SAMUEL ROBERT BRUCE DOUGLAS 

Samuel Robert Bruce DOUGLAS
Rank: Sergeant
Service Number:R/183985.
Died Wednesday 16th May 1945
Age 23
County Memorial Cheshire Virtual
Commemorated\Buried Chester ( Blacon ) Cemetery
Grave\Panel Ref: Sec. A. Grave 977.
CountryEngland

Samuel Robert Bruce's Story.

Samuel was born on 15th August 1922 in Ingersoll, Ontario to parents William and Mary. After completing his schooling he worked a Bookkeeper. He enlisted in the RCAF at London, Ontario on 24th August 1942. He initially commenced pilot training but was determined to be unsuitable so he completed his training as an Air Bomber. On 29th August 1944 he embarked for the UK arriving on 5th September 1944. He was posted to 9 (O) AFU at RAF Llandwrog on 3rd April 1945 for advanced training and was killed in a flying accident on 16th May 1845. He was buried at Blacon Cemetery in Chester and is commemorated on the cenotaph at Ingersoll in Ontario

 

The Accident

Avro Anson N9911 of 9 (O)AFU (Observer Advanced Flying Unit), RAF Llandwrog, was scheduled for a night navigation training exercise. The aircraft departed at 21:35 on 15th May 1945 in good weather with a crew of five. On the last two legs of their navigation exercise, the weather closed in and the crew encountered cloud. The pilot had chosen to land at RAF Mona and was ordered to orbit at 1500 ft. The pilot failed to follow those instructions and apparently lost height and crossed the end of runway 23 at a very low altitude and then made a sharp left hand turn in an effort to cut around to land on 23. The low stratus was fluctuating between zero to 50 feet and the left hand wing struck the ground and the aircraft crashed in a field at the end of runway 23 at 01:27 hrs. The AIB considered the weather at RAF Llandwrog to be not as bad as thought and 17 Ansons landed safely. The pilot of N9911 was faulted for trying to fly visually instead of using the beam at RAF Mona. 

 

The crew that perished in the loss of Anson N9911 

RAFVR F/Sgt Harold Sorrel (P) 1395539 

RAFVR Sgt James Blair (Nav) 1568087 

RCAF Sgt Samuel Robert Bruce Douglas (AB) R/183985

Two other crew members survived with injuries.

 
Accident Form 1


Accident Form 2


Accident Form 3


Accident Form 4


Enquiry 1


Enquiry 2


Enquiry 3



Enquiry 4


Report of AOC 23 Group


Report of Commanding Officer


Ingersoll Cenotaph