Cooper, Colin Thomas (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-March-23

Male Head

Birth Date: 1919

Born:

Thomas Seymour Cooper & Beatrice Cooper

Home: Southgate, Middlesex, England (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAFVR

Unit

34 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

RCAF Stn. Medicine Hat, Alberta

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Leading Aircraftman

Service Numbers

1395603

Home
Google MapSouthgate, Middlesex, England (parents)
Final Burial
Google MapHillside Cemetery
grave Lot 3 Block 139D Sec C

1943-03-23: Took off in Anson Mk II on a routine training flight.

Force landed due to fumes in the cockpit. The accumulator was changed and they took off again. At 15:10, while engaged in unauthorized low flying over the town of Rose Lynn, the Anson hit the roof of a building, crashed, caught fire and burned out.

Killed includes Cooper: Pilot Officer Andrew William Joseph Grellis RAF pilot instructor KIFA Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Lot 6. Block 139D. Sec. C. LAC Dennis Gerard DeGryse RAF student pilot KIFA Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat Lot 3. Block 139D. Sec. C. LAC Andrew Thomas Kidd RAF student pilot, KIFA Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat Lot 6. Block 139D. Sec. C. LAC Peter David Sim Moodie RAF passenger KIFA died 1943-03-24 Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Lot 6. Block 139D. Sec. C.

link,canadaprimary,https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12355/329,School Daily Diary Entry â€" 1943-03-22

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Anson 8262

Leading Aircraftman Colin Thomas Cooper RAFVR

Leading Aircraftman Cooper, Colin Thomas (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-23
Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Dennis Gerard DeGryse RAFVR

Leading Aircraftman DeGryse, Dennis Gerard (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-23
Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Pilot Officer Andrew William Joseph Grellis RAFVR

Pilot Officer Grellis, Andrew William Joseph (RAFVR)
Pilot
Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-23
Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Andrew Thomas Kidd RAFVR

Leading Aircraftman Kidd, Andrew Thomas (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-23
Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Leading Aircraftman Peter David Sim Moodie RAFVR

Leading Aircraftman Moodie, Peter David Sim (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-March-23
Hillside Cemetery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Anson serial: 8262

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 8262

Anson Mk. II 8262

Delivered to stored reserve. Issued from storage to No. 4 Training Command on 25 June 1942. With No. 34 Service Flying Training School at Medicine Hat, Alberta when it crashed on 23 May 1943. Aircraft had made a precautionary landing due to fumes in the cockpit, then taken off at 15:10 and was low flying over the town of Rose Lynn, Alberta (about 100 miles north-north-east of Medicine Hat) when it struck a building, damaging elevators. Destroyed by post impact fire, 4 fatalities.

1942-04-29 Taken on Strength No. 1 Training Command 2019-08-20
1943-March-23 Accident: 34 Service Flying Training School Loc: Rose Lynn Names: Cooper | Degryse | Grellis | Kidd | Moodie
1943-05-27 Struck off Strength Written off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20

Unit Desciption

34 SFTS (34 Service Flying Training School)

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.

NO34 SFTS Baracks

For More Information on RCAF Station Medicine Hat see here

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Medicine Hat AB

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Holsom AB

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Whitla AB

Museum Bomber Command Museum Of Canada - 34 SFTS

David Carter History Of NO34 SFTS

YouTube YouTube - David Carter - History Of 34 SFTS

Project 44 BCATP

unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy