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McCrea, Harry James (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-June-18

Birth Date: 1914 (age 29)

Son of Robert J. E. McCrea and Bernice McCrea, of Toronto; husband of Barbara E. McCrea, of Toronto.

Husband of Barbara E. McCrea, of Toronto.

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
23 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School
Base
Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/181401
LAC McCrea, the pilot of Cornell aircraft FH 797 and Leading Aircraftman C. Tudor (RAF), the pilot of Cornell FH 790 were both killed when their aircraft were in a mid-air collision. The aircraft crashed one mile east of the aerodrome at Davidson.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Cornell Mk. I Serial: FH790
  2. Cornell Mk. I Serial: FH797

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

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

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

Home
Google MapToronto, Ontario
Burial
Google MapMount Pleasant Cemetery
Sec 32 Lot 698

Cornell FH797

Leading Aircraftman McCrea, Harry James (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-June-18
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cornell FH790

Male Head

Leading Aircraftman Tudor, Clifford (RAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-June-18
Davidson Cemetery, Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada

Fairchild Cornell

Fairchild Cornell Mk. II
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

In early 1942, an agreement was signed between the Canadian Government and Fairchild Aircraft, which licenced Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario to construct the PT-26 Cornell in Canada. The first 800 Cornells used by the RCAF were supplied from Fairchild, until production commenced at Fort Erie in November 1942. By the end of the war in 1945, 2,853 Cornells had been built by Fleet - 1,565 for the RCAF and 1,288 for the RAF.

PT-26 Cornells were flown at many of the Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where they replaced the Fleet Finch and the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainers. After the Second World War, many Cornells were sold to the civilian market, but some were retained by the RCAF, where they were finally retired in 1948. CWPHM



YouTube Cornell Trainer

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Cornell Trainer

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (1590) Canadian Crewed (54) Canadian Museum (4)
last update: 2021-08-30 13:45:56

Cornell Mk. I FH797

Ex USAAF PT-26, serial number 42-14445. To RCAF in Canada, retained RAF serial number. With No. 23 Elementary Flying Training School at Davidson, Saskatchewan when it collided with Cornell FH790 from the same School on 18 June 1943, 1 mile from Davidson. Lone occupant of this aicraft, Leading Aircraftman H.J. McRae killed.

1942-10-21 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1943-June-18 Accident: 23 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: McCrea | Tudor
1943-07-16 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07

Cornell FH790

Cornell Mk. I FH790

Ex USAAF PT-26, serial number 42-14438. To RCAF in Canada, retained RAF serial number. With No. 23 Elementary Flying Training School at Davidson, Saskatchewan when it collided with Cornell FH797 from the same School on 18 June 1943, 1 mile from Davidson. Lone occupant of this aicraft, Leading Aircraftman C. Tudor, RAF killed.

1942-10-21 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1943-April-06 Accident: 23 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Eyebrow Saskatchewan Names: Anderson
1943-June-18 Accident: 23 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: McCrea | Tudor
1943-07-16 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07

23 EFTS (23 Elementary Flying Training School)

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

Formed at Davidson, Saskatchewan on 1942-10

More Information on RCAF Station Davidson can be found here

RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Davidson Saskatchewan

RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Davidson (West) Saskatchewan

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts of Saskatchewan

Moved to Yorkton, Saskatchewan 1945-06-29

More Information on RCAF Station Yorkton can be found here

RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Yorkton SK

RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Sturdee SK

RCAF Roundel RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Rhein SK

Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial

Unit was disbanded on 1945-09-15.

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