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Zurbrigg, Richard Mahlon D'Arcy (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-September-04

Birth Date: 1920-June-02 (age 23)

Born: New Hamburg, Ontario

Son of Jacob Mahlon Zurbrigg, and Sarah Matilda Zurbrigg of London; husband of Betty Marion Zurbrigg, of London.

Husband of Betty Marion Zurbrigg, of London.

Home: London, Ontario

Enlistment: London, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1941-07-17

Service
RCAF
Unit
10 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School
Base
Pendleton, Ontario, Canada
Rank
Flying Officer
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
J/12641
LAC J.D. McPherson and Flying Officer R.M. Zurbrigg were both killed when Tiger Moth aircraft 4381 hit a high tension wire and crashed into the Nations River one mile north of Riceville, Ontario at approximately 1050 hours.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry "“ 1943-09-04

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

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

Home
Google MapLondon, Ontario
Burial
Google MapMount Pleasant Cemetery
Plot 30 Sec X

Moth, Tiger 4381

Leading Aircraftman McPherson, James Dixon (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-04
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Flying Officer Zurbrigg, Richard Mahlon D'Arcy (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-September-04
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London, Ontario, Canada

de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth

Source: Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (serial # RCAF 8922), credit Rick Radell

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab-initio training, the Second World War saw RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers.

The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was succeeded and replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently entered into civil operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military and civil applications, and it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in several countries. It is still occasionally used as a primary training aircraft, particularly for those pilots wanting to gain experience before moving on to other tailwheel aircraft.

Overseas manufacturing of the type commenced in 1937, the first such overseas builder being de Havilland Canada at its facility in Downsview, Ontario. In addition to an initial batch of 25 Tiger Moths that were built for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the Canadian firm began building fuselages which were exported to the UK for completion. Canadian-built Tiger Moths featured modifications to better suit the local climate, along with a reinforced tail wheel, hand-operated brakes (built by Bendix Corporation), shorter undercarriage radius rods and the legs of the main landing gear legs being raked forwards as a safeguard against tipping forwards during braking. In addition the cockpit had a large sliding canopy fitted along with exhaust-based heating; various alternative undercarriage arrangements were also offered. By the end of Canadian production, de Havilland Canada had manufactured a total of 1,548 of all versions. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia de Havilland Tiger Moth

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube YouTube de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth

last update: 2022-08-24 12:34:41

Moth, Tiger I 4381

Delivered to storage, issued to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School at Malton, Ontario on 25 February 1941. To No. 3 Training Command on 25 August 1942. To de Havilland Canada for overhaul, 4 November 1942 to 27 January 1943. To stored reserve with No. 3 TC when completed, issued from storage on 12 February 1943 to No. 10EFTS. To No. 9 Repair Depot on 21 September 1943 for salvage.

1941-02-13 Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command 2019-08-20
1943-April-16 Accident: 10 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Middleton
1943-September-04 Accident: 10 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Riceville Names: Mcpherson | Zurbrigg
1944-04-01 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

10 EFTS (10 Elementary Flying Training School)

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

Mount Hope Airport
Information on RCAF Station Mount Hope can be found here

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Mount Hope (Hamilton) Ontario

On 31 August 1942 moved to Pendleton Ontario

Information on RCAF Station Pendleton can be found here.

RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Pendleton Ontario

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