Gordon Elgin VANCE

Gordon Eglin VANCE. Flying Officer J/24133 Royal Canadian Air Force attached to 290 Squadron Royal Air Force Long Kesh County Down Northern Ireland
Born 2 June 1921 to Samuel and Beatrice Emily Vance, nee Allan of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Died as the result of an aircraft accident of the Copeland Island, County Down 15 April 1944 aged 22 years.

He was part of a two-man crew of an Airspeed Oxford Mk 1. Died at 1030 hrs 15 April 1944 during a day non operation flight purpose of which to train in simulated torpedo bomber attacks on convoy escort off the coast of County Down, nr Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland

His funeral took place Thursday afternoon 20 April 1944 in All Saints Church, Eglantine County Down, Northern Ireland. Full-service honours were accorded, the coffin carried by pilots of his own squadron which also provided a firing party. The coffin was covered by the Union Jack. The last post was sounded at the end. Wreaths were sent from his fiancée Miss Violet Moor, Officers and Men of his squadron.

Notes from his service records.
Enlisted 13 January 1942 at No 1 (R.C.), V Recruitment Centre Vancouvour
14 March 1942 at No 4 Fingal Bombing and Gunnery School (Was a unit of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan established for the Royal Canadian Air Force at a site west of Fingal in Southwold Township)
12 May 1942 at No 1, (I.T.S.) Initial Training School, Toronto
Commissioned to Pilot(T) 3 July 1942
15 August 1942 at No 7 (E.F.T.S,) Elementary Flying Training School, Windsor training on Fairchild Cornell and Fleet Finch aircraft. Recorded as an average pupil.
24 October 1942 with No 14 (SFTS) Service Flying Training School, RCAF Aylmer, Ontario.
5 March 1943 awarded Pilots flying badge (Wings)
19 March 1943 at 1.”Y” Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Embarkation Depot.
18 April 1943 Posted to (Training) Group Pool UK. Taken on strength with No 7 (P) AFU) Advanced Flying Unit RAF.
7 July 1943 to No 2, (FIS) Fighter Interception School
23 November 1943 from FIS to 1601 Flight RAF (anti-aircraft co-operation duties over Wales and the south east of England)
1 December 1943 to 587 Squadron RAF flying Airspeed Oxford aircraft doing the same operations as 1601 flight. He was later posted to 290 Squadron RAF doing the same job.

Witness to accident.

Report by F/Lt Savege who was in an aircraft formatting on Oxford BG.601 at the time of the accident.
“The aircraft with S/L Westlake as pilot and F/O Vance as second pilot had led a formation of 3 Oxfords widely spaced in simulated torpedoe attacks on ships of an escort group in connection with a naval exercise. At approximately 10.15 hrs S/L Westlake who was at the time flying the aircraft called all ‘zipbag’ aircraft and instructed them to return to ‘CHAPMAN BASE’ (Ballyhalbert. (There were 5 Martinet aircraft from this Squadron forming a fighter cover 500 feet approximately above the Oxfords.) Cloud base varied from 400-800 feet and in the area concerned cloud was 10/10th at 800 feet with frequent patches lowering to 400 feet. The Oxfords in number 2 and 3 positions closed in on the leading aircraft, on R/T instructions from the leader, to about 2 wingspans range and slightly above and behind. The leading aircraft was flying at less that 50 feet and at a point approximately 2 miles east of Copeland Island, it was seen to fly closer to the sea. At 10.30 hours the propellors were seen to touch the sea and in a second or two the whole aircraft hit the sea in flying position. The aircraft smashed up completely on impact and only a few small pieces of fabric and plywood were left floating 5 or 10 seconds later. Indicated airspeed at the time of the crash as recorded by the formatting aircraft was approximately 160 m.p.h and the surface of the sea was ruffled quite considerably by cross-wind of 10/15 m.p.h. R.A.R.N.I. Control were notified by R/T immediately after the crash and the A.S.R. launches from Donaghadee were on their way to the spot within a few minutes. F/O Vance was dead when picked up but S/L Westlake was recovered alive but unconscious, died on the way to hospital”.

Signed E.T. Savege F/L dated 17 April 1944

Other crew member was Squadron Leader (Pilot) 89387 Thomas George (Tommy) WESTLAKE
Commemorated on a Screen Wall in Greenbank Cemetery, Bristol.