Birth Date: 1916-April-23
Born: Ramsay, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
Parents: Thomas Edgar & Bessie May (nee McNabb) Cavers
Spouse:
Home: Almonte, Ontario
Enlistment: Vancouver, British Columbia
Enlistment Date: 1941-March-14
Service
RCAF
Unit
113 (BR) Sqn- Squadron
Base
RCAF Station Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Rank
Warrant Officer 2
Position
Air Gunner (Dorsal)
Service Numbers
R/97637
Almonte, Ontario
Hudson BW-620 was taking off for an operational patrol when it crashed, caught fire and exploded at the aerodrome at Yarmouth, NS.
Killer: Aircraft crew Flight Sergeant Alexander John Baillie RCAF KIA Warrant Officer Class 2 Robert Franklin Cavers RCAF KIA Warrant Officer Class 2 Mervin Elwood Tarrant RCAF KIA Flying Officer Charles Leroy Tripp RCAF KIA. Ground crew killed in attempted rescue- LAC Lloyd Edward Briggs RCAF KIA AC1 Frank Hallek RCAF KIA.
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-March-23. Hudson III s/n BW620.
This accident involved 9 people. Tripp CL, Briggs LE, Tarrant ME, Ryan WG, Russel J, Cavers RF, Hallek F, Baillie AJ, MacDonald LA
This accident had 6 fatalities. Warrant Officer 2 Mervin Elwood Tarrant RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/97649 Hudson BW620, Aircraftman 1 Frank Hallek RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/177737 Hudson BW620, Leading Aircraftman Lloyd Edward Briggs RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/73073 Hudson BW620, Flight Sergeant Alexander John Baillie RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/124717 Hudson BW620, Flying Officer Charles Leroy Tripp RCAF Killed in Action service no:J/8321 Hudson BW620, Warrant Officer 2 Robert Franklin Cavers RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/97637 Hudson BW620
113 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron RCAF, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Hudson III aircraft BW 620 was taking off for an operational patrol when it crashed, caught fire and exploded at the aerodrome at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Aircrew, Warrant Officer Class 2 Mervin Elwood Tarrant (RCAF), Flying Officer Charles LeroyTripp (RCAF),Warrant Officer Robert Franklin Cavers (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Alexander John Baillie (RCAF) and two of the five ground crew that tried to rescue the aircrew, Leading Aircraftman Lloyd Edward Briggs (RCAF) and Aircraftman Class 1 Frank Hallek (RCAF) were all killed in action when the depth charges aboard the aircraft suddenly exploded
The other ground crew, Aircraftman Class 1 William Gordon Ryan (RCAF), Corporal Leo Alexander MacDonald (RCAF) suffered moderate/serious injuries and Leading Aircraftman James Russell (RCAF) less severe injury but all three survived
The accident investigation found that the aircraft may not have been properly trimmed for take-off with a heavy load and that in future, all crash crews have more advanced training
Quietus Last Flight, Accident Proneness in WWII, Wartime Aviation Stories on the Canadian Home front by Anne Gafiuk
Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III in Yarmouth: 6 killed I Bureau of...
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons. National Air Force Museum of Canada.
113 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron RCAF, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Hudson III aircraft BW 620 was taking off for an operational patrol when it crashed, caught fire and exploded at the aerodrome at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Aircrew, Warrant Officer Class 2 Mervin Elwood Tarrant (RCAF), Flying Officer Charles LeroyTripp (RCAF),Warrant Officer Robert Franklin Cavers (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Alexander John Baillie (RCAF) and two of the five ground crew that tried to rescue the aircrew, Leading Aircraftman Lloyd Edward Briggs (RCAF) and Aircraftman Class 1 Frank Hallek (RCAF) were all killed in action when the depth charges aboard the aircraft suddenly exploded
The other ground crew, Aircraftman Class 1 William Gordon Ryan (RCAF), Corporal Leo Alexander MacDonald (RCAF) suffered moderate/serious injuries and Leading Aircraftman James Russell (RCAF) less severe injury but all three survived
The accident investigation found that the aircraft may not have been properly trimmed for take-off with a heavy load and that in future, all crash crews have more advanced training
Quietus Last Flight, Accident Proneness in WWII, Wartime Aviation Stories on the Canadian Home front by Anne Gafiuk
Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III in Yarmouth: 6 killed I Bureau of...
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Hudson
Wikipedia Hudson
Hudon - Kestrel Publications