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White, John Edward (Petty Officer 1st Class)

Killed in Flying Accident 1954-May-06

Birth Date: 1922-December-09 (age 31)

Born: Dunnville, Ontario

Son of Wilfred and Gertrude (nee Bowden) White of Dunnville, Ontario.

Husband of Joy Mary Josephine (nee Mitchell) White and father of Janet L., Linda G. and John M. White of Summerside, Prince Edward

Home: Dunnville, Ontario

Service
RCN
Unit
(RCN)
Base
HMCS SHEARWATER
Rank
Position
Service Numbers
N15774
Grumman TBM 3e Avenger 85823 from VS 880 Squadron en route from Kindley AFB Bermuda to RCAF Station Summerside PEI with 4 occupants (Holden, Jones, McLeod and White) on board and in a flight of thee other squadron aircraft was lost. Accident Grumman TBM-3E Avenger 85823, 06 May 1954 (aviation-safety.net) Sailors Memorial Pt Pleasant

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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Avenger 85823

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 85823

Ex USN, retained USN serial number. in RCN. Operated by 826 &881 Squadrons as VG-ABM. Converted to AS 3 Mk 1 1951/52. With VS 880 coded "340" on return from Bermuda dropped out of formation 75 miles south of Yarmouth NS May 6, 1954. 4 fatal.

1950-07-21 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1954-03-10 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07
1954-05-06 Crashed 2022-04-02

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