Torrie, Robert William (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1944-June-02

Male Head

Birth Date: 1923-March

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAF

Unit

31 EFTS- Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

DeWinton, Alberta, Canada

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

1615916

Final Burial
Google MapBurnsland Cemetery
Lot 75 Block 9 Sec G

Cornell serial: FJ689

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 Wikipedia Cornell Trainer

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Aircraft Images

Cornell FJ689

Cornell Mk. I FJ689

Ex USAAF PT-26-FA, serial number 42-15518. With No. 31 Elementary Flying Training School when it crashed on 2 June 1944. Sgt. R.W. Torrie, RAF killed.

1943-05-14 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1944-June-02 Accident: 31 Elementary Flying Training School Loc: 3rd Lake Blackie Names: Torrie | Van Vliet
1944-08-09 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07

Unit Desciption

31 EFTS (31 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.

NO31 EFTS RAF Dewinton

For More Information on RCAF Station DeWinton see here

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - RCAF Station DeWinton AB

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Gladys AB

Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Shepard AB

Museum Bomber Command Museum of Canada

Museum Vintage Wings - Ghosts of Southern Alberta

No. 31 Elementary Flying Training School was formed on 18 June 1941 and was located at De Winton, Alberta. No. 31 EFTS was originally under the control of the RAF as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan within No. 4 Training Command. The Toronto Flying Club also known as the Malton Flying Training School Limited, took over operations from the RAF on 13 July 1942. No. 31 EFTS was to have been disbanded on 25 August 1944 but under Organization Order No. 407, dated 13 July 1944, the date was amended to 25 September 1944.

Project 44 BCATP

unvetted Source Project 44 BCATP

YouTube YouTube - Valour Canada Aerodrome of Democracy