Bruce, William Irvin (Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1944-August-07
Birth Date: 1923-November-14
Born: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Parents: Son of William Nichol and Cora E. Bruce of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Spouse: Husband of Helen Dorothy Bruce and father of Heather Jean of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sgt Bruce was employed as a civilian training instructor
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Enlistment: Winnipeg
Enlistment Date: 1942-August-19
Service
RCAF
Unit
1 AOS- Air Observer School
Base
RCAF Stn. Malton, Ontario
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/186736
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Accident Card - Avro Anson Mk. I / IV serial:W1729
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1944-August-07. Anson IV s/n W1729.
This accident involved 2 people. Bruce WI, Mchardy M
This accident had 2 fatalities. Sergeant William Irvin Bruce RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/186736 Anson W1729, Sergeant Malcolm McHardy RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/86572 Anson W1729
Mission
Anson Mk. I / IV W1729
BCATP Training 1944-August-07 to 1944-August-07
1 () AOS (RCAF) Malton, Ontario, Canada
Anson aircraft engaged in mutual instrument practise when it crashed two miles north of Markham, Ontario. Both airmen were killed in the crash.
In 1944 Lee Williamson was 10 years old and was staying at his grandparents farm just north of Markham in Mount Joy. 
farm is now the cite of The Markham Museum.
He and another boy (Harold was his name) were playing in the hay mow at Harold's farm on the south side of the highway. They heard a mighty roar and then an explosion. They looked out and saw a yellow plane doing a loop in the sky and then saw it cross the road and disappear. They ran to the site of the crash and saw a lady hanging out her laundry. She had covered the bodies with sheets and Lee remembers seeing a hand sticking out. They were told to go home. Jean Williamson, wife of Robert Lee Williamson (goes by Lee).
Unit Desciption
1 AOS (1 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.
No. 1 Air Observer School. Dominion Skyways (Training) Ltd. Malton, Ontario.
The School was established at Malton, Ontario. The former school is now the Toronto (Pearson) International Airport.
More information on the RCAF Station at Malton can be found at
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Malton Ontario
Wartime Canada - Wings presentation December 1943
YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of DemocracyAnson W1729 Mk. I / IV - BCATP Training - 1944-08-07 to 1944-08-07
Squadron: 1 AOS (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-08-07
Completion Date: 1944-08-07
Mission: BCATP Training
Operation: unspecified
Target City:
Target Specific:
Base: Malton, Ontario, Canada
Take Off Time: 00:00:00
Squadron Code:
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
Anson aircraft engaged in mutual instrument practise when it crashed two miles north of Markham, Ontario. Both airmen were killed in the crash.
In 1944 Lee Williamson was 10 years old and was staying at his grandparents farm just north of Markham in Mount Joy. farm is now the cite of The Markham Museum.
He and another boy (Harold was his name) were playing in the hay mow at Harold's farm on the south side of the highway. They heard a mighty roar and then an explosion. They looked out and saw a yellow plane doing a loop in the sky and then saw it cross the road and disappear. They ran to the site of the crash and saw a lady hanging out her laundry. She had covered the bodies with sheets and Lee remembers seeing a hand sticking out. They were told to go home. Jean Williamson, wife of Robert Lee Williamson (goes by Lee).