Killed by a Harvard in an Army Co-operation Exercise in June 1945

[dfuller52]

Hello All,

I am trying to find out more about an exercise that took place in June 1945, in which Cpt. Robert Walton Hardy, 32, a member of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was killed by a low-flying Harvard. I have details on the RCAF pilot (F/Lt. J. W. Frizelle) who was in a Harvard and was killed in a subsequent crash six miles away (location named is 6mi northeast of Sherwood Springs) but there is some confusion about where this actually took place as Sherwood Springs appears to be near Brockville. He was from No. 14 SFTS in Aylmer but the plane was listed as attached to No. 1 SFTS at the time.

Hardy was apparently standing on top of a transport at the time he was hit by the plane's wing.

Can anyone tell me more about this exercise, where it took place and what kind and which troops were involved?

Thanks.

 

[mariomike]

I looked the accident up in the Toronto Star online.  They reported the story over several issues, complete with photos. There is a report from a seriously injured survivor of the aircraft, and an official military statement.
The National Archives of Canada would also have crash details in the personnel file of the pilot.

 

[dfuller52]

Thanks, I will look there. I am sending for all the files of the 100+ people involved in my project but I was trying to collect what I could online first as it will be a while before I hear back from Ottawa.

 

[Old Sweat]

I also believe DHH holds RCAF crash records.

 

[dfuller52]

Yes, indeed they do, and since 80 per cent of my list are RCAF, I will be using their fine services a lot in the near future.

By the way, the story mentioned puts the accident at Collins Bay, Ontario, near the Thousand Islands Bridge. There was a survivor in the crash who said the plane hit an air pocket while they were dropping sand bags to simulate bombing. Can anyone point me to a source that describes in more detail, how this kind of exercise would work? It apparently involved simulated strafing runs at first, then the Harvard was dropping its "bombs" on the transports.

 

[old medic]

I have seen (and have) other newspaper accounts from the early 50's that mentioned simulated aircraft bombing, by having the plane drop bags of flour.

 

[geo]

Remember paper bags filled with flour being dropped from single engine otters in the early 70s

 

[tango22a]

Geo:

I can remember seeing a GPMG being fired from atop a mess table in the door of an Otter (blanks of course) in 70s at or near Five Fingers on the Mattawa during MilCon.

Cheers,

tango22a

 

[Loachman]

n which Cpt. Robert Walton Hardy

It may seem picky, but his rank is correctly abbreviated as "Capt". "Cpt" is an Americanism.

 

[George Wallace]

I also believe DHH holds RCAF crash records.

There is another site on the internet that records all Air disasters/crashes.  I have used it to track aircraft numbers of a few Air Forces around the world.  It has been a while since I last used it so I will have to look for it and get back to you.

Airdisaster.com database

ACCIDENT DATABASE (1908 to present)

Ultimate Aviation links



You may also try contacting the Airforce Museum in CFB Trenton, or the Airforce Historian at CFB Winnipeg.