Bennett, Cyril Herbert (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-October-29

Sergeant Cyril Herbert Bennett RCAF

Birth Date: 1919-December-31

Born: London, England

Parents: G. Frank & Edith Louise (nee Chilvers) Bennett

Spouse:

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia (parents)

Enlistment: Vancouver, British Columbia

Enlistment Date: 1941-May-17

Service

RCAF

Unit

1 GRS- General Reconnaissance School

Base

RCAF Stn. Summerside, PEI

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/101488

Home
Google MapVancouver, British Columbia (parents)
Final Burial
Google MapMountain View Cemetery
Block 5 Plot 5 Lot 3

Took off from Summerside in Anson Mk I on a routine daylight navigation exercise.

During the flight, the aircraft struck a tree and crashed when the pilot was engaged in unauthorized low-level flying.

Killed includes Bennett: Sergeant George Patrick Harris RCAF R/120045 pilot Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, Sec. G7/2201H. Pilot Officer Ronald William Reeves RAF People's Cemetery, Summerside, Plot 244. Sec. 9. Pilot Officer Charles Howard Rudge RAF People's Cemetery, Summerside, Plot 244. Sec 9.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Anson serial: N9688

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

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

Aircraft Images

Anson N9688

Anson Mk. I N9688

Winter conversion kit installed during assembly at MacDonald Brothers. To No. 2 Training Command on 6 August 1941, for use by No. 33 Service Flying Training School at Carberry, Manitoba. To MacDonald Brothers from 6 July to 21 September 1942, probably for overhaul. To Eastern Air Command when completed, delivered there on 1 October 1942. Category A crash at Summerside on 29 October 1942. Assigned to No. 4 Repair Depot at Scoudouc, NB on 2 November 1942 for write off.

1941-04-07 Taken on Strength MacDonald Brothers Aircraft 2019-08-20
1942-January-26 Accident: 7 Air Observer School Loc: Fort Embina North Dakota Names: Fisher | Mallett | McCaw | Walker
1942-July-24 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Nil
1942-August-07 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Kotelmach | Rannie | Todd
1942-October-29 Accident: 1 General Reconnaissance School Loc: Conway Pei Names: Bennett | Harris | Reeves | Rudge
1943-01-12 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

Unit Desciption

1 GRS (1 General Reconnaisance School)

The General Reconnaissance School trained pilots and air observers in the techniques required for ocean patrol. It was the equivalent to an Operational Training Unit (OTU), and last stop before aircrew were assigned to operations. The topics included DR Navigation, Astro Navigation, Compasses and Instruments, Meteorology, Signals, Reconnaissance, Coding, Ship Recognition, Aerial Photography, and Visual Signals.
NO1 GRS Summerside

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Summerside PEI

unvetted Source from%20RCAF%20Station%20Summerside%2C%20PEI.,Wikipedia Page

Project 44 BCATP

unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy