Valparaiso, Illinois, USA
9 SFTS, Centralia, Ontario, Anson II 7573 flew into the ground on a night solo flight. Local farmers Murray Dixon and John Hotson pulled the pilot from the burning aircraft, but LAC(P) JJ Birky (RCAF)(USA) died of his injuries in the Station hospital. Dixon and Hotson were awarded the BEM for trying to save Leading Aircraftman Birky (http://rcafcentralia.blogspot.ca).
Birky, John Jacob (Leading Aircraftman)
Killed in Flying Accident 1942-October-01
Birth Date: 1916-August-17
Born:
Parents: Son of Jacob G. and Emma Birky, of Valparaiso. Lot 149. Prospect
Spouse:
Home: Valparaiso, Illinois, USA
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
9 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
RCAF Stn. Centralia, Ontario
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Pilot trainee
Service Numbers
R/145017
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comAnson serial: 7573
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.
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
Avro Anson HistoryUnit Desciption
9 SFTS (9 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.
Graduation Class Centralia
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Summerside PEI
403 Squadron Blog - 9 STFS Summerside
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Mount Pleasant PEI
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Wellington PEI
6 July 1942 School moved to Centralia, Ontario
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Centralia Ontario
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Grand Bend Ontario
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field St Joseph Ontario
June 1945 - School was disbanded