London, Ontario
Cessna Crane aircraft 8129 was engaged in instrument flying instruction when it dived into the ground three miles east of the Calgary Municipal Airport. Flight Sergeant Harold Ernest Pitt, Leading Aircraftman O.J. Nichols (RAAF) and Leading Aircraftman F.G. Pike (RAAF) were killed.
Pitt, Harold Ernest (Flight Sergeant)
Killed in Flying Accident 1942-February-22
Birth Date: 1920-July-15
Born:
Parents: Son of Ernest and Rosabel Pitt, of London.
Spouse:
Home: London, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
3 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/68214
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Crane 8129
Accident Card - Cessna Crane Mk. I serial:8129
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1942-February-22. Cessna Crane s/n 8129.
This accident involved 3 people. Nichols OJ, Pike FG, Pitt HE
This accident had 3 fatalities. Flight Sergeant Harold Ernest Pitt RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/68214 Crane 8129, Leading Aircraftman Frederick George Pike RAAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:411639 Crane 8129, Leading Aircraftman Oliver James Nichols RAAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:14236 Crane 8129
Unit Desciption
3 SFTS (3 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.
Cessna Crane Midair No3 SFTS Calgary
For More Information on RCAF Station Calgary see here
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Lincoln Park, Currie, Calgary Alberta
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Shepard Alberta
Bomber Command Museum of Canada
3 SFTS Blog
YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy