An Important Canadian “Memorial Cross” Casualty Group of three.

To:
Sgt Pilot, VICTOR GEORGE DE HAVILLAND. R.C.A.F.
Who was killed in a flying accident while doing illegal and unauthorised low flying on 15th September 1942.
The Nephew of Sir Geoffrey De Havilland.














[BIOGRAPHY]
Victor George De Havilland was born a Canadian citizen on 4th September 1920, the son of two British parents, Cecil George De Havilland of Bournemouth & Helen De Havilland (nee Beck) of Scotland. Victor worked for the De Havilland aircraft company as an erector from 1940-41.

He attested for the RCAF on May 26th 1941.













[THE MEDALS]
CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL (.925 Silver)
WAR MEDAL 1939-45 (.925 Silver)
CANADIAN MEMORIAL CROSS
(Sgt PILOT. V.G. de HAVILLAND. R-108924


[THE ACCIDENT]
On 15th September 1942, while Victor was officially on leave from No.9 Air Observer School, St Johns, Quebec, he took himself and three fellow trainee airmen on what can only be described as a “silly jaunt” in Avro Anson 6554 over the St Lawrence River. Perhaps predictably an accident then occurred.

This is a classic example of misbehaving in an aeroplane and of not doing as you are told ....and is a still current and stark warning from the past that if you clown about in an aircraft it will invariably bite you!

He flew the Avro Anson aircraft down to an extremely low altitude in a clear attempt to impress a party of people who were sailing in a cabin boat on the lake. The weather conditions were extremely calm with the result that at low altitude with a compromised horizon the surface of the water was not immediately obvious from the cockpit.

While clearly still in the decent, the aircraft struck the water and was damaged. An emergency opening of the throttles was then probably made in an unsuccessful attempt to become fully airborne, but due to the damage, the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and plunged into the water, nosed under killing three of the four occupants, including Victor De Havilland. The death report gives death by drowning with fractures to both legs and head injuries.

At the time of death he had 176 hrs duel and 290 hrs solo flying time.

The other two fatalities were:
GB.1318392. LAC. W.H. SMALE.
AUS. 413484. W/O T.P.W. FRASER (A.G.)

The third passenger, AUS.414469. LAC S.D.R. COOKwas slightly wounded and survived to give evidence to the board of enquiry, along with a Mr J.R. JONES & Mr G. WHITWELL of the St Lawrence Transport Co.Ltd who were clearly on the boat at the time of the crash.

The accident took place 300 yards North-West of Canal Island — 1.5miles up river from Summerstown, which is near Cornwall, Ontario, (Lake St Francis).

The sortie was officially described as a “routine navigation training flight” !!...but as Victor was officially ‘off duty’ at the time of the accident, Mrs De Havilland’s application for a service pension was refused.




























The group comes with full service papers, original Govt medals issue slip, boxes and Memorial Cross presentation card and a superb large framed scroll from the City of Toronto.

£1750