Birth Date: 1924-June-25
Born:
Parents: Mrs Bertha Conway (mother), 21 Burrows Street, Bluff, New Zealand
Spouse:
Home: Bluff, New Zealand
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RNZAF
Unit
36 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (RAF)
Base
RCAF Stn. Penhold, Alberta
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Service Numbers
435950
Bluff, New Zealand
Oxford aircraft X-6734 went missing when heavy smoke from nearby forest fires blew in over the aerodrome at Penhold.
The aircraft was not found until 1944-05-10 and was finally located in some bush 2 miles south of the camp.
Flying Officer D Merry and Leading Aircraftman G D Conway were found in the burned out aircraft deceased due to injuries received in the crash. The aircraft was completely burned out.
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 Information on RCAF Station Penhold see here
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Penhold AB
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Innisfail AB
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Blackfalds AB
Harvard Historical Aviation Society
Midland Aircraft Recovery Group - Men Of 36 SFTS
Bomber Command Museum Of Canada - 36 SFTS
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy