Fredericton, New Brunswick
3 Operational Training Unit, Patricia Bay, British Columbia. Canso aircraft crashed.
Staples, Alonzo Irvine (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Flying Accident 1944-December-02
Birth Date: 1917-April-13
Born:
Parents: Son of Eben Miller Staples and Edna Grace Staples; husband of Emily May Staples, of Toronto, Ontario.
Spouse: Husband of Emily May Staples, of Toronto, Ontario.
Home: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
3 OTU- Operational Training Unit
Base
Patricia Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
J/45415
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comCrew or Other Personnel
Canso 11086
Accident Card - Consolidated Canso A serial:11086
This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1944-December-02. Cnso A s/n 11086.
This accident involved 9 people. Davidson RW, Day LO, Mahoney JA, Nash RL, Pautenaude M, Porter FF, Ramsay GBN, Staples AI, Trudel ATJ
This accident had 9 fatalities. Sergeant Robert William Davidson RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/268109 Canso 11086, Flight Lieutenant George Balfour Nicol Ramsay RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/7200 Canso 11086, Pilot Officer Alonzo Irvine Staples RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/45415 Canso 11086, Flying Officer Louis Oswald Day RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/43966 Canso 11086, Sergeant Joseph Roger Marcel Patenaude RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/253849 Canso 11086, Pilot Officer Frank Ferrier Porter RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/48269 Canso 11086, Sergeant Joseph Romeo Antoine Trudel RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:R/211246 Canso 11086, Flight Lieutenant Robert Leslie Nash RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/27069 Canso 11086, Pilot Officer John Ambrose Mahoney RCAF Killed in Flying Accident service no:J/48161 Canso 11086
Canso serial: 11086
RCAF Canso A (Serial No. 9754), No. 162 Squadron, F/L David Ernest Hornell aircraft.
The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations. RCAF
Canso PBY
Wikipedia Canso PBY
Harold A Skaarup Web PageAircraft Images
Canso 11086
Canso A 11086
Delivered new to storage. To No. 3 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC on 1 July 1944. Still with this unit, based at Comox, BC, when reported missing on 3 December 1944. Pigeon from this plane returned to base 4 days later, without a message. Crashed near Kennedy Lake, east of Tofino, wreckage not located until July 1945. All nine occupants killed.1944-05-29 Taken on Strength Western Air Command 2019-08-20
1944-December-02 Accident: 3 Operational Training Unit Loc: Straits Of Juan De Fuca Names: Davidson | Day | Mahoney | Nash | Pautenaude | Porter | Ramsay | Staples | Trudel
1945-06-05 Struck off Strength Written off after going missing, see comments 2019-08-20
Unit Desciption
3 OTU (3 Operational Training Unit)
The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew trainees. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.
Lysander NO3 OTU
RCAF.info - RCAF Station Patricia Bay B.C.