Regina Regina:
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
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.htmThat'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!