Hillside Cemetery
Oxford aircraft AS 494 was engaged in instrument flying training when it crashed and burned nine miles north of Vauxhall, Alberta. Flight Lieutenant P.J. Lea (RAF), Leading Aircraftman D.L. Kennedy and Flying Officer A.A. Purkiss-Ginn (RAF) were killed.
Lea, Phineas John (Flight Lieutenant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1941-July-16
Birth Date: 1913
Born:
Parents: Son of Phineas and Phoebe Ann Mary Lea, of Quinton, Birmingham, England.
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAF
Unit
34 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (RAF)
Base
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Position
Service Numbers
76115
School Daily Diary Entry - 1941-07-16
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.comCrew or Other Personnel
Oxford AS494
Accident Card - Airspeed Oxford Mk. I serial:AS494
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1941-July-16. Oxford s/n AS494.
This accident involved 3 people. Kennedy DL, Lea PJ, Purkiss-ginn AA
This accident had 3 fatalities. Flight Lieutenant Phineas John Lea RAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:76115 Oxford AS494, Flying Officer Allen Alexander Purkiss-Ginn RAFVR Killed in Flying Accident service no:86715 Oxford AS494, Leading Aircraftman Donald Leslie Kennedy RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/76159 Oxford AS494
Unit Desciption
34 SFTS (34 Service Flying Training School)
Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.
There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.
NO34 SFTS Baracks
For More Information on RCAF Station Medicine Hat see here
RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Medicine Hat AB
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Holsom AB
RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Whitla AB
Bomber Command Museum Of Canada - 34 SFTS
David Carter History Of NO34 SFTS
Project 44 BCATP
YouTube - David Carter - History Of 34 SFTS
Project 44 BCATP