Flyers laid to rest 73 years after crash

[Jeff Hunt]

On December 13th, 1940 F/L Peter Campbell of the RAF and LAC Ted Bates of the RCAF left Camp Borden near Barrie Ontario. They were flying in a Northrop Nomad and were engaged in a search mission for fellow flyers who had gone missing the previous day. A second aircraft accompanied Campbell and Bates. During the flight there was a midair collision and both aircraft went down. The second aircraft and crew were found in January 1941. Campbell and Bates were not located.

Fast forward to 2010 and the wreckage of the aircraft Campbell and Bates were flying was located in Lake Muskoka. Eventually divers from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Armed Forces made a dive the the bodies of Campbell and Bates were located still in the aircraft. It was not until October 2012 that the remains were recovered.

Yesterday ( 17Sep13 ) a military funeral was held in my hometown, Guelph Ontario for the two flyers. LAC Bates was a Guelph resident and he and his flying mate from England were given a proper sendoff. A friend of mine owns a Fleet Finch and did three fly overs of the funeral. In our local paper the day before the funeral there was a picture of LAC Bates in the front seat of a Finch.

Reverend ( Flight Lieutenant ) Simon Chapman Royal Air Force

Reverend ( Captain ) L Allan Lynk Royal Canadian Air Force

Rest in Peace gentleman.


Jeff

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Airframes]

R.I.P.
Thanks for posting.

 

[Alex .]

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[vikingBerserker]

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

 

[GrauGeist]

 

[nuuumannn]

Very moving Jeff, thanks for posting.

 

[Capt. Vick]

RIP

 

[Gnomey]

 

[fubar57]