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Lebel, Georges Yvon DFC (Flying Officer)

Killed in Flying Accident 1947-October-18

Birth Date: 1922-February-20 (age 25)

Born: Cacouna, Bas-Saint-Laurent Region, Quebec, Canada

Son of Jean Baptiste and Cordelia Lebel, of Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec

Home: Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec

Enlistment: Quebec, Quebec

Enlistment Date: 1940-06-26

Decorations: DFC


Distinguished Service Cross
Service
RCAF
Unit
413 Photo Wing
Base
RCAF Rockcliffe
Rank
Flying Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Wireless Operator
Service Numbers
26356

Mitchell Mk. III 894

Transport 1947-October-18 to 1947-October-18

413 (Photographic) Squadron (Ad vigilamus undis) RCAF Rockcliffe. B-25 Mitchell aircraft 894 was missing on flight from Calgary, Alberta to Penticton, British Columbia. The aircraft encountered poor weather with icing conditions, fog and low visibility and crashed in a mountainous area near Nelson, BC with no survivors

LAC WH Molyneux (RCAF), F/L JL MacLeod DFC (RCAF), F/O AG Robertson (RCAF), F/O B Cook DFM (RCAF), F/O GY Lebel DFC (RCAF), LAC BES Bowman (RCAF), Cpl JN Sabourin (RCAF) and two Canadian civilians, husband and wife Fred and Beulah Knight were all missing, presumed killed in this flying accident

A massive search was undertaken, covering 30,000 square miles, which failed to find the aircraft or survivors after a search lasting four weeks

On October 7, 1952, Mr Wilf Gibbard caught sunlight glinting off a piece of aluminum high on Record Mountain, near Rossland, BC while out hunting and Mitchell 894 was finally found

No human remains were found at the crash site and the missing have no known grave. They are commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial. A cairn was also erected at the crash site, October 14, 1952 to commemorate all lost in the crash

RCAF 894 was built for the USAAF as B25D-1 serial 41-29877 and converted to F-10 photo configuration before delivery to RCAF on 23 April 44. She was part of the ‘Photographic Flight,’ later known as No. 413 (P) Squadron, from RCAF Rockcliffe, Ontario with tri-camera survey installation. She operated in British Columbia in late 1947 until lost

General The last flight of Penticton-bound RCAF Mitchell 894 I iNFOnews I ...

General Aviation Safety Network

General Dispersals_Nov_2018.pdf

General [Royal Air Force Serial and Image database]...

In a sad twist of fate, another wireless operator had been scheduled to make this flight but F/O Lebel DFC requested and was granted a personnel switch so that he could fly on Mitchell 894

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Find-A-Grave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Flying Officer Georges Yvon Lebel has no known grave.

Crew on Mitchell Mk. III 894

North American Mitchell B-25 B-25D B-25J

North American B-25J Mitchell Mk. III
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of World War II, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.

The North American B-25 Mitchell was flown by the RCAF during and after the Second World War. The RCAF flew the B-25 Mitchell for training during the war and continued flying operations after the war, in Canada with most of 162 Mitchells received. The first B-25s had originally been diverted to Canada from RAF orders. These included one Mitchell Mk. I, 42 Mitchell Mk. IIs, and 19 Mitchell Mk. IIIs. No 13 (P) Squadron was formed unofficially at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in May 1944 and flew Mitchell Mk. IIs on high-altitude aerial photography sorties. No. 5 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Boundary Bay, British Columbia and Abbotsford, British Columbia, operated the B-25D Mitchell in a training role together with B-24 Liberators for Heavy Conversion as part of the BCATP. The RCAF retained the Mitchell until October 1963.

No. 418 (Auxiliary) Squadron received its first Mitchell Mk. IIs in January 1947. It was followed by No. 406 (Auxiliary), which flew Mitchell Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs from April 1947 to June 1958. No. 418 Operated a mix of Mk. IIs and Mk. IIIs until March 1958. No. 12 Squadron of Air Transport Command also flew Mitchell Mk. IIIs along with other types from September 1956 to November 1960. In 1951, the RCAF received an additional 75 B-25Js from USAF stocks to make up for attrition and to equip various second-line units.. Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page

YouTube Mitchell Bomber

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Mitchell Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (164), Canadian Aircraft Losses (73), Canadian Ferried (5)
last update: 2021-09-23 15:53:49

Mitchell Mk. III 894

Built for USAAF as B-25D-1, serial number 41-29877. Converted to F-10 photo survey configuration before delivery to RCAF. Operated by the Photographic Flight, later known as No. 13 (P) Squadron, from RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, with tri-camera survey installation, 1944 to 1947. Operated in BC fall of 1946, passing through Winnipeg on 27 September 1946 en route to BC. With 413 (P) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, 1947. To Penticton, BC with Detachment #11 in 1947. Reported overdue out of Penticton on 18 October 1947, aircraft and 7 occupants never found.
1945-04-23 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1948-05-14 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

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