Jones, Donald Gray

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-08-04

Male Head

Birth Date: 1913

Born:

dearly beloved son of Norval & Lou Jones

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

4 AOS- Air Observer School

Base

RCAF London

Rank

Civilian

Position

Civilian

Service Numbers

Confirmed AC - Cert of DRCategory A crash at London on 4 August 1942. Crash location also reported as Kintore, which is about 10 miles north-east of London aerodrome.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Anson Mk. I Serial: 6839

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

4 AOS (4 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.

The School was established at London, Ontario. The former school is now the London, Ontario International Airport.

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

Canada Primary Source RCAF.Info - RCAF Station London ON

YouTube YouTube - Teamwork Unlimited 1944

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy


Anson 6839

Anson Mk. I 6839

Ex RAF AW506. To No. 1 Training Command on 28 October 1941, for use by No. 4 Air Observer School at London, Ontario. Category A crash at London on 4 August 1942. Crash location also reported as Kintore, which is about 10 miles north-east of London aerodrome. Scrapped by No. 6 Repair Depot.

1941-08-13 Taken on Strength de Havilland Canada 2019-08-20
1942-August-04 Accident: 4 Air Observer School Loc: Kintore Ontario Names: Banks | Davies | Jones | Keedwell
1942-11-28 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20