Martindale, William Wilde

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-11-01

Male Head

Birth Date: 1914

Born:

Son of Alfred and Hannah Elizabeth Martindale, of Easington, Co. Durham, England

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RAFVR

Unit

34 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot Officer

Service Numbers

126063

After picking up a pilot under training who had forced landed 5 miles north of Congress, Saskatchewan. Tiger Moth - 1124 stalled while making a steep climbing turn shortly after take off. The student pilot was slightly injured. Pilot Officer W.W. Martindale was severely injured and died of his injuries the next day.

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. Moth, Tiger I Serial: 1124

All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.

de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth

Source: Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (serial # RCAF 8922), credit Rick Radell
CCI20160514_0006.jpg image not found

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab-initio training, the Second World War saw RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers.

The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was succeeded and replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently entered into civil operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military and civil applications, and it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in several countries. It is still occasionally used as a primary training aircraft, particularly for those pilots wanting to gain experience before moving on to other tailwheel aircraft.

Overseas manufacturing of the type commenced in 1937, the first such overseas builder being de Havilland Canada at its facility in Downsview, Ontario. In addition to an initial batch of 25 Tiger Moths that were built for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), the Canadian firm began building fuselages which were exported to the UK for completion. Canadian-built Tiger Moths featured modifications to better suit the local climate, along with a reinforced tail wheel, hand-operated brakes (built by Bendix Corporation), shorter undercarriage radius rods and the legs of the main landing gear legs being raked forwards as a safeguard against tipping forwards during braking. In addition the cockpit had a large sliding canopy fitted along with exhaust-based heating; various alternative undercarriage arrangements were also offered. By the end of Canadian production, de Havilland Canada had manufactured a total of 1,548 of all versions.Wikipedia

Wikipedia Wikipedia de Havilland Tiger Moth

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube YouTube de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth

34 EFTS (34 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.

For More Information on RCAF Station Assiniboa see here

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - Station Assiniboa Saskatchewan

Canada Primary Source RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Lethburn Saskatchewan

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts Of Saskatchewan

YouTube YouTube - Abandoned Saskatchewan

Project 44 BCATP

General Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy


Moth, Tiger 1124

Moth, Tiger I 1124

Ordered by USAAF as PT-24 42-988; then to Lend-Lease as RAF FE124. Probably with No. 34 Elementary Flying School at time of crash.

1942-01-01 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1942-November-01 Accident: 34 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: Congress Saskatchewan Names: Hughes | Martindale
1943-03-03 Struck off Strength Struck off, after Category A crash on 1 November 1942 at Assiniboia. 2019-08-20