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Wolch, Theodore Benjamin (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-June-22

Birth Date: 1918-June-23 (age 23)

Son of Frederick and Bessie Wolch, of Toronto.

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
5 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Rank
Sergeant
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
Service Numbers
R/119434
Anson aircraft 8488 was flying in a formation when it was struck by another Anson aircraft. Sgt Wolch was killed when Anson 8488 crashed one quarter mile west of St George, Ontario.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Find-A-Grave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Anson Mk. II 8488
  2. Anson Mk. I / III N9603

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

There were no casulaties listed on Anson Mk. I / III N9603

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.

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

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (4404), RCAF 400 Squadron (6), Canadian Aircraft Losses (257)
last update: 2022-02-22 21:45:24

Anson Mk. II 8488

First assigned to No. 5 Service Flying Training School at Brantford, Ontario.

Category C2 damage at 11:50 on 22 June 1942, 1/4 mile west of St. George, Ontario (10 miles north-north-east of Brantford aerodrome). Struck by Anson N9603 during formation flying. This aircraft recovered without further damage, N9603 crashed and was Category A.

1942-10-20 - Leading Aircraftman George Arthur Boehmer committed flying offences in this Aircraft. He was charged, Court Martialed, and convicted. The Court Martial file can be accessed at this link.

To Central Aircraft at Crumlin, Ontario for overhaul, 18 January to 17 May 1943.

To storage with No. 4 Training Command when completed, issued from storage on 2 June 1943.

To No. 2 Air Command on 1 December 1944. To storage on 12 April 1945.

Pending disposal from 10 July 1945. By 27 November 1945 on the books of Maintenance Command, stored at No. 3 Surplus Equipment Holding Unit at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, where it was noted with 2014:05 logged time, 1159:55 since overhaul.
1941-10-27 Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command 2019-08-20
1942-June-22 Accident: 5 Service Flying Training School Loc: St George Ontario Names: Anderson | Welch
1943-January-08 Accident: 5 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Brooks | Laidlaw | Mcmaster
1946-10-02 Struck off Strength Struck off, to War Assets Corporation for disposal 2019-08-20

Anson Mk. I / III N9603

To No. 1 Training Command on 8 January 1941, for use by No. 31 Air Navigation School, Port Albert, Ontario. Category C21 accident at Feversham, Ontario at 23:30 on 7 April 1941. To de Havilland Canada from 20 August 1941 to 17 January 1942, probably converted to Mk. III during this time. To No. 1 Training Command when completed. Noted at that time as transferred from RAF to JATP. Probably used by No. 5 Service Flying Training School at Brantford, Ontario. Category A crash reported by this School, at 11:50 on 22 June 1942, 1/4 mile west of St. George, Ontario (7 miles north-east of Brantford aerodrome). Mid-air with Anson 8488 while formation flying.
1940-12-04 Taken on Strength Ottawa Car & Aircraft 2019-08-20
1941-April-07 Accident: 31 Air Navigation School Loc: Port Albert Names: Appleton | Downer | Gibson | Oliver
1942-June-22 Accident: 5 Service Flying Training School Loc: St George Ontario Names: Anderson | Welch
1942-09-23 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

5 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (5 Service Flying Training School)

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.

Brantford CYFD

For More Infomaion on RCAF Station Brantford see here

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Brantford Ontario

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Hagersville Ontario

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Burtch Ontario

  • General 5 SFTS Brantford History Blog

    • Wings above the Skyline. The Story of No. 5 SFTS Brantford

  • General 5 SFTS Brantford History - Wings above the skyline

    • 1940-11-11 Primary Location Brantford ON Currently site of Bratnford Airport CYFD
    1940-11-11 Relief Field Hagersville ON Canada Became based for No 16 SFTS. Currently abandoned
    1941-08-08 Relief Field Burtch ON Canada Abandoned returned to agriculture.

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