Hudson aircraft BW 384, owned by Clark Ruse, crashed in the water near the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, Halifax Harbour, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four civilian passengers, Jean Curran, Mary McQueen, Mr. Chaill and MR MacCaulay, who were employees of Clark Ruse, were also killed.

TWO GIRLS KILLED IN FLIGHT WON BY LOAN EFFORT HALIFAX, DEC 4 - (C.P.)-

Two girl war workers awarded a plane flight for Victory Loan work were killed Thursday with the three man crew of a bomber when it crashed into Halifax harbour a couple of minutes after taking off.

All five persons in the Lockheed Hudson plane met instant death when it nosed almost vertically into the water, with engines roaring, 35 feet off the top of a breakwater at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht squadron.

The machine was owned by the Clark Ruse Aircraft Company, Limited, which operates an aircraft plant in the Halifax area. It had undergone tests and was to have been turned over to the RCAF shortly.

The girl passengers were employees of the plant, who had won awards in selling Victory Bonds to other employees. The pilot was Flt. Lt, J. H. Prentice of Toronto, chief test pilot for the company, on loan from the RCAF. The others killed were: Miss Jean Curran and Miss Mary McQueen, both 22, of Dartmouth; T. Arthur Cahill, Chapeau, Que. test flight engineer at the Clark Ruse plant; Owen McCaulay, Sydney, Nova Scotai

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Crew on Hudson Mk. III BW384

Civilian Cahill, T Arthur ()

Killed in Flying Accident
Age: 29

Civilian Curran, Jean ()

Killed in Flying Accident
Age: unknown

Civilian MacCaulay, Owen ()

Killed in Flying Accident
Age: unknown

Civilian McQueen, Mary ()

Killed in Flying Accident
Age: unknown

Flight Lieutenant Prentice, John Henry (RCAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
Age: 41
Carrville Cemetery, Carrville, Ontario, Canada - N/A

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.

Hudson

Wikipedia Hudson

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Hudon - Kestrel Publications

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF On Strength (247), RCAF 400 Squadron (2), Canadian Aircraft Losses (245), Canadian Ferried (1)

last update: 2021-12-21 01:36:53

Hudson Mk. III BW384

With No. 31 OTU at Debert, NS when taken on RCAF books. Cat “B” crash at Debert aerodrome at 19:50 on 15 Mar 1942. Arrived at No. 4 Repair Depot at Scoudouc, NB for crash repairs on 25 Mar 1942, ownership transferred to No. 4 RD on 27 Mar 1942. Had 156:50 airframe hours. To EAC on 10 Nov 1942. To Clark Ruse Aircraft on 20 May 1942 for repairs. The a/c took off on 3 Dec 1942 with four employees from Clark Ruse Aircraft onboard for a familiarization flight with a RCAF test pilot at the controls. The pilot apparently lost control of the a/c at low level in snow flurries and crashed just off a breakwater in Halifax harbour. All on board were killed including: Flight Lieutenant J.H. Prentice (pilot) , Mr. A. Cahill, Miss J. Curran, Miss M. MacQueen and Mr O. MacAulay. On the books of No.17 Aircraft Inspection Detachment when written off.
1942-01-26 Taken on Strength Eastern Air Command 2019-08-20
1942-March-15 Accident: 31 Operational Training Unit Loc: Aerodrome Names: Dela Paklle | Wilson
1942-December-03 Accident: CLARKERUSE AIRCRAFT Loc: Halifax Names: Cahill | Curran | MacCaulay | Mcqueen | Prentice
1943-04-07 Struck off Strength Cat A write off 2022-01-17