De Wever, Charles Erasme (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-August-26

Leading Aircraftman Charles Erasme De Wever RAFVR

Birth Date: 1922

Born:

Leopold & Blondel De Wever, of Tirlemont, Belgium. Repatriated to Belgium.

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAFVR

Unit

32 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

RCAF Stn. Bowden, Alberta

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Leading Aircraftman

Service Numbers

Cornell serial: 14498

Fairchild Cornell Mk. II
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

In early 1942, an agreement was signed between the Canadian Government and Fairchild Aircraft, which licenced Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario to construct the PT-26 Cornell in Canada. The first 800 Cornells used by the RCAF were supplied from Fairchild, until production commenced at Fort Erie in November 1942. By the end of the war in 1945, 2,853 Cornells had been built by Fleet - 1,565 for the RCAF and 1,288 for the RAF.

PT-26 Cornells were flown at many of the Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where they replaced the Fleet Finch and the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainers. After the Second World War, many Cornells were sold to the civilian market, but some were retained by the RCAF, where they were finally retired in 1948. CWPHM



YouTube Cornell Trainer

Wikipedia Wikipedia Cornell Trainer

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Aircraft Images


Cornell 14498

Cornell Cornell III 14498

To No. 32 Elementary Flying Training School at Bowden, Alberta. Destroyed in crash at 08:45 on 26 August 1944. Wing appeared to come off in flight, probably a result of spar cracking or overloading. Came down 1 1/2 miles south and 9 miles east of town of Bowden. Instructor Sgt. G.R. Bennett, RAF and student Leading Aircraftman C.E. de Wever, a Belgian in the RAF, both killed.

1943-08-03 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1944-August-26 Accident: 32 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Bennett | De Wever
1944-09-28 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07
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Unit Desciption

32 EFTS (32 Elementary Flying Training School)

An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a trainee 50 hours of basic flying instruction on a simple trainer like the De Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, or Fairchild Cornell over 8 weeks.Elementary schools were operated by civilian flying clubs under contract to the RCAF and most of the instructors were civilians. For example, No. 12 EFTS Goderich was run by the Kitchener-Waterloo Flying Club and the County of Huron Flying Club.The next step for a pilot was the Service Flying Training School.

NO32 EFTS RAF Bowden

For more Information on RCAF Station Bowden see here

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station Bowden AB

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Netook AB

Museum Bomber Command Museum of Canada

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts of Southern Alberta

Project 44 BCATP

unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy