Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Westland Lysander
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Westland Aircraft of Yeovil, UK, started to design an Army Cooperation aircraft for the British Air Ministry, in June 1935. The first Lysander flew a year later and demonstrated a remarkable short field performance that today would be seen in a STOL aircraft. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, seven RAF squadrons equipped with Lysanders were sent to France in support of the British Army. In May-June 1940, 118 Lysanders were destroyed in action and 120 aircrew were killed or taken prisoner. These severe losses showed that the old ideas about army support aircraft were out of date and the future lay in fighters like the Hurricane.
The most daring use of Lysanders in WW II was with the Special Operations Executive, which supported the Resistance in German occupied France and Belgium, by flying in agents and picking up escapees. It was during these night operations, that the Lysander came into its own, using its remarkable STOL capabilities to fly into the small fields marked out by the Resistance.
The first Canadian built Lysanders rolled out of National Steel Car factory at Malton, Ontario in September 1939 and later were delivered to RCAF No. 110 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at Rockcliffe, Ontario. In February 1940, No. 110 became the first RCAF squadron to be ordered overseas to Britain, becoming No. 400 Sqn..
By late 1941, most Canadian built Lysanders had been transferred to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), where they were used for target towing at gunnery training schools. National Steel Car, which became Victory Aircraft, stopped building Lysanders in September 1942, as it started to gear up to manufacture Lancaster bombers. 1,652 Lysanders were built between 1938 and 1943; 225 of them in Canada. Lysanders served with the RAF, RCAF and the RAAF, as well as the air forces of seven other nations. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Lysander
Wikipedia Lysander
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Lysander - Kestrel Publications
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (328) RCAF 400 Squadrons (2) Canadian Crewed (26) Canadian Museum (2)Lysander Mk. III TT 1540
Ex RAF V9446. Taken on strength at Fleet Aircraft, Crumlin, Ontario. Converted to Target Tug during erection at Fleet, completed 5 August 1942. Converted to Target Tug in Canada, completed 5 August 1942. To storage with No. 1 Training Command when completed. Issued from storage on 13 August 1942. Reported in fatal crash on 6 January 1943, at No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario (on plaque on Cenotaph in Fingal). An elevator trim problem was suspected after the a/c dove into the ground at high speed. Flight Sergeant R. Prentice and Cpl K.E. Nicolson were both killed. Investigation later confirmed cause as tail gear friction damper had become impregnated with grease allowing tail trim gear to slip to nose down position. To No. 6 Repair Depot on 9 March 1943 for write off action.1942-01-20 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1943-January-05 Accident: 4 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: Shedden Names: Nicholson | Prentice
1943-01-06 Accident Category A 2021-12-22
1943-03-22 Struck off Strength reduced to spares and produce 2021-12-22
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Fingal Ontario
Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum - 4 BGS History
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