Whitehead, John William

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-08-18

Birth Date: 1915-May-01

Born:

John Whitehead was the son of John Frederick and Betsy McPherson Whitehead of Kaeo, Auckland, New Zealand.

Home: Kaeo, Aukland, New Zealand

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RNZAF

Unit

1 BGS- Bombing & Gunnery School

Base

Jarvis, Ontario, Canada

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Sergeant

Service Numbers

411594

Anson aircraft 8207 was engaged on a low-level bombing exercise near target B3 at Evans Point, Lake Erie and had completed the exercise when it collided with Fairey Battle aircraft 1604 which had just completed a gunnery exercise. The collision occurred at about 2,500 feet and both aircraft went into a spin, the Fairey Battle crashed into the lake in about ten feet of water and the Anson crashed on shore and burned. Both aircraft were completely demolished, Leading Aircraftman W.M. Kirkby, Leading Aircraftman A.C. Reed, and Sergeant J.W. Whitehead (RNZAF) were killed in the Fairey Battle. Flying Officer Poole, Leading Aircraftman J.A. Lefurgey, and Leading Aircraftman G.C. Burke were killed in the Anson.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Battle Mk. I / IT Serial: 1604
  2. Anson Mk. II Serial: 8207

All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.

Fairey Battle

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3199067)
Fairey Battle, RCAF (Serial No. 1639), wearing target towing stripes, used in bombing and gunnery training, July 1941.
Fairey-Battle-used-in-bombing-and-gunnery-training--July-1941--MIKAN-No--3199067.jpg image not found

The Fairey Battle is a British designed single engine light bomber, used as a trainer in the RCAF. The Battle was powered by the same high-performance Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that powered various contemporary British fighters including the Spitfire. It was, however significantly heavier, with its three-man crew and bomb load. Although it was a great improvement over the aircraft that preceded it, the Battle was relatively slow and limited in range. It was only armed with two .303 in machine guns facing the rear, and was found to be highly vulnerable to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire.

The Fairey Battle participated in direct combat missions during early stages of the Second World War and earned the distinction of attaining the first aerial victory of an RAF aircraft in the war. In May 1940 the Battle suffered heavy losses, frequently in excess of 50 percent of aircraft sortied per mission. By the end of 1940 the type had been entirely withdrawn from active combat service, and was relegated to training units overseas, with many serving in Canada.

The RCAF received its first batch of eight Battles in August 1939, at RCAF Station Borden, Ontario. A total of 802 Battles were eventually delivered from England, serving in various roles and configurations, including dual-control trainers, target-tugs, and gunnery trainers for the Bombing and Gunnery schools of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Canadian use of the Battle declined as more advanced aircraft, such as the Bristol Bolingbroke and the North American Harvard were introduced. Battles remained in RCAF service until shortly after the end of the war hostilities in 1945. No. 111, 115 and No. 122 Squadrons of the RCAF flew Battles.

Fairey Battles were not manufactured in Canada, but they were assembled, serviced and modified here, including the installation of turrets at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Montreal.Harold Skaarup web page with revisions

Wikipedia Wikipedia Fairey Battle Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrel Publications Fairey Battle - Kestrel Publications

1 BGS (1 Bomb and Gunnery School)

The Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS) offered instruction in the techniques of bomb aiming and aerial machine gunnery to Air Observers, Bomb Aimers, and Wireless Air Gunners. These schools required large areas to accommodate their bombing and gunnery ranges, and were often located near water. The Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke, and Westland Lysander were the standard aircraft used at B&GS schools.

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - RCAF Station Jarvis Ontario

General RCAF Jarvis Blog

RCAF Foundation Station Jarvis

General RCAF Station Jarvis

Wikipedia RCAF Station Jarvis History

General RCAF Station Jarvis History

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy


Battle 1604

Battle Mk. I / IT 1604

Ex RAF N2158. TOS 24 Feb 1940 at Trenton. To No. 1 Training Command, for AAS. Collided with #1814 3 m W of Fisherville, ON, 9 Dec 1941; landed safely. Collided with Anson 8207 of the same School over the range near Evans Point, on the Lake Erie shore, at 17:00 on 18 August 1942. This aircraft spun into the lake. Sergeant J.W. Whitehead, LACs AC. Reed and W.M. Kirkby were all killed. SOS 27 Oct 1942. Cat A write-off.

1940-02-24 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1941-December-09 Accident: 1 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: Fisherville Ontario Names: Agnew | Barber | Bounds | Gould | Gray | Mitchell
1942-August-18 Accident: 1 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Burke | Kirkby | Lefurgey | Poole | Reed | Whitehead
1942-10-27 Struck off Strength Struck off, after Category A crash on 18 August 1942. 2019-08-20

Anson 8207

Anson Mk. II 8207

Delivered to stored reserve, issued from storage on 4 May 1942. First assigned to No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School at Jarvis, Ontario. Still with this School when it crashed on lake shore near Evans Point on Lake Erie at about 17:00 on 18 August 1942, after a mid air collision with Battle 1604 from the same School. Burned after crash, pilot Flying Officer M. Goole and two students killed. To No. 6 Repair Depot for write off.

1942-04-15 Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command 2019-08-20
1942-August-18 Accident: 1 Bomb & Gunnery School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Burke | Kirkby | Lefurgey | Poole | Reed | Whitehead
1942-10-29 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20