[EyeBrock]

Regina wrote:

DrCaleb wrote:

Reg, the Beechmount cemetery is a stones throw from the City Centre (formerly Municipal) airport. Lots of RAF/RAAF/RCAF training there during the wars. Many of the headstones were marked with the RAF, RCAF, or RAAF crests. I saw many different branches of service, from 1913 (the earliest I saw) to present day.

I could actually make out the roof of Blatchford hangar from the cemetery. edit - it's darn near across the street from the airport.

http://www.acesofww2.com/Canada/aces/blatchford.htm

That's a GREAT link!!

What stuck me as odd with a couple of those guys is that they were (L.A.C.) Rank: Leading Aircraftman, which I believe is ground crew. When you think of training accidents I think of the crashes but I suppose dangerous things happen on the ground with so much going on. Two were on the same day.

Some of the LAC's (ah those were the days when I was one!)that were involved in Aircrew training had re-mustered from within the RAF/RAAF/RCAF/RNzAF etc and entered aircrew training. They wouldn't get Sgt Aircrew until they had gone through NCO (Aircrew) training which could come after their crew training.

The lowest aircrew rank was (and still is in the RAF/RAAF/RNzAF) Sgt.

They are still seen as 'plastic' Sgts though! Real Sgt's are ex LAC/SAC/Cpl's!

[Benn]

martin14 wrote:

I have all 3 Shep, thank you and the guy who did it very much !

Martin, are you looking for pics of just the grounds or the actual graves of the members?

[martin14]

Benn wrote:

martin14 wrote:

I have all 3 Shep, thank you and the guy who did it very much !

Martin, are you looking for pics of just the grounds or the actual graves of the members?

The actual graves, and an overview shot is usually nice to have.

The pics that Dr. Caleb posted on page 1 are good examples.

[Regina]

EyeBrock wrote:

Some of the LAC's (ah those were the days when I was one!)that were involved in Aircrew training had re-mustered from within the RAF/RAAF/RCAF/RNzAF etc and entered aircrew training. They wouldn't get Sgt Aircrew until they had gone through NCO (Aircrew) training which could come after their crew training.

The lowest aircrew rank was (and still is in the RAF/RAAF/RNzAF) Sgt.

They are still seen as 'plastic' Sgts though! Real Sgt's are ex LAC/SAC/Cpl's!

Ah....interesting and it makes sense.
Seem to also remember something my uncle said about officer rank and the difference between a Sgt in the RCAF and the RAF? I'm not very clear on that and could have mixed up the story. Think it had to do with the officer privilege of being in the RCAF and not having the same in the RAF.

[EyeBrock]

Mmm...

Well during WW2 there were Sgt Aircrew pilots in most of the Royal air forces. This caused some issues as prior to the late 1930's, only officers were pilots/navs etc.

The other issue was that the airman-aircrew Sgts, Flt Sgts and WO's were generally not seen as 'proper' nco's by non airmen-aircrew trades.

Look it from the ground trades or Army/ RN nco's viewpoints. They had to work their way up the ranks to wear stripes. Seeing 18 year-old sgts in the sgt's mess when it took them ten years plus to get there created some bad feeling.

That's probably what your uncle was relating at a guess.

After the war, pilots and navs became officer only trades again.

The RAF retains airmen-aircrew ranks for loadmasters, air-eng's, systems ops such as E3 crew scope-dopes and weapons ops on maritime strike aircraft.

Air Command got all fucked up on ranks during forced unification but the Aussies, Kiwis' and interestingly the Indians follow the RAF example to this day.

[EyeBrock]

Here's a very interesting and moving vid on RAF Bomber Command and the memorial that is looking for funds.

We should remember that nearly 11,000 Canadians died in Bomber Command out of a total of more than 50,000 killed in action on bombing missions.

http://www.rafbombercommand.com/memorialfund/

[Regina]

EyeBrock wrote:

Mmm...

Well during WW2 there were Sgt Aircrew pilots in most of the Royal air forces. This caused some issues as prior to the late 1930's, only officers were pilots/navs etc.

The other issue was that the airman-aircrew Sgts, Flt Sgts and WO's were generally not seen as 'proper' nco's by non airmen-aircrew trades.

Look it from the ground trades or Army/ RN nco's viewpoints. They had to work their way up the ranks to wear stripes. Seeing 18 year-old sgts in the sgt's mess when it took them ten years plus to get there created some bad feeling.

That's probably what your uncle was relating at a guess.

Yeah I think that exactly what it was. Thanks

[martin14]

Time for another update..


VICTORIA (ROYAL OAK) BURIAL PARK -- COMPLETED

CALGARY (BURNSLAND) CEMETERY -- COMPLETED
EDMONTON (BEECHMOUNT) CEMETERY -- COMPLETED
RED DEER CEMETERY

MOSSBANK CEMETERY
NORTH BATTLEFORD CEMETERY
SASKATOON (WOODLAWN) CEMETERY
YORKTON CEMETERY
HUMBOLDT (MUNICIPAL) CEMETERY

BRANDON CEMETERY, Manitoba -- COMPLETED
DAUPHIN (RIVERSIDE) CEMETERY -- COMPLETED
PORTAGE-LA-PRAIRIE (HILLSIDE) CEMETERY -- COMPETED
WINNIPEG (BROOKSIDE) CEMETERY
WINNIPEG (ELMWOOD) CEMETERY
WINNIPEG ASSUMPTION GARDENS

AYLMER CEMETERY Ontario
JARVIS (KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH) CEMETERY Ontario -- COMPLETED
TRENTON (ST. GEORGE'S) CEMETERY Ontario -- COMPLETED

METIS BEACH (UNITED CHURCH) CEMETERY
MONTREAL (MOUNT ROYAL) CEMETERY
MONTREAL (NOTRE DAME DES NEIGES)
ST. JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU (ST. JAMES) CEMETERY


New Brunswick - 4 burials in 2 cemeteries. -- COMPLETED

HALIFAX (FORT MASSEY) CEMETERY

SUMMERSIDE PEOPLE'S CEMETERY P.E.I. -- COMPLETED

GANDER WAR CEMETERY
GOOSE BAY JOINT SERVICES CEMETERY, LABRADOR