Charbonneau, Regis Fernand (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1945-April-16

Leading Aircraftman Regis Fernand Charbonneau RCAF

Birth Date: 1926

Born:

Parents: Emile & Irena Charbonneau, of St. Augustin des deux Montagnes, Quebec

Spouse:

Home: Deux Montagnes, Quebec

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light

Base

RAF East Moor

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

armourer

Service Numbers

R/268734

Home
Google MapDeux Montagnes, Quebec
Target
Google MapAir test
Final Burial
Google MapStonefall Cemetery
Sec H Row J Grave 14

Attempting to take off from Eastmoor on a pre-mission test flight, Pilot Porritt discover the controls were locked as the aircraft left the ground. It crashed through the Picket Post building at the end of the runway, burst into flames and careened into the trees.

LACs Bedard and Charbonneau were relaxing on the roof of the building and were killed when the aircraft crashed through it. Pollitt was also killed in the crash. The balance of the air crew escaped with various degrees of burns and injuries immediately after the crash.

Killed: LAC Joseph Donat Marcel Bedard RCAF R/177118 ground crew KIFA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. H. Row J. Grave 13. LAC Regis Fernand Charbonneau RCAF R/268734 ground crew KIFA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. H. Row J. Grave 14. Flying Officer William Howard Porritt RCAF J/86081 pilot KIFA Stonefall Cemetery Harrogate Sec. H. Row J. Grave 15.

Halifax crew: Flight Sergeant Kenneth McEwan Davidson RCAF R/288750, F/Eng, injured. Flying Officer John Henry Burns RCAF J/43596 Nav., injured. Sergeant Edward Cohen RCAF R/183422 Wireless Air Gunner, injured. Flying Officer William Murray Reid RCAF J/40936 Bomber, Injured. Flying Officer Leonard Raymond Jorgenson AG, injured. Flying Officer James Percy Grey AG, injured.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax NP805

Leading Aircraftman Joseph Donat Marcel Bedard RCAF

Leading Aircraftman Bedard, Joseph Donat Marcel (RCAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1945-April-16
Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Leading Aircraftman Regis Fernand Charbonneau RCAF

Leading Aircraftman Charbonneau, Regis Fernand (RCAF)
armourer
Killed in Flying Accident
1945-April-16
Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Flying Officer William Howard Porritt RCAF

Flying Officer Porritt, William Howard (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1945-April-16
Stonefall Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, UK

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.VII NP805

Operational 1945-April-16 to 1945-April-16

(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor

Halifax aircraft NP 805 crashed on take-off killing the pilot and two members of the ground crew. The survivors were Flying Officer L. Jorgenson of Morris, Manitoba, FSs. J. Gray of Winnipeg, Manitoba, S. Reid, T. Cohen, from Nova Scotia, K. Davidson from Ontario, and Pilot Officer J. Burns of Westmount, Quebec.

Len Jorgenson provided the following account "The Halifax was taking off from RCAF Station, Eastmoor, at noon, for a cross-country flight prior to operations that night and had a full gas load of 1400 gallons but no bombs. At the end of the runway there was a low semi-flat roofed building (a Picket Post) where LACs R.F. Charbonneau and J.D. Beddard were sun bathing in the spring sunshine and watching the take-offs The aircraft was barely airborne when the pilot yelled that the rudders and controls were locked and to prepare for a crash. The under carriage hit the building killing the two LACs, the Halifax crashed through the trees and burst into flame. Flying Officer Porritt was killed but the rest of got out safely except for Davidson who spent two years in hospital.

p> I think a few of us have nightmares over that one. I also wonder why the controls were frozen. Most controls on the a/c had V shaped pieces of wood with red flags inserted to prevent the control surfaces from flapping in the wind. Did we forget to take out these inserts, or were the red flags taken off by someone? We know this happened before for some reason, some thought it was sabotage - or someone didn't like the aircrew." FS Davidson, the flight engineer, was thrown to the front of the aircraft in the crash. Thru the flames he saw the pilot was buckled up and either unconscious or dead. Davidson tried to pull him out but he was stuck and the flames were burning him severely.

Unit Desciption

432 (B) Sqn Saeviter Ad Lucem ("Leaside")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington X, Lancaster II, Halifax III, VII)

The Squadron was the twelfth RCAF bomber squadron to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed on May 1, 1943 at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command: indeed, it was the first bomber squadron to be formed directly into No 6 Group. Using the squadron identification letters QO it flew Vickers Wellington Mk X medium bombers until it moved to East Moor, Yorkshire on 19th September 1943, when it re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk II aircraft. East Moor was part of No 62 (RCAF) Base. The squadron re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk III aircraft in February 1944, and with Halifax Mk VII in July of that year, and continued with them until the squadron was disbanded at East Moor on May 15, 1945.

In the course of operations the squadron flew 246 missions, involving 3130 individual sorties, for the loss of 73 aircraft. 8980 tons of bombs were dropped. Awards to squadron members included 2 DSOs, 119 DFCs,1 Bar to DFC, 1 CGM, 20 DFMs and 1 Croix de Guerre (France). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 432 Squadron 1943-45

MAP 1: 432 Squadron Bases 1943-45 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

432 Squadron History Summary 1943-45

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Canuck)

The squadron was re-formed at Bagotville, Quebec as an All-Weather Fighter unit on 1 October 1954. The squadron flew Avro CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American Air Defence until it was disbanded on 15 October 1961.