Toronto, Ontario
4 Air Observer School, London, Ontario. The crew of Anson aircraft 6341 were on a night navigation exercise when they crashed on November 3, 1942 in a swamp four miles south-east of Dorchester Station, Ontario. Pilot Officer F.A. Griffin, Leading Aircraftman S. Acker, and the civilian pilot G.H. Rockett were all killed in the crash. Leading Aircraftman Quinlan died of his injuries while in hospital.
Quinlan, Jeremiah Wren (Leading Aircraftman)
Killed in Flying Accident 1942-November-03
Birth Date: 1918
Born:
Parents: Herbert J. Quinlan and Florence Quinlan, of Toronto.
Spouse:
Home: Toronto, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
4 AOS- Air Observer School
Base
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
R/156040
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Anson 6341
Accident Card - Avro Anson Mk. I serial:6341
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1942-November-03. Anson I s/n 6341.
This accident involved 4 people. Acker S, Griffin FA, Quinlan JW, Rockett GH
This accident had 4 fatalities. Pilot Officer Frederick Alfred Griffin RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/13147 Anson 6341, Leading Aircraftman Jeremiah Wren Quinlan RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/156040 Anson 6341, Leading Aircraftman Sidney Acker RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/129960 Anson 6341, Civilian G H Rockett RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no: Anson 6341
Unit Desciption
4 AOS (4 Air Observer School)
Air Observers were later called "navigators". For recruits in this stream, the training path after ITS was 8 weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), 1 month at a Bombing & Gunnery School, and finally 1 month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF. For example, Nos. 7, 8, and 9 were run by CP Airlines. However, the instructors were RCAF. The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer. They trained in the Avro Anson.
NO4 AOS London 1942
The School was established at London, Ontario. The former school is now the London, Ontario International Airport.
More information on the RCAF Station at London can be found at
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station London ON
YouTube - Teamwork Unlimited 1944
Project 44 BCATP