McLeod, Ralph Ervin

Killed in Action 1942-01-04

Birth Date: 1918-September-25

Born:

Son of Henry A. McLeod and Mabel V. McLeod, of Niagara Falls.

Home: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

7 Sqn- Squadron

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Flying Officer

Service Numbers

J/3522

Home
Google MapNiagara Falls, Ontario
First Burial
Google MapAll Saints Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario
7 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, Ucluelet, British Columbia. Blackburn Skark aircraft 518 was returning from a patrol when it proceeded to carry out air fighting tactics with Shark aircraft 549 which was also returning from a patrol. Aircraft 549 maintained a straight course to base and aircraft 518 dove under 549 and climbed up into its path causing the floats of 549 to collide with the empennage of 518 rendering 518 out of control. Shark aircraft 518 dove into the ground and burned at Shattock Hill between Finlayson Landing and Big Bay, British Columbia. Sergeant J.E. Cormier was also killed.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Findagrave.com

Shark 518

Flight Sergeant Cormier, Joseph Erval Eric (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1942-January-04
Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Flying Officer McLeod, Ralph Ervin (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1942-January-04
All Saint's Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Blackburn Shark

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3208198)
Blackburn Shark Mk. III, RCAF (Serial No. 525), No. 6 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron, May 1939

The Blackburn Shark was a British carrier-borne torpedo bomber built by the Blackburn Aircraft company in England. It first flew on 24 August 1933 and went into service with the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force, Portuguese Navy, and the British Air Observers' School, but was already obsolescent by 1937 and in the following year, replacement by the Fairey Swordfish began.

The Blackburn T.9 Shark was designed and built, initially as a private venture, to Air Ministry Specification S.15/33 for a torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm. It had a crew of three, with the observer/wireless operator and gunner sharing the second cockpit (open on Mks I and II, enclosed on Mk III). Armament consisted of one fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun, plus a .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun or Lewis Gun mounted on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit, with provision for a 1,500 lb (680 kg) torpedo or equivalent bombload carried externally.

The prototype was subsequently fitted with twin floats and was test-flown at Brough in April 1935 with successful sea trials taking place at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment Felixstowe.

The RCAF purchased seven Blackburn Shark II (760 hp/570 kW Tiger VI) in 1936 for service with No 6 (TB) Squadron, later operating as No 6 (BR) Sqn on shipping patrols off the Canadian west coast. Two Blackburn Shark IIIs (800 hp/600 kW Pegasus III) were supplied to RCAF by Blackburn in 1939 as forerunners of 17 similar aircraft built by Boeing Aircraft of Canada at Vancouver, with 840 hp (630 kW) Pegasus IX and used by Nos 6 and 4 (BR) Squadrons. RCAF Blackburn Sharks, some of which operated as floatplanes, were withdrawn from service in August 1944 and five were then transferred to the RN Air Observers' School in Trinidad.Wikipedia

Wikipedia Wikipedia Blackburn Shark

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrel Publications RCAF Blackburn Shark Serials - Kestrel Publications