Vancouver, British Columbia
3 Operational Training Unit, Patricia Bay, British Columbia. Canso aircraft crashed.
Davidson, Robert William (Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1944-12-02
Birth Date: 1925-July-23
Born:
Son of Robert and Marjorie E. Davidson, of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Home: Vancouver, British Columbia
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
3 OTU- Operational Training Unit
Base
RCAF Stn. Patricia Bay, British Columbia
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Sergeant
Service Numbers
R/268109
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comCanso 11086
Consolidated Canso Catalina PBY PB2B A-10 OA-10 Black Cat
RCAF Canso A (Serial No. 9754), No. 162 Squadron, F/L David Ernest Hornell aircraft.
The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations.RCAF
Canso PBY
Wikipedia Canso PBY
Harold A Skaarup Web PageCanso 11086
Canso A 11086
Delivered new to storage. To No. 3 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC on 1 July 1944. Still with this unit, based at Comox, BC, when reported missing on 3 December 1944. Pigeon from this plane returned to base 4 days later, without a message. Crashed near Kennedy Lake, east of Tofino, wreckage not located until July 1945. All nine occupants killed.1944-05-29 Taken on Strength Western Air Command 2019-08-20
1944-December-02 Accident: 3 Operational Training Unit Loc: Straits Of Juan De Fuca Names: Davidson | Day | Mahoney | Nash | Pautenaude | Porter | Ramsay | Staples | Trudel
1945-06-05 Struck off Strength Written off after going missing, see comments 2019-08-20
3 OTU (3 Operational Training Unit)
The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew trainees. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.
Lysander NO3 OTU
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Patricia Bay B.C.