Gillman, Reginald Allan

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-11-13

Male Head

Birth Date: 1911

Born:

Son of John Allan and Agnes Emma Gillman, of Gloucester, England.

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAFVR

Unit

33 ANS- Air Navigation School (RAF)

Base

Mount Hope, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Leading Aircraftman

Service Numbers

1205995

33 ANS, Hamilton, Ontario.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Anson Mk. I Serial: W1672

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

Avro Anson

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.
Avro_Anson_675_m.jpg image not found

The Avro Anson was known by a number of nicknames including "Faithful Annie" or "Flying Greenhouse". It was the first aircraft to be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force to have a retractable undercarriage, which was a comparative novelty in 1936. In 1940, a Canadian government owned company, Federal Aircraft Limited, was created in Montreal to manufacture the Anson for Canadian use. Nearly 3,000 Anson aircraft were produced and, in the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was the standard trainer for many pilots, observers (navigators), wireless operators and bomb aimers. More than 20,000 aircrew received training on the Anson. In Canadian service, the aircraft was substantially re-designed with the substitution of North American engines and many other airframe and equipment changes.Harold Skaarup web pages

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

33 ANS (33 Air Navigation School)

Nos. 1 & 2 Air Navigation Schools offered four-week courses in astronavigation and were the last step for Air Observers.

The RAF schools, Nos. 31, 32, and 33, provided the same training as Air Observer Schools.

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - RCAF Station Hamilton (Mount Hope) ON

General McMaster University - 33 ANS Hamilton ON

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy


Anson W1672

Anson Mk. I W1672

To No. 1 Training Command on 27 September 1941, for use by No. 33 Air Navigation School at Mount Hope, Ontario. Crashed at 1200 foot level on Caledon Mountain (a large hill about 50 miles north of Mount Hope airfield, part of the Niagara Escarpment) at 01:00 on 13 November 1941, after becoming lost in deteriorating weather while on a cross country exercise. Was coded "501" at that time. Classified as Category A. 2 crew injured, 3 killed. Ownership to No. 6 Repair Depot for scrapping.

1941-09-12 Taken on Strength Ottawa Car & Aircraft 2019-08-20
1941-November-13 Accident: 33 Air Navigation School Loc: Caledon Ontario Names: Donahue | Drayton | Gilman | Higham | Mcdowell
1942-02-25 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20