Sergeant Burkholder, Cpl. H.F. McGuire, and FS D.H. Patenall were killed when they were air testing Cessna Crane aircraft 7884. The aircraft crashed six miles north-west of Brandon.
Burkholder, Gordon Wesley (Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1942-April-30
Birth Date: 1899
Born:
Parents: Son of the Rev. Isaac and Ida Burkholder of Didsbury, Alberta.
Spouse: Husband of Maude Burkholder of Belleville.
Home: Didsbury, Alberta
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
12 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
RCAF Stn. Brandon, Manitoba
Rank
Sergeant
Position
aero engine mechanic
Service Numbers
R/53284
Home
Didsbury, Alberta
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Crane 7884
Accident Card - Cessna Crane Mk. I serial:7884
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1942-April-30. Cessna Crane s/n 7884.
This accident involved 3 people. Burkholder GW, Mcguire HF, Patenall DH
This accident had 3 fatalities. Flight Sergeant Donald Heric Patenall RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/60510 Crane 7884, Sergeant Gordon Wesley Burkholder RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/53284 Crane 7884, Corporal Henry Francis McGuire RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/80680 Crane 7884
Unit Desciption
12 SFTS (12 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.
Cessna Crane
For More information on RCAF Station Brandon see here
RCAF.info - Station Brandon MB
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Chater MB
12 SFTS Brandon MB History
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