Theodore, Saskatchewan
4 Air Observer School, London, Ontario. Anson - 7064 crashed.
Brown, William John (Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1943-May-14
Birth Date: 1922-May-04
Born:
Parents: Son of William Clyde Brown and Annie Elizabeth Brown, of Theodore.
Spouse:
Home: Theodore, Saskatchewan
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
4 AOS- Air Observer School
Base
RCAF Stn. London, Ontario
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Wireless Air Gunner
Service Numbers
R/132466
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comCrew or Other Personnel
Anson 7064
Anson serial: 7064
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
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Avro Anson HistoryAircraft Images
Anson 7064
Anson Mk. I 7064
Ex RAF AN834. Delivered to stored reserve. To de Havilland Canada on 6 April 1942, probably for erection. Assigned to No. 1 Training Command on 16 November 1942, delivered on 5 January 1943. To No. 6 Repair Depot on 29 July 1943 for scrapping.1941-10-23 Taken on Strength No. 12 Technical Detachment 2019-08-20
1943-May-14 Accident: 4 Air Observer School Loc: Lake Erie Names: Bailey | Brown | Curtis | Nelson | Spooner
1943-10-20 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20
Unit Desciption
4 AOS (4 Air Observer School)
Air Observers were later called "navigators". For recruits in this stream, the training path after ITS was 8 weeks at an Air Observer School (AOS), 1 month at a Bombing & Gunnery School, and finally 1 month at a Navigation School. The Air Observer schools were operated by civilians under contract to the RCAF. For example, Nos. 7, 8, and 9 were run by CP Airlines. However, the instructors were RCAF. The basic navigation techniques throughout the war years were dead reckoning and visual pilotage, and the tools were the aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor, and Dalton Navigational Computer. They trained in the Avro Anson.
NO4 AOS London 1942
The School was established at London, Ontario. The former school is now the London, Ontario International Airport.
More information on the RCAF Station at London can be found at
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station London ON