Russell, Norman Ernest (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1943-12-28

Male Head

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

Final Burial

Mount Hope Cemetery
Chapel Plot Grave 16

Sergeant A.W. Davey and Leading Aircraftman N.E. Russell were killed when Cornell - 10596 crashed.

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1943-12-28

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Cornell 10596

Male Head

Sergeant Davey, Allan Walter (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-28
Mount Hope Cemetery, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada

Male Head

Leading Aircraftman Russell, Norman Ernest (RAFVR)

Killed in Flying Accident
1943-December-28
Mount Hope Cemetery, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada

Fairchild Cornell

Fairchild Cornell Mk. II
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

YouTube Cornell Trainer

Wikipedia Cornell Trainer

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

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

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.