Stibbards, Bernard George (Squadron Leader)

Killed in Flying Accident 1954-October-10

Squadron Leader Bernard George Stibbards RCAF

Birth Date: 1907-June-30

Born: Essex, England

Parents: Son of William J. and Lily Stibbards of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Spouse: Husband of Marjorie K. Stibbards and father of Gordon and Kareen of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brother of Edward, Romney J. Rev.

Home: Essex, England

Enlistment: Calgary, Alberta

Enlistment Date: 1942-October-30

Service

RCAF

Unit

121 ADC- Air Defence Command

Base

Sea Island, RCAF Station

Rank

Squadron Leader

Position

Passenger

Service Numbers

25741

Final Burial
Google MapMountain View Cemetery
Block 15 Plot 23 Lot 5

Squadron Leader Stibbards was serving as Chaplain at RCAF Headquarters in Vancouver and a was a passenger aboard Expeditor 2380, on his way to conduct a Thanksgiving service at Tofino, Vancouver Island at the time of his death

Mission

Expeditor Mk. 3NM 2380

Transport 1954-October-10 to 1954-October-10

121 (C & R) () ADC (RCAF) Sea Island, RCAF Station

121 Communications and Rescue Flight (C & R), Sea Island RCAF Station. Beechcraft Expeditor 2380 QT-380 struck a cliff face on Mount Arrowsmith, Vancouver Island en-route to Tofino, possibly as a result of engine failure, resulting in the loss of all four crew and passengers aboard.

Flying Officer Lawrence Edwin Oppenheimer (RCAF), Flying Officer Michael John Saunders (RCAF), Squadron Leader (Chaplain) Bernard George Stibbards (RCAF) and civilian passenger, Electrical Engineer Ronald D Hall were all killed in this flying accident

Unvetted Source Aviation Safety Network

Unvetted Source 1950-1954

Unvetted Source Mt Arrowsmith Beechcraft Expeditor crash? -

YouTube The RCAF Plane That Disappeared on Mount Arrowsmith - YouTube

Expeditor serial: 2380

(RCAF Photo) (Source Harold A Skaarup web page)
Beechcraft CT-128 Expeditor Mk. 3TM (Serial No. A-734), (Serial No. CA-134), RCAF (Serial No. 1534), coded AO-N, Air Transport Command.

The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November 1969 (over 32 years, a world record at the time), over 9,000 were built, making it one of the world's most widely used light aircraft. Sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis, or floats, it was also used as a military aircraft.

During and after World War II, over 4,500 Beech 18s were used in military service "“ as light transport, light bomber (for China), aircrew trainer (for bombing, navigation, and gunnery), photo-reconnaissance, and "mother ship" for target drones "“ including Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF), United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan; and United States Navy (USN) UC-45J Navigator, SNB-1 Kansan, and others. In World War II, over 90% of USAAF bombardiers and navigators and pilots trained in these aircraft.

In the early postwar era, the Beech 18 was the pre-eminent "business aircraft" and "feeder airliner". Besides carrying passengers, its civilian uses have included aerial spraying, sterile insect release, fish stocking, dry-ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, air-mail delivery, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, weapon- and drug-smuggling, engine testbed, skywriting, banner towing, and stunt aircraft. Wikipedia




YouTube Expeditor

Wikipedia Wikipedia Expeditor

Unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page