Choloy, France

Details:

17 May 1955 - 201984 F/O RA (Richard Allen) "Dick" Grant

F/O RA Grant was a pilot with 444 Squadron at 4 (F) Wing, Baden Germany. He was killed when his aircraft crashed near Karlsrugh, West Germany while force landing.

Richard Allen (Dick) Grant [b. 04 Nov 1933, Dawson, Yukon) was my first cousin (his dad and my dad were brothers). He died piloting a Canadair Sabre V (#23118) [Airframe #908] on 17 May 1955 while attached to 444 Squadron out of the 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soelligen. The lead of the flight doing High Level Tactics that day was Rigby Stamison.

Dick was an only child, the son of Chris and Elizabeth Grant of Dawson City, Yukon Territory. His family went to the Yukon during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush; his grandfather John "Aspen Jack" Grant left his job as Sheriff of Aspen Colorado to journey north to Canada when Dick’s dad was just an infant.

Dick wrote the following when he applied to Primary Reserve University Flight at the University of BC in 1951.

"I was born on November fourth, 1933 in a small town, Dawson City, the capital of the Yukon Territory, and lived there continuously until I was fifteen years old, attending both public and high school. When I was fifteen I attended University School in Victoria, BC where I graduated the following June with a full standing for University Entrance".

"During the past four summers I have held three different types of jobs. The first summer I worked as a mechanics helper, the next as a stock room assistant, and the last two as a linesman for a telephone company".

"Both my father and mother have lived in Dawson City most of their lives, and my father who began work for the Dominion Government as a clerk is now the Director of Income Tax for the Yukon Territory. Neither my immediate family nor myself have ever been in any of the services, the reason being that my father was too old and I was too young".

"It seems that most of my life I have been interested in the Air Force, but at the same time I wished to have an education with which I would be able to support myself. The only way in which I could satisfy both of these decisions was, I found, to join the Reserve University Flight at the University of BC and I therefore have made application to join the RUF"

At the time of his application to Primary Reserve University Flight as "Aircrew", on 15 October 1951, during his second year at University, he gave:

• his address as 4563 West 13^th Avenue, Vancouver;
• his occupation as "student";
• his religion as "United Church";
• his height and weight as 5’8"; and 168 lbs;
• his schooling as (i) Dawson Public 1939-1947, (ii) Dawson High (1947-1949), and (iii) University School 1949-1950. He entered UBC in General Arts in 1950/51 – although one military record later bears the notation UBC/Degree Pre-med;
• his hobbies as English Rugby (Victoria School Team, 1949-1950), Softball (Dawson City Team, 1950 and 1951 season), Weightlifting (UBC), Flying (in Vancouver in 1951) and Hockey (High School Team, 1945-1949).
• his cadet training as a Corporal (September 1949 – June 1950 with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets;
• his flight experience totaling 32:10 hours in daylight civilian flying.

Accordingly he was RECOMMENDED for service to the University Reserves Training Program as a flight cadet. The next year (on 14 October 1952) he applied to the Regular Service and after interview was RECOMMENDED to the university’s ROTP as an Aircrew Tech., although he had applied as an Aircrew (Pilot). By that time he had added ½ inch to his claimed height, had dropped a pound in weight, claimed membership in the Kingston Flying Club, Kingston, Ontario during the summer of 1952 (June); and had accumulated 66:10 daylight service flying hours and 36:00 civilian flying hours, including 9:00 hours on instruments – all in single engine aircraft.

The program paid for his university and his records indicate he was taken on strength, under Air Force number 201984 on 22 September 1952 as he commenced his third year university. His ROTP association required a five-year service commitment to the military after expected graduation in May 1954 – through to 13 May 1959.

During the summer of 1952 he was attending Flight School in Moose Jaw for four months, and returned in September 1953 – his final year at University – to the University of BC Squadron to finish his academic studies. On 14 May 1954 he was promoted to Pilot Officer and assigned to Gimli, Manitoba for four months of Air Flight School. He "got his wings" and was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer on 24 July 1954 – he was not yet 21 years old. During the remainder of 1954 he was on various Canadian Air Bases – including MacDonald and Chatham. Finally on February 1955 he embarked Canada and was sent overseas, to Baden Soellingen, Germany, attached to #4 Fighter Wing, 444 Squadron. He lived only three more months, dying as a result of a flameout in his F-86 Sabre at 42,000 feet at the age of 21 years, 6 months and 13 days.

On 17 May 1955 at 2040 hours this telex was sent from Canadian Air Headquarters to CO RCAF Station, Whitehorse:

"Request your Chap (P) advise Mr. Christopher Grant, No 9 Federal Housing District, Whitehorse, YT that his son 201894 (sic) F/O Richard Allen Grant 444 SQN No. 4 (F) Wing Bad Soellingen Germany was killed at noon today German time 17 May in a flying accident near Karlsruhe, Germany while attempting a forced landing after reporting flame out of F86 Aircraft. Cause of flame out not known. Advise at once priority message when Mr. Grant has been informed. Burial information will be conveyed to you for transmission to Mr. Grant as soon as received here."

An autopsy done later that day in Germany showed that Dick died of shock and hemorrhage, decapitation and multiple injuries due to (or as a consequence of) an aircraft accident. A précis of the Board of Inquiry rather succinctly tells the sad story of what happened that day:

From Air Vice Marshall JD Kerr to Brigadier JL Melville, The Canadian Pension Commission, 23 August 1955:

1. F/O Grant, a pilot of 444 (F) Squadron took off from his base at Baden Soellingen in Sabre 23118 at 1234 hours 17 May 1955. He was number 2 in a two-plane formation briefed and properly authorized for a high altitude tactical training exercise.
2. Approximately 28 minutes after take-off and while cruising at 42,000 feet, F/O Grant declared an emergency stating that his engine had flamed out. The formation leader obtained a course to steer towards base from the ground control station and then formatted on F/O Grant who had set up his glide.
3. During the descent, F/O Grant stated his engine indicated zero RPM and he was unable to obtain a relight. At 10,000 feet, the formation broke cloud cover over an airfield near Karlsruhe. F/O Grant then elected to carry out a wheels-up forced landing at Karlsruhe rather than to abandon the aircraft. The last transmission received from F/O Grant was during his turn onto final approach when he acknowledged instructions to jettison the external fuel tank. The leader states that F/O Grant appeared to be in an accelerating glide during his turn onto final approach. He advised him to widen his turn and if necessary "S" of some height, but this information was not acknowledged. Eyewitnesses stated that the aircraft crossed the fence high and very fast, touched down about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway, bounced, rolled and crashed inverted, the pilot was killed.
4. A technical investigation into the causes of the accident revealed that engine malfunction was due to the fatigue failure of a compressor rotor blade, which in turn resulted in engine seizure. Consequently, hydraulic pressure for the flight controls would be supplied by a battery-operated pump. The Inspector of Aircraft Accidents, who conducted a separate investigation into the cause of the accident, concluded that the battery failed during the pilot’s final approach for landing, resulting in failure of the flight controls and consequently loss of control of the aircraft.

Following a funeral with full military honors on 20 May 1955 Richard was buried at the RCAF Cemetery in Choloy, France (Grave 6, Plot 2, Row "A" – Registered No. of Grave - #35).