Three Members of R.C.A.F. Killed In Plane Crash Near St. Stephen

Three Members of R.C.A.F. Killed In Plane Crash Near St. Stephen
Names of Victims Not Given
Flying Mishap Occurs Near Hills Mountain Bridge

Transcribed by G. Christian Larsen

HALIFAX, Jan.24 - (C.P.) - All three members of the crew of a twin-engined R.C.A.F. training aircraft were killed yesterday when the machine crashed at Hills Mountain Bridge, 10 miles east of St. Stephen, N.B. Headquarters of the Eastern Air Command announced here tonight.

No details of the crash were given in the announcement, which said the cause of the crash was "obscure."

Names of the airmen have not been made public.

SOURCE: The Saint John Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, NB) - January 25, 1943.

Names of Two Plane Victims Announced
Transcribed by G. Christian Larsen

Names of the two R.C.A.F. airmen killed Saturday when a R.A.F. twin-engined training aircraft from the R.A.F. Station at Pennfield Ridge crashed at Hills Mountain, about 10 miles east of St. Stephen, were announced by the Eastern Air Command at Halifax yesterday.

Pilot of the R.A.F. plane was PO. B.B. Williams, whose next-of-kin is his brother, O.N. Williams, 3213 Elgow Drive, Calgary. With him was a wireless air gunner, PO. P.W. McCarthy, whose wife lives at 35 Douglas Drive, Ottawa.

Names of the third airmen in the plane, a member of the R. A.F., will be released shortly. His next-of-kin have been informed.

SOURCE: The Saint John Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, NB) - January 26, 1943.

Three Airmen Die in Crash of Plane Near Hill's Point
Transcribed by G. Christian Larsen

Three airmen - two Canadians and a member of the Royal Air Force were instantly killed Saturday morning when a twin-engine training craft from the Pennfield air station crashed into the side of Hill's Mountain, a half-mile from the Waweig highway bridge on the west bank of the river approximately ten miles from St. Stephen.

    An investigation into the cause has been under way for the past several days but no announcement has been made as to the findings.

    The statement if witnesses indicate that the plane, which was on a routine training flight in company with another aircraft, suddenly was seen to be maneuvering with difficulty, rapidly lost altitude and crashed into the mountain while the pilot was evidently attempting to bring it down in a field or on the ice.

Severely Shattered

    The craft struck the ground with terrible impact and was shattered into hundreds of pieces covering a wide area. The crash occurred about mid-morning.

    News of it was relayed here soon afterward and assistance was called but there was nothing anyone could do. R.C.M. Police guarded the locality until Air Force personnel reached the scene.

    All three of the occupants met instant death. Two of them were Canadians - Pilot Officer B.B. Williams, of Calgary, and Pilot Officer P.W. McCarthy, Ottawa. The third man, a member of the R.A.F., was not identified in the official announcement pending notice to his next-of-kin.

SOURCE: The Saint Croix Courier (St. Stephen, NB) - January 28, 1943.

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