant Gardner, Michael John (RAFVR)
Navigator
Killed in Flying Accident
1942-October-15
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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Flight Lieutenant Moss, Ronald Lawrence (RAFVR)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1942-October-15
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

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Pilot Officer Pook, Francis John (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1942-October-15
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

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Civilian Vine, Leonard Reginald Jack (RAF)
Radio Officer
Killed in Flying Accident
1942-October-15
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK

North American Mitchell B-25 B-25D B-25J

North American B-25J Mitchell Mk. III
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

North_American_B-25_Mitchell_251.jpg image not found

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.

The North American B-25 Mitchell was flown by the RCAF during and after the Second World War. The RCAF flew the B-25 Mitchell for training during the war and continued flying operations after the war, in Canada with most of 162 Mitchells received. The first B-25s had originally been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell Mk. I, 42 Mitchell Mk. IIs, and 19 Mitchell Mk. IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in May 1944 and flew Mitchell Mk. IIs on high-altitude aerial photography sorties. No. 5 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Boundary Bay, British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia, operated the B-25D Mitchell in a training role together with B-24 Liberators for Heavy Conversion as part of the BCATP. The RCAF retained the Mitchell until October 1963.

No. 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell Mk. IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No. 406 (Auxiliary), which flew Mitchell Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No. 418 Operated a mix of Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs until March 1958. No. 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell Mk. IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960. In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make up for attrition and to equip various second-line units..Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page

YouTube Mitchell Bomber