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Hello,
I've been researching a distant relative of mine - Horatio Charles Hamilton Hosford (aka Charlie) - service number: R/110122. He served in the RCAF and was killed in a flying accident 22 Jul 1942 while at Central Navigation School in Rivers, Manitoba.

I've found his service record here: I've also found a summary of the accident in "Canada, Royal Canadian Air Force Crash Cards, 1939-1945" on Ancestry -

The crash card gives the HQ file as 1100-61-89. The investigating officer has noted that "this case is a peculiarly exceptional one". I've tried to find a full report and looked here on Canadiana: but it is just a one page doc saying "completed" and also dated 1941.

Could anyone help me look in the right place (or let me know if the report still exists), please?

Thanks, M

Greetings from Texas:

From: https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage ... ll-to-hyt/

HOSFORD, HORATIO CHARLES HAMILTON SGT(WAG) R110122. From Vancouver, British Columbia. Killed Jul 22/42 age 22. #1 Central Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba. Sgts Hosford, I.G. Taylor (RAF), LACs H. Dutton (RAF), and W.H. Symons (RAF) were on a navigation exercise and were all killed when Anson aircraft #6189 crashed six miles north-west of Emerson, Manitoba. Sergeant Pilot Wireless Operator Air Gunner Hosford is buried in the Ocean View Burial Park at Burnaby, British Columbia.

Also:

https://caspir.warplane.com/bin/warplan ... =600019816

Find-A-Grave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122 ... on-hosford

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembra ... il/2848972

Hope this helps a bit, will continue checking,

George

I was only able to find the Cover Sheet of the HQ’s file

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/ooci ... c5932/1790

Operations Record book, not much more info that is already shown
blob:https://heritage.canadiana.ca/b9696838- ... b732a356e2

Thanks everyone - it's looking like the full report is missing (or perhaps mis-filed) as only the cover sheet is available. I can't understand why the dates on it say 1941 rather than 1942 though - can anyone shed any light on that? I've attached screenshots of the crash card in case I've missed something.

Thanks again

Mic,

Since it is the cover sheet, is there a chance the 1941 date is the date the aircraft arrived the duty squadron?

George

Also I've just found his circumstances of death record - it has a different HQ file number - 1022-H-4029. Does anyone know what that refers to (or where to find it)?
Thanks to everyone for your help so far.

M

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:48 pm

Mic,

Since it is the cover sheet, is there a chance the 1941 date is the date the aircraft arrived the duty squadron?

George

I believe you are correct on the date George…..but the cover sheet was in a Reel of files showing “aircraft accidents”. In fact the file BEFORE this one and the file AFTER this one both had extensive details on their “crashes”, with info, photographs, reports etc……..So when I found the file, of course I was very disappointed that the file was “empty”…….why it was empty I do not know, as their was literally hundreds of aircraft accident reports on the Reel, which most (didn’t check them all) detailing the disposition of the aircraft (some of the accidents were NOT fatalities and some the aircraft could be repaired etc)

I was going to search the other crew members files, but they were all RAF members, which I do not have access to their records.

Hello again,
@georgetanksherman - thank you for the explanation of the 1941 date.
@Temujin - thanks for pointing out the other casualties were RAF. That made me go look in the UK national archives. It looks like there is some information there - I should be able to visit next year.

Thank you for your interest & suggestions.
Mic