Darnell, Frederick William
Killed in Flying Accident 1949-04-21
Birth Date: 1913-April-26
Born: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Son of Edith (nee Smith) and Fredrick of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Home: Ottawa, Ontario
Enlistment: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Enlistment Date: 1940-01-08
Service
RCAF
Unit
412 (T) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Base
RCAF Station Rockcliffe
Rank
Squadron Leader
Position
Squadron Leader
Service Numbers
19643
Home
Ottawa, Ontario
First Burial
Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Squadron Leader Darnell was serving with the Air Material Command Headquarters at the time of his death
Canadian Virtual War MemorialExpeditor Mk. 3T 1425
Transport 1949-April-21 to 1949-April-21
412 (T) Sqn (RCAF) RCAF Station Rockcliffe
412 Squadron RCAF Station Rockcliffe. Known as the VIP Squadron, 412 Squadron transported dignitaries and "Very Important People". Expeditor aircraft 1425 departed RCAF Station Rockcliffe for a flight to RCAF Station Chatham and vanished with seven passengers and crew aboard. The wreckage of the aircraft and remains of the crew were not found until August 30,1955, in a heavily wooded area, some 65 miles west of Chatham, New Brunswick
Flight Lieutenant J F Thomas (RCAF), Flying Officer K Hinde (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman J T C Cavanagh (RCAF), Wing Commander B H Beck (RCAF), Wing Commander J H Drury (RCAF), Squadron Leader F W Darnell (RCAF) and civilian passenger L C Parkes were all killed in this flying accident
Expeditor 1425 was the last of 44 ordered by the RCAF, the surviving aircraft were converted to 3T military trainer configuration in 1952
Aviation Safety Network Expeditor 1425
Beechcraft Expeditor
Beechcraft CT-128 Expeditor Mk. 3TM (Serial No. A-734), (Serial No. CA-134), RCAF (Serial No. 1534), coded AO-N, Air Transport Command.
The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November 1969 (over 32 years, a world record at the time), over 9,000 were built, making it one of the world's most widely used light aircraft. Sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis, or floats, it was also used as a military aircraft.
During and after World War II, over 4,500 Beech 18s were used in military service – as light transport, light bomber (for China), aircrew trainer (for bombing, navigation, and gunnery), photo-reconnaissance, and "mother ship" for target drones – including Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF), United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan; and United States Navy (USN) UC-45J Navigator, SNB-1 Kansan, and others. In World War II, over 90% of USAAF bombardiers and navigators and pilots trained in these aircraft.
In the early postwar era, the Beech 18 was the pre-eminent "business aircraft" and "feeder airliner". Besides carrying passengers, its civilian uses have included aerial spraying, sterile insect release, fish stocking, dry-ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, air-mail delivery, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, weapon- and drug-smuggling, engine testbed, skywriting, banner towing, and stunt aircraft.Wikipedia
Expeditor
Wikipedia Expeditor Expeditor 1425 Mk. 3T - Transport - 1949-04-21 to 1949-04-21
6 Group Unavailable
412 Squadron RCAF Station Rockcliffe. Known as the VIP Squadron, 412 Squadron transported dignitaries and "Very Important People". Expeditor aircraft 1425 departed RCAF Station Rockcliffe for a flight to RCAF Station Chatham and vanished with seven passengers and crew aboard. The wreckage of the aircraft and remains of the crew were not found until August 30,1955, in a heavily wooded area, some 65 miles west of Chatham, New Brunswick
Flight Lieutenant J F Thomas (RCAF), Flying Officer K Hinde (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman J T C Cavanagh (RCAF), Wing Commander B H Beck (RCAF), Wing Commander J H Drury (RCAF), Squadron Leader F W Darnell (RCAF) and civilian passenger L C Parkes were all killed in this flying accident
Expeditor 1425 was the last of 44 ordered by the RCAF, the surviving aircraft were converted to 3T military trainer configuration in 1952