Russell, Norman Ernest
Killed in Flying Accident 1943-12-28
Birth Date: 1924
Born:
Son of Ernest Leonard and Helena Florence Russell, of Sheldon. Birmingham, England.
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RAFVR
Unit
34 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)
Base
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Position
Leading Aircraftman
Service Numbers
1584272
Mount Hope Cemetery, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)This incident involved multiple aircraft:
- Cornell Mk. II Serial: 10596
All the above aircraft in the above list are referenced in this report.
Fairchild Cornell
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
In early 1942, an agreement was signed between the Canadian Government and Fairchild Aircraft, which licenced Fleet Aircraft of Fort Erie, Ontario to construct the PT-26 Cornell in Canada. The first 800 Cornells used by the RCAF were supplied from Fairchild, until production commenced at Fort Erie in November 1942. By the end of the war in 1945, 2,853 Cornells had been built by Fleet - 1,565 for the RCAF and 1,288 for the RAF.
PT-26 Cornells were flown at many of the Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where they replaced the Fleet Finch and the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainers. After the Second World War, many Cornells were sold to the civilian market, but some were retained by the RCAF, where they were finally retired in 1948.CWPHM
Cornell Trainer
Wikipedia Cornell Trainer
Harold A Skaarup Web Page34 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
RCAF.info - Station Assiniboa Saskatchewan
RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Lethburn Saskatchewan
Vintage Wings - Ghosts Of Saskatchewan
Cornell 10596
Cornell Mk. II 10596
First used at No. 34 Elementary Flying Training School at Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, delivered there on 20 March 1943. Crashed on 28 December 1943 at Assiniboia, killing Sgt. A.W. Davey, RAF and pupil Leading Aircraftman N.E. Russell, RAF. Allocated to No. 10 Repair Depot at Calgary, Alberta on 12 January 1944. Not repaired. Note that School had been renumbered as No. 25 EFTS when strike off paperwork was issued.1943-03-08 Taken on Strength No. 4 Training Command 2019-08-20
1943-December-22 Accident: 34 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: West Of Vantage Names: Blackmore | Tattershaw
1943-December-28 Accident: 34 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: West Of Congress Names: Davey | Russell
1944-04-01 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20