Fairbairn, Stanley Fraser
Killed in Flying Accident 1942-11-12

Birth Date: 1921-July-04
Born: Rumsey, Strathmore Census Division, Alberta, Canada
Son of Earl Ritchie Fairbairn and Vida Louise (nee Stafford) Fairbairn
Home: Calgary, Alberta
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
45 Group (RAF)
Base
Bermuda
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Pilot Officer
Service Numbers
J/11639
Home

First Burial

Canso FP209
Ferry Flight 1942-November-11 to 1942-November-12
() Ferry Command (RAF) Bermuda
RAF Ferry Command. Canso I aircraft FP 209, flying out of Bermuda, crashed in the Strait of Canso, catching fire near the CNR wharf at Pirate Harbour, Mulgrave, Nova Scotia with the loss of four of the six aircrew aboard
Pilot Officer SF Fairbairn (RCAF), Sergeant NJ Cheney (RNZAF), Canadian Civilian, DLD DeBretigny and British Civilian pilot Captain RH Sandeman, were all missing, presumed killed in this flying accident
The missing have no known grave
F
Pilot Officer Fairbairn and Sergeant Cheney are commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial
DLD DeBretigny and RHM Sandeman are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
Ocean Bridge, The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl A Christie page 315,358This incident involved multiple aircraft:
- Canso Serial: FP209
All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.
Canso FP209
Consolidated Canso Catalina PBY PB2B A-10 OA-10 Black Cat

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