Robertson, Arthur Gold (Flying Officer)
Killed in Flying Accident 1947-October-18
Birth Date: 1914-November-01 (age 32)
Born: Stoney Mountain, Manitoba
Son of James Paul and Janet Georgina (nee Stevens) Robertson of Stony Mountain, Manitoba
Husband of Irene Muriel (nee McCullough) and father of Brian Arthur of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Enlistment Date: 1943-07-23
RCAF
413 Photo Wing
RCAF Rockcliffe
| Marshal | |
| Air Chief Marshal | A/C/M |
| Air Marshal | A/M |
| Air Vice Marshal | A/V/M |
| Air Commodore | A/C |
| Group Captain | G/C |
| Wing Commander | W/C |
| Squadron Leader | S/L |
| Flight Lieutenant | F/L |
| Flying Officer | F/O |
| Pilot Officer | P/O |
| Warrant Officer 1st Class | WO1 |
| Warrant Officer 2nd Class | WO2 |
| Flight Sergeant | FS |
| Sergeant | SGT |
| Corporal | CPL |
| Senior Aircraftman | SAC |
| Leading Aircraftman | LAC |
| Aircraftman 1st Class | AC1 |
| Aircraftman 2nd Class | AC2 |
Pilot
J/28663
Mitchell Mk. III 894
Transport 1947-October-18 to 1947-October-18
413 (R) Photo Wing (RCAF) RCAF Rockcliffe
413 (Photographic) Squadron (Ad vigilamus undis) RCAF Rockcliffe. B-25 Mitchell aircraft 894 was missing on flight from Calgary, Alberta to Penticton, British Columbia. The aircraft encountered poor weather with icing conditions, fog and low visibility and crashed in a mountainous area near Nelson, BC with no survivors
LAC WH Molyneux (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant JL MacLeod DFC (RCAF), Flying Officer AG Robertson (RCAF), Flying Officer B Cook DFM (RCAF), Flying Officer GY Lebel DFC (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman BES Bowman (RCAF), Cpl JN Sabourin (RCAF) and two Canadian civilians, husband and wife Fred and Beulah Knight were all missing, presumed killed in this flying accident
A massive search was undertaken, covering 30,000 square miles, which failed to find the aircraft or survivors after a search lasting four weeks
On October 7, 1952, Mr Wilf Gibbard caught sunlight glinting off a piece of aluminum high on Record Mountain, near Rossland, BC while out hunting and Mitchell 894 was finally found
No human remains were found at the crash site and the missing have no known grave. They are commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial. A cairn was also erected at the crash site, October 14, 1952 to commemorate all lost in the crash
RCAF 894 was built for the USAAF as B25D-1 serial 41-29877 and converted to F-10 photo configuration before delivery to RCAF on 23 April 44. She was part of the "˜Photographic Flight,' later known as No. 413 (P) Squadron, from RCAF Rockcliffe, Ontario with tri-camera survey installation. She operated in British Columbia in late 1947 until lost
The last flight of Penticton-bound RCAF Mitchell 894 I iNFOnews I ...
Flying Officer Robertson had been shot down 1943-01-06 as pilot of 158 Squadron RAF Halifax MZ 432 NP-Q and taken POW. After release he re-enlisted in the RCAF in February 1946
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Flying Officer Arthur Gold Robertson has no known grave.
Winnipeg, ManitobaMitchell 894
Previous Events
North American Mitchell B-25 B-25D B-25J
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.
The North American B-25 Mitchell was flown by the RCAF during and after the Second World War. The RCAF flew the B-25 Mitchell for training during the war and continued flying operations after the war, in Canada with most of 162 Mitchells received. The first B-25s had originally been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell Mk. I, 42 Mitchell Mk. IIs, and 19 Mitchell Mk. IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in May 1944 and flew Mitchell Mk. IIs on high-altitude aerial photography sorties. No. 5 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Boundary Bay, British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia, operated the B-25D Mitchell in a training role together with B-24 Liberators for Heavy Conversion as part of the BCATP. The RCAF retained the Mitchell until October 1963.
No. 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell Mk. IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No. 406 (Auxiliary), which flew Mitchell Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No. 418 Operated a mix of Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs until March 1958. No. 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell Mk. IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960. In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make up for attrition and to equip various second-line units.. Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page
Mitchell Bomber
Wikipedia Mitchell BomberCASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (164) RCAF 400 Squadrons (3) Canadian Crewed (71) Canadian Museum (2)Mitchell Mk. III 894
Built for USAAF as B-25D-1, serial number 41-29877.1942-11-01 Accepted at Kansas City by USAAF. 2024-09-12
1942-11-20 To Kansas City Modifications for reconfiguration to Photo Mapping. 2024-09-12
1943-02-28 To 1st Photo Mapping Squadron USAAF at Bolling Field Army Air Force Base, Washington, DC. 2024-09-12
1943-04-01 Noted in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 2024-09-12
1943-08-18 Redesignated to B-25 F10. 2024-09-12
1943-09-01 To Telara, Peru with 1st Photographic Charting Group USAAF. 2024-09-12
1943-12-21 Returned to US. 2024-09-12
1944-06-04 To Pounds Army Air Force Base at Tyler, TX. 2024-09-12
1944-06-12 To Lafayette, LA AAF Base 2024-09-12
1945-04-10 Allocated to Canada 2024-09-12
1945-04-14 Ferried via Stuttgart, Arkansas AFB to No. 6 Repair Depot, Trenton, Ontario. 2024-09-12
1945-04-23 Taken on Strength of Workshop Reserve at No. 6 Repair Depot RCAF at Trenton, Ontario. 2024-09-12
1945-06-14 To No. 1Air Command (No. 7 Photo Wing) RCAF. 2024-09-12
1946-07-16 To No. 413 Photo Squadron RCAF at Rockcliffe, Ontario. 2024-09-12
1946-09-27 Passed through Winnipeg, MB enroute to No.11 Detachment RCAF at Penticton, BC for mappings operations. 2024-09-12
1947-10-17 Flight to Calgary with 7 unauthorized civilians aboard. Landed Calgary at 1137. Took off for return to Penticton at 1601, forced to return to Calgary due to weather. 2024-09-13
1947-10-18 Left Calgary at 1032 for return to Penticton. Crashed near Rossland, BC with loss of entire crew and 2 civilians. 2024-09-12
1948-05-14 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20
1952-10-07 Crash site was discovered. Partial remains and effects of crew and passengers were buried at crash site. Memorial cairn erected. 2024-09-12
1952-10-20 Accident Investigation declared cause of crash to be heavy rime icing that developed in cloud (894 did not have de-icer boots) resulting in loss of control. 2024-09-12
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