Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Toronto, OntarioHawker Hurricane
Source BBMF
The Hawker Hurricane is a single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s"“1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Hurricane developed through several versions, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers, and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Versions designed for the Navy were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, with modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.
A major manufacturer of the Hurricane was Canadian Car and Foundry at their factory in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. The facility's chief engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes". The initiative was commercially led rather than governmentally, but was endorsed by the British government; Hawker, having recognized that a major conflict was all but inevitable after the Munich Crisis of 1938, drew up preliminary plans to expand Hurricane production via a new factory in Canada. Under this plan, samples, pattern aircraft, and a complete set of design documents stored on microfilm, were shipped to Canada; the RCAF ordered 20 Hurricanes to equip one fighter squadron and two more were supplied to Canadian Car and Foundry as pattern aircraft but one probably did not arrive. The first Hurricane built at Canadian Car and Foundry was officially produced in February 1940. As a result, Canadian-built Hurricanes were shipped to Britain to participate in events such as the Battle of Britain. Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) was responsible for the production of 1,451 Hurricanes. Wikipedia and Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Hurricane
Wikipedia Hurricane
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Hurricane - Kestrel Publications
Hurricane Mk. X AE976
With 55 OTU, the Hurricane aircraft involved were V 6955 and AE 976 not AG 976. RAF pilot Sergeant John Porter 22, was taking part in a mock dog-fight high above the pit towns and villages of County Durham on St. Valentine's Day, 1942. In the plane flying towards him was RCAF pilot Sergeant C.J. Scott 26, based with John Porter at RAF Usworth, near Sunderland. As crowds of shoppers in Spennymoor's High Street and Cheapside craned their necks to watch the spectacle, the planes seemed to momentarily meet. The next second, both planes hurtled down towards Tudhoe Village, Sgt. Porter stayed in his Hawker Hurricane plane until the very last moment in what appears to be a selfless effort to ensure he avoided homes beneath him. When he finally tried to bale out, he was too late to save himself. In a similar, brave effort to avoid a major disaster, Sgt. Scott also stayed with his plane until it was too late. On February 27, 1942 the Group Captain Commanding No. 55 O.T.U. wrote a letter to the wife of Sgt. Scott and described the funeral of her late husband. "Your husband's funeral took place at the Parish Church, Castletown, near Sunderland, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 18th February, 1942, the service being conducted by the Station Padre, Squadron Leader the Reverend Norman Turner, after which his body was interred in the little country churchyard of Castletown. Full service honors were accorded, the coffin being carried by men of his own unit, which also provided a firing party, and the coffin was covered with a Union Jack; the Last Post was sounded at the end. Wreaths were sent from the Officer Commanding, the officers and men, and his Canadian friends, also the staff of the local Y.M.C.A. May I now express the great sympathy which all of us feel with you in the sad loss which you have sustained." Detail provided by David E. Thompson, Stockton-on-Tees, England.RAF Association
1942-02-14 Accident Category A 2022-02-16
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