John James O'Donnell

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-July-22

Leading Aircraftman John James O'Donnell RCAF

Birth Date: 1917-October-31

Born: Avondale, Prince Edward Island

Parents: Son of Francis Martin and Catherine M. O\'Donnell, of Vernon River, Prince Edward Island.

Spouse:

Home: Vernon River, Prince Edward Island

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

9 SFTS- Service Flying Training School

Base

Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

R/72655

Home

Vernon River, Prince Edward Island

Final Burial

Vernon River Cemetery
Row 2

9 Service Flying Training School, Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Harvard aircraft 2852 crashed, on July 20, 1941, when the pilot attempted a forced landing three miles east of the Summerside aerodrome after being in a mid-air collision with Harvard aircraft 2693. Leading Aircraftman O'Donnell succumbed to his injuries on July 22 in the Station Hospital at Summerside. Leading Aircraftman A.H. Keith was the pilot of aircraft 2693 and Leading Aircraftman O'Donnell was in aircraft 2852.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

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

Unit Desciption

9 SFTS (9 Service Flying Training School)

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.