Birth Date: 1919-October-03
Born: Buffalo New York USA
Parents: Ernest Almon & Eva Coleman
Spouse:
Home: Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA (parents)
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
5 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/104890
Anson aircraft 6835 was being tested prior to a night flying exercise when one wing hit the ground, the aircraft crashed one mile north-west of the aerodrome at Brantford. Crew were killed.
Killed includes Coleman: LAC Glen Dean Faris (Amer.) RCAF R/118365 KIFA @Brantford Ontario Golden Gate National Cemetery Plot: L. Grave: 7776. LAC Jean Paul Planche RCAF R/121318 KIFA @Brantford Ontario Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, Lot 104 Block 7 Sec G.
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
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.
For More Infomaion on RCAF Station Brantford see here
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Brantford Ontario
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Hagersville Ontario
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Burtch Ontario
Wings above the Skyline. The Story of No. 5 SFTS Brantford
Project 44 BCATP
Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA (parents)
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Avro Anson History