Compton, Adam Lester (Civilian)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-July-02

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

Unit

5 AOS- Air Observer School

Base

RCAF Stn. Winnipeg, Manitoba

Rank

Civilian

Position

pilot

Service Numbers

Took off on a scheduled night navigation exercise from Winnipeg.

After 23:10 nothing was heard from the aircraft. Crash site was discovered 1942-07-03 seven miles north east of Marchand, Manitoba.

The aircraft had crashed at high speed into trees and marsh and was destroyed, with wreckage spread over a 100 yard area. Civilian pilot and two RAAF student navigators.

www.findagrave.com

Anson serial: 6215

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.

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

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

Aircraft Images

Anson 6215

Anson Mk. I 6215

Ex RAF W1640. To No. 2 Training Command on 14 January 1941, for use by No. 5 Air Observer School at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. To MacDonald Brothers for winterization in March 1941, at a cost of $528.79. Back to No. 5 AOS when completed. Category A crash at 23:30 on 1 July 1942, near Marchand, Manitoba (today part of Langruth), about 30 miles north-north-west of Portage. Struck trees at high speed, wreckage and tree damage spread over 100 yard area. All 3 crew killed, including civilian staff pilot A.L. Compton.

1940-12-04 Taken on Strength MacDonald Brothers Aircraft 2019-08-20
1942-July-02 Accident: 5 Air Observer School Loc: Marchand Manitoba Names: Compton | Everist | Jarvis
1942-08-10 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

Unit Desciption

5 AOS (5 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.
Course 48 NO5 AOS

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Winnipeg Manitoba

unvetted Source Manitoba Historical Society - 5 AOS

unvetted Source 5 AOS Course 83

Project 44 BCATP

unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy