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The remains of four airmen from the crash of a Second World War training aircraft in British Columbia have been recovered during a collaborative operation with the British Columbia Coroners Service.
The four airmen, one from the Royal Canadian Air Force, Sergeant William Baird, and three from the Royal Air Force, Pilot Officer Charles George Fox, Pilot Officer Anthony William Lawrence, and Sergeant Robert Ernest Luckock, were conducting a navigation training exercise aboard the Avro Anson L7056 aircraft in October 1942 when they failed to return from the mission.
DND and the CAF are working with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre in the U.K. to plan for an internment ceremony, in consultation with the airmen’s relatives, to provide the airmen with a final honoured and appropriate resting place in a Commonwealth War Graves plot.
Quick Facts
- The crew, all members of the Royal Canadian Air Force 32 Operational Training Unit, departed from Patricia Bay, B.C. on Oct. 30, 1942. The aircraft failed to return and was not discovered during the subsequent search operation. The four airmen on board were presumed to have died, and their names were listed on the Ottawa Memorial to the missing.
- More than 100 aircrew lost their lives while flying out of Patricia Bay during the Second World War.
- The wreckage of the Avro Anson was located on southern Vancouver Island in October 2013 by a logging company, Teal-Jones Cedar Products Ltd, working in the area, which immediately notified authorities.
- The DND and the CAF worked collaboratively with the British Columbia Coroners Office, which maintained jurisdiction over the crash site, to conduct a recovery operation from May 5 to 9, 2014. The primary focus of the operation was to recover any human remains and artefacts, as well as identify and remove potential physical and/or environmental hazards. Access to the crash site is currently restricted while the department completes environmental testing.
- The CAF and the British Columbia Coroners Office have now confirmed the recovery and identification of the four airmen.
“Our Government makes every effort to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, irrespective of the length of time that has passed. This recovery, and subsequent burial, will provide closure to the families and give these fallen service members the dignity and respect they deserve,” said The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of National Defence.
“We will never forget the sacrifice of those who came before us and the importance of recovering our fellow airmen cannot be understated. No matter how much time passes, doing the right thing for our people and for their families is an Air Force priority,” said Lieutenant-General Yvan Blondin, Commander, Royal Canadian Air Force.
