Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum logo

Ross, John Weldy (Civilian)

Killed in Flying Accident 1945-July-04

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date (age unknown)

Service
RAF
Unit
45 Group (RAF)
Base
Dorval, Quebec
Rank
Civilian
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot/1st Officer
Service Numbers

Liberator C lX JT982

Transport 1945-July-03 to 1945-July-04

45 (T) Group (RAF) Dorval, Quebec

45 Group RAF Transport Command, Dorval, Quebec. Liberator C IX aircraft JT982, operated by a mixed crew of civilian and 231 Squadron aircrew, was scheduled for a flight from Washington DC USA to Northolt, England with stopovers in Dorval, Gander, Keflavik and Prestwick. The aircraft departed RCAF Gander on July 4, 1945 on the leg to Keflavik with a crew of 6 and 9 VIP passengers including several women, when the Liberator ditched in the North Atlantic, believed due to the elevator becoming jammed. An intensive two week air and sea search was carried out, during which a second, RCAF Liberator 595 was lost in the Atlantic, but no trace of the aircraft, crew or passengers of Liberator JT982 were found

Passengers:

  • Sir Herbert William Malkin GCMG, CB, KC, Legal Adviser to Foreign Office -Age 62
  • Colonel Denis Cuthbert Capel-Dunn OBE, Ministry of Defense (MI5) - Age 41
  • Mr Roland Tennyson Peel COBE MC, India Office - Age 52
  • Miss Mabel Jane Clarkson Scupham, Foreign Office - Aged 40
  • Miss Joan Margaret Cole-Hamilton MBE, Foreign Office - Age 40
  • Miss Doreen A Smith, Foreign Office - Aged 20
  • Miss Agnes Mary Collard, Foreign Office - Age 29
  • Miss Beryl Hibberd, India Office - Age 23
  • Miss Phyllis Mabel Spurway, Cabinet Office - Aged 35
  • Crew:

  • Captain George Peter Evans (pilot) United States civilian
  • (Captain) John Weldy Ross (co-pilot) United States civilian
  • Cyril Paul Joseph Meagher (radio operator) Canadian civilian
  • Gayle Burton Swaney Flight Engineer, Canadian civilian
  • Flying Officer Roy Holden Marshall Patterson navigator, (RCAF), 231 Squadron
  • Sergeant William Thomas Keates, flight clerk (RAFVR), 231 Squadron
  • Ocean Bridge, The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl A Christie pages 132, 135-9, 217,259,329

    The Liberator in Royal air Force and Commonwealth Service by James D Oughton with John Hamlin and Andrew Thomas

    General [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

    General Aviation Safety Network

    General Keflavik I Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

    Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

    Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

    Civilian John Weldy Ross has no known grave.

    Liberator JT982

    Read More ....

    © Canadian Warplane Heritage 2025

    To search on any page:
    PC — Ctrl-F
    Mac — ⌘-F
    Mobile — or …