William Ronald Lance Rank: Sergeant Status: Killed in Flying Accident 1941-09-27

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Lance, William Ronald (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-September-27

Birth Date: 1919-October-19 (age 22)

Born: London, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada

Son of Edward Henry and Martha Ellen (nee Avey) Lance

Home: Hamilton, Ontario

Enlistment: Hamilton, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1940-06-10

Service
RCAF

Unit
Ferry Command- Ferry Command (RAF)

Base
Dorval, Quebec

Rank

Sergeant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Observer

Service Numbers
R/70035

Hudson Mk. III AM940

Ferry Flight 1941-September-27 to 1941-September-27

RAF Ferry Command, Dorval, Quebec. Hudson aircraft AM 940 lost out of Gander, Newfoundland on a trans-Atlantic ferry flight to the UK. A last radio signal was received indicating that the crew had a serious problem and then no further contact was made, the aircraft and crew lost in the North Atlantic Ocean

Pilot Flying Officer HW Oldham (RCAF), Observer Sergeant WR Lance (RCAF) and Canadian civilian Radio Officer CH Small (Nfld) were all missing, presumed killed in this flying accident

The missing have no known grave. F/O Oldham and Sgt Lance are commemorated on the Ottawa War Memorial. Ottawa, Ontario. CH Small is commemorated in the United Kingdom Book of Remembrance

Ocean Bridge, The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl A Christie pages 311, 390n33

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

General William Ronald Lance

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com

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

Sergeant William Ronald Lance has no known grave.

Home

Hamilton, Ontario

Ottawa War Memorial, Canada
Panel 1 Column 2

Crew on Hudson Mk. III AM940

Sergeant Lance, William Ronald (RCAF)
Observer
Killed in Flying Accident
Age: 21
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 1 Column 2

Flying Officer Oldham, Harold Wilson (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
Age: 34
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 1 Column 2

Civilian Radio Officer Small, Cyril Harvey (RAF)
Wireless Operator
Killed in Flying Accident
Age: 23

Lockheed Hudson A-28 A-29 AT-18

Lockheed Hudson
Source National Air Force Museum of Canada.

The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons. National Air Force Museum of Canada.

YouTube Hudson