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Chambers, William Andrew (Sub-Lieutenant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1958-February-05

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date (age unknown)

Service
RCN
Unit
920 Sqn- Squadron (RCN)
Rank
Position
Service Numbers

RCN Avenger 53437 of VC 920 Reserve Sqn crashed approx. 15 feet from a home on the outskirts of Fonthill Ontario, killing the pilot. The house was damaged but no one on the ground was hurt.

Accident Grumman TBM-3E Avenger 53437, 25 May 1958 (aviation-safety.net)

Avenger 53437

Grumman Avenger

Grumman Avenger AS 3
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American-built torpedo bomber flown by the RN during the Second World War. The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. In service with many Allied nations, the Avenger became the most widely-used torpedo bomber of the Second World War. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s.

One of the primary postwar users of the Avenger was the Royal Canadian Navy, which obtained 125 former US Navy TBM-3E Avengers from 1950 to 1952 to replace their venerable Fairey Fireflies. By the time the Avengers were delivered, the RCN was shifting its primary focus to anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and the aircraft was rapidly becoming obsolete as an attack platform. Consequently, 98 of the RCN Avengers were fitted with an extensive number of novel ASW modifications, including radar, electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment, and sonobuoys, and the upper ball turret was replaced with a sloping glass canopy that was better suited for observation duties. The modified Avengers were designated AS 3. A number of these aircraft were later fitted with a large magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) boom on the rear left side of the fuselage and were redesignated AS 3M. However, RCN leaders soon realized the Avenger's shortcomings as an ASW aircraft, and in 1954 they elected to replace the AS 3 with the Grumman S-2 Tracker, which offered longer range, greater load-carrying capacity for electronics and armament, and a second engine, a great safety benefit when flying long-range ASW patrols over frigid North Atlantic waters. As delivery of the new license-built CS2F Trackers began in 1957, the Avengers were shifted to training duties, and were officially retired in July 1960. Wikipedia

RCN aircraft were identified in squadron service by a side number, painted on the nose of the aircraft. That number indicated the squadron, and the aircraft number in that squadron. These numbers are shown as "coded" (if known); later the last three digits of the aircraft serial number were used, shown as NAVY+L3.

Avenger serials from US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos--Third Series (50360 to 99860)joebaugher.com, and updated from - Martin "“ RCN Aircraft Finish & Markings 1944-1968.

General TBM-3E Avenger RCN

General FPL Avengers

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Avenger

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page - Avenger RN

YouTube Grumman TBF Avenger

last update: 2023-03-24 18:26:02

Avenger AS 3 Mk 1/Early 53437

Ex USN, retained BuNo. With No. 880 Squadron, coded VG-BD*B". VU 32 & VT 40 coded "319". VT 40 coded "805", also VC920. Fatal crash Fonthill ON May 25,1958.

1950-10-27 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1958-05-25 Accident Crash Fonthill ON CA 2022-03-29
1958-09-19 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07

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