Crawford, Thomas James Larmour
Killed in Action 1941-07-26
Birth Date: 1908-May-30
Born:
Hugh & Bella Crawford
Home: Toronto, Ontario (parents)
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
10 (BR) Sqn- Squadron
Base
RAF Gander, Nfld.
Rank
Corporal
Position
Corporal
Service Numbers
R/65841
First Burial
Gander Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland
10 North Atlantic Squadron, Gander, Newfoundland.
Took off from Gander on escort duty of convoy WH140 Eastbound.
Recalled when the weather closed in, arrived at Gander after dark, ceiling was 300 feet and dropping. A wing struck the ground while maneuvering for fourth attempt at landing, shortly after midnight and the aircraft crashed with no survivors.
Killed:F/Lt M E Tomsett, RCAF pilot C/1069 KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland - Plot 3 Row 2 Grave 11Pilot Officer W H Mather, RCAF 2nd pilot J/3479 KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland - Plot 3 Row 2 Grave 11Pilot Officer A G Pratt, RCAF R/# KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, - Plot 3 Row 2 Grave 9Sergeant M S Hunt, RCAF R60720 KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland - Plot 3 Row 3 Grave 17Sergeant R L MacDavid, RCAF R73032 KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland - Plot 3 Row 3 Grave 18AC1 T J E Crawford, RCAF R65641 KIFA CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, - Plot 3 Row 3 Grave 16.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comThis incident involved multiple aircraft:
- Digby Mk. I Serial: 742
All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.
Digby 742
Douglas Digby
Douglas Digby Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. 740), coded R, No. 10 (Bomber) Squadron, RCAF.
The RCAF acquired 20 Douglas Digby Mk. I in 1940. These were American twin engine B-18A Bolo bombers which served during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Digby, named after the RAF school of bombing at RAF Digby, was based on the Douglas DC-2 airframe. The RCAF Digbys were immediately issued to No. 10 Squadron to replace the squadron's Westland Wapitis, to carry out anit-submarine patrol duties. RCAF Eastern Air Command (EAC) Digbys carried out 11 attacks on U-boats. U-520 was confirmed sunk by Flying Officer F. Raymes' crew of No. 10 (BR) Squadron, on 30 October 1942, east of Newfoundland. The Digby antisubmarine role was relatively short-lived, and they were superseded in this role in 1943 by Consolidated B-24 Liberators, which had a much heavier payload and a substantially longer range which finally closed the mid-Atlantic gap.Harold Skaarup web page
Digby bomber
Wikipedia,Digby bomber 
Harold A Skaarup Web Page 10 (BR) Sqn ()
Battle honours
The Second World War
NORTH-WEST ATLANTIC, 1940-1945.
Lineage
Authorized as ‘No.10 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron’ 1 April 1938.Footnote1
Redesignated 'No.10 (Bomber) Squadron' 28 August 1939.Footnote2
Redesignated 'No.10 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron' 1 September 1939.Footnote3
Disbanded 13 August 1945.Footnote4
Notes:
No lineal connection with '10 Experimental Squadron', of 1967-70. See 10 Experimental Squadron.
Operational history
The Second World War
The squadron flew on anti-submarine operations on the Atlantic Coast under 'Eastern Air Command'.Footnote5
Footnotes
Footnote 1
GO 48/38. Authorized but not formed (AFGO 19/39)
Footnote 2
AFGO 41/39
Footnote 3
AFGO 57/39\
Footnote 4
Secret Organization Order 279, 4 August 1945, file S.17-10-1 (DOE), Kardex 181.009 (D5432)
Footnote 5
AFGO 25/40; Statement and Organization Charts for the Home and Overseas War and BCATP Organization, 15 April 1942, file S.8202, Kardex 181.002 (D421); Memorandum, Notes for CAS, Appendix A, 12 September 1939, Document Collection 77/543
Government of CanadaDigby 742
Digby Mk. I 742
To RCAF Station Trenton on 17 May 1940. With No. 10 (BR) Squadron, Eastern Air Command, from 17 June 1940. Operated from Gander, Newfoundland by A Flight. Category A crash at 00:40 on 26 July 1941. Had left Gander on escort of convoy WH140. Recalled when weather closed in, arrived at Gander after dark, ceiling was 300 feet and dropping. Wing struck the ground while maneuvering for fourth attempt at landing, shortly after midnight. Crew of 6 all killed, and were the first RCAF casualties to be buried in Newfoundland.1939-12-30 Taken on Strength No. 1 (E) Depot 2019-08-20
1941-July-26 Accident: 10 Squadron Loc: Rcaf Stnorth Newfoundland Names: Crawford | Hunt | Mather | Mcdavid | Tomsett
1941-10-01 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20