Wiens, Russell Henry

Killed in Flying Accident 1941-05-21

Birth Date: 1918

Born:

Son of Henry and Mary Wiens, of Jansen, Saskatchewan.

Home: Jansen, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAF

Unit

31 ANS- Air Navigation School

Base

Port Albert, Ontario, Canada

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Flying Officer

Service Numbers

42168

Home
Google MapJansen, Saskatchewan
First Burial
Google MapJansen Cemetery, Jansen, Saskatchewan
31 Air Navigation School, Port Albert, Ontario. Anson aircraft N 9893 caught fire when the Very pistol went off in the aircraft. Flying Officer Wiens maintained control of the aircraft long enough for the three RAF/RAFVR crew members to bail out. Flying Officer Wiens was killed attempting to land the aircraft in a small field two miles from Listowel, Ontario. Flying Officer Wiens had been wounded in the Battle of France and flew Hurricane aircraft with 242 Squadron in the Battle of Britain.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Anson Mk. I Serial: N9893

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

Findagrave.com

Anson N9893

Flying Officer Wiens, Russell Henry (RAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1941-May-21
Jansen Cemetery, Jansen, Saskatchewan, Canada

Avro Anson

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.
Avro_Anson_675_m.jpg image not found

The Avro Anson was known by a number of nicknames including "Faithful Annie" or "Flying Greenhouse". It was the first aircraft to be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force to have a retractable undercarriage, which was a comparative novelty in 1936. In 1940, a Canadian government owned company, Federal Aircraft Limited, was created in Montreal to manufacture the Anson for Canadian use. Nearly 3,000 Anson aircraft were produced and, in the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was the standard trainer for many pilots, observers (navigators), wireless operators and bomb aimers. More than 20,000 aircrew received training on the Anson. In Canadian service, the aircraft was substantially re-designed with the substitution of North American engines and many other airframe and equipment changes.Harold Skaarup web pages

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

Anson N9893

Anson Mk. I N9893

To No. 1 Training Command on 17 January 1941, for use by No. 31 Air Navigation School, Port Albert, Ontario. Category "C2 1/2" damage at Port Albert at 11:45 on 4 March 1941. Category A damage near Listowel, Ontario at 11:20 on 21 May 1941, after aircraft caught fire in flight. Crew attempted to fire a flare in flight, but this misfired. During examination of the gun, the flare dropped into the cabin and ignited. 3 RAF/RAFVR crew bailed out safely. The pilot, Flying Officer R.H Weins, a Canadian veteran of the Battle of Britain, was killed attempting a forced landing in a field. The aircraft had 104:30 logged time when struck off.

1941-01-03 Taken on Strength Ottawa Car & Aircraft 2019-08-20
1941-March-04 Accident: 31 Air Navigation School Loc: Port Albert Ontario Names: Bell | Bromley | Buller | Small
1941-May-21 Accident: 31 Air Navigation School Loc: Listowel Names: Hickson | Howlet | McClelland | Wiens
1941-08-16 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20