Merry, David (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-May-05

Male Head

Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAFVR

Unit

36 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

Penhold, Alberta, Canada

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Service Numbers

135135

Final Burial

Red Deer Cemetery
Lot 7 Block F

Oxford aircraft - X6734 went missing when a heavy smoke from nearby forest fires blew in over the aerodrome at Penhold. The aircraft was not found until 1944-05-10 and was finally located in some bush 2 miles south of the camp. Flying Officer D. Merry and Leading Aircraftman G.D. Conway were found in the burned out aircraft deceased due to injuries received in the crash. The aircraft was completely burned out.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1944-05-05

Unvetted Source The Log Book Project - Story on the Crash of Oxford - X6734

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Crew or Other Personnel

Oxford X6734

Leading Aircraftman George David Conway RNZAF

Leading Aircraftman Conway, George David (RNZAF)

Killed in Flying Accident
1944-May-05
Red Deer Cemetery, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Flying Officer David Merry RAFVR

Flying Officer Merry, David (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1944-May-05
Red Deer Cemetery, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Unit Desciption

36 SFTS (36 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.