Riverside Cemetery
Note: There appears to be a lot of confusion in Neepawa at the time of the crash. The unit was in the process of redesignating from No 35 Elementary Flying Training School to No 26 Elementary Flying Training School. On the crash card the accident is noted as having taken place at No 26 Elementary Flying Training School. In the Operational Record Book the the title at the top of the page is still No 35 Elementary Flying Training School. According to the 4th amendment to the Re-organizational Order issued on 22 December 1943, the unit was to redesignate effective 3 January 1944, however there was an amendment issued on 7 January 44 changing this date to 30 January 1944. Based on this amendment I am placing the accident under No 35 Elementary Flying Training School vice No 26 Elementary Flying Training School.
Hair, David Martin (Leading Aircraftman)
Killed in Flying Accident 1944-January-11
Birth Date: 1923-February-03
Born:
Parents: Son of David Hair, and of Abigail Holm Hair, of Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAFVR
Unit
35 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)
Base
Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Service Numbers
1569184
School Daily Diary Entry -
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.comAccident Card - de Havilland Moth, Tiger I serial:1268
This accident involved 2 aircraft on 1944-January-11. They are: Tiger Moth s/n 1268, Tiger Moth s/n 3856.
This accident involved 1 person. Hair DM
This accident had 2 fatalities. Leading Aircraftman David Martin Hair RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:1569184 Moth, Tiger 1268,Leading Aircraftman Evan Thomas Griffiths RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:1584967 Moth, Tiger 3856
Unit Desciption
35 EFTS (35 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.
NO35 EFTS RAF Neepawa
For More Information on RCAF Station Neepawa see here
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Neepawa MB
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Eden MB
MilitaryBruce.com - Canadian Military History
YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy