13 Elementary Flying Training School, St Eugene, Ontario. Sergeant Blythe was killed when Fleet Finch aircraft 4664 crashed four miles east of Rockcliffe, Ontario, Leading Aircraftman A. Thomson was seriously injured. Prior to the war Sergeant Blythe was in Industrial Public Relations, among his many clients were: Col. Charles Lindbergh and his flight to Paris in 1927; the first flight to America of the Graf Zeppelin and its round the world flight in 1927, and the Byrd Arctic Expedition.
Blythe, Richard Reginald (Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1941-May-02
Birth Date: 1894-February-08
Born: Wapella, Saskatchewan
Parents: George and Margaret Blythe.
Spouse:
Home: Crowell, Texas, USA
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
13 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School
Base
RCAF Stn. St Eugene, Ontario
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/74270
Home
Crowell, Texas, USA
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Unit Desciption
13 EFTS (13 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.
St Eugene EFTS13
More information on RCAF Station St Eugene can be found here
RCAF.info - RCAF Station St Eugene Ontario
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Hawkesbury Ontario
Notable students from 13 ETFS Wing Commander Fred Jones
Vintage Wings - Wing Commander Fred Jones and his connection to the Poem High Flight
Project 44 BCATP
YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy