Wartime Plane Wreck in Saanich inlet

[DA Aquamaster]

When I was in the war, the trainer I flew was the 2 seater Tiger Moth, but I doubt any of the ones I crashed would have survived this long underwater since they were made out of wood and fabric.

I had pretty much the same thoughts and eliminated any of the smaller biplane trainers such as the Fleets, Stearmans and Tiger Moths as likely possibilities. Even a Cornell is an unlikely candidate as it was a mostly tube and fabric trainer that would be pretty well decomposed after 60 years in salt water, but it loosly fits the two seat fighter looking description.

I am also thinking the Vought OS2U / Kingfisher I could be a good candidate. It saw duty almost exclusively on floats in the US Navy but I am pretty sure it saw much more extensive service and coastal patrol duty with wheels in British and Canadian service. It would be a two seat aircraft with roughly fighter size and looks.

 

[wedivebc]

By the way, the above excerpt was from a site for Lancaster Bomber fans so maybe that's what it was.

I thought they pulled that Lancaster out about 10 years ago

 

[MarkH]

I had pretty much the same thoughts and eliminated any of the smaller biplane trainers such as the Fleets, Stearmans and Tiger Moths as likely possibilities. Even a Cornell is an unlikely candidate as it was a mostly tube and fabric trainer that would be pretty well decomposed after 60 years in salt water, but it loosly fits the two seat fighter looking description.

I am also thinking the Vought OS2U / Kingfisher I could be a good candidate. It saw duty almost exclusively on floats in the US Navy but I am pretty sure it saw much more extensive service and coastal patrol duty with wheels in British and Canadian service. It would be a two seat aircraft with roughly fighter size and looks.

Just to avoid any confusion, The "small, fighter-type" was just my guess based on the newspaper report of a trainer that crashed with 2 (I think) deaths. For all I know It might have been a really heavy blimp. The paper said they should have more info by Friday (again, this is all from memory), but who knows if they'll report it. If not, It's easy enough to call someone.

 

[MarkH]

Found this on the internet (so it must be true!):

Aug 09, 2002 4:05pm
I have a query for any of your readers who may have also been witness to the following incident. To the best of my memory it occurred in September of 1943, when on board one of the C.P.R. coastal steamers, enroute from Vancouver to Victoria. A beautiful sunny day was marred by the tragic misadventure of an aircraft (from the Pat Bay air training base) falling into the sea in close proximity to our vessel. All pilots in training had received strict notification from the C.O.'s of the station, that no one was to engage in the practise of buzzing these passenger vessels. If any of your readers, especially of the military, recalls this incident, I would appreciate hearing from you, with sincere thanks.
J.M. Belcher
jesbel at oberon dot ark dot com
Campbell River, BC, Canada

It sounds like it was on the other side of the peninsula though. -Unless CPR steamships docked in Saanich Inlet. When I was in the war, the trainer I flew was the 2 seater Tiger Moth, but I doubt any of the ones I crashed would have survived this long underwater since they were made out of wood and fabric.

The latest from the paper is that it was a bomber and 4 of the 7 crew died. Maybe it was the lancaster after all. I also travelled back in time and found out that there was a steamship dock at Pat Bay for service to the mainland.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Too bad the plane is in 167msw. It was not a lancaster but I can't think of the name right now.

 

[deepdiverbc]

Does anyone know what paper is carrying the story?

I checked the Victoria Times Colonist online and couldn't find anything.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Does anyone know what paper is carrying the story?

I checked the Victoria Times Colonist online and couldn't find anything.

Most of the information was found in the TC Sunday July 17.

Sixty years ago, an RCAF bomber plunged into Saanich Inlet while approaching Patricia Bay to land, Killing four men. The bodies remained undiscovered at the bottom of the inlet until a few weeks ago, when a coast guard vessel stumbled across the wreckage.
The discovery brings back memories for two men who survived the fiery crash, which kelled a young radio operator on his 21st birthday. Hank Golis, 79, and Albert Maclean, 91, remember that terrible day in february 1945.

Freddy Boalch died the day he 21, when the Second World War Canso bomber he was in with seven other crashed into Saanich Inlet on approach to landing in Patricia Bay.

Those who got out of the plane alive had to fight through fire and the icy February sea to survice. Golis pushed upward and broke through the surface where the water appeared to be on fire. " I was right smack dead centre of the fire - it was all over me". I kept splashing my way out until I got into the open water"

The Skeletal remains of the Canso, found in now resting in 167 metres of water.

It's too early to say whether the government plans to raise the wreckage or if the site will be left as is, an underwater memorial to the dead man.

 

[deepdiverbc]

Most of the information was found in the TC Sunday July 17.

Sixty years ago, an RCAF bomber plunged into Saanich Inlet while approaching Patricia Bay to land, Killing four men. ..............

Thanks for the details. I was hoping for a wreck dive but didn't think about the fact that it is a memorial site and wanted confirmation that it was 167 meters down.

Thanks again.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Canso was the Canadian name for the Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina and if I remember correctly several hundred were built in Canada by Canadair and Vickers.

The PBY-5 was a twin engine seaplane and the PBY-5A was an amphibious version. Both were used extensively for anti submarine patrol, scouting and search and rescue missions. They also remained in civilian service long after WWII in air taxi roles and until fairly recently were commonly encountered working as fire bombers.

 

[deepdiverbc]

I thought they pulled that Lancaster out about 10 years ago

Craigster from Victoria sent me this link. It details the plane wreck that was raised from Patricia Bay in 1985/6. It was a Hampden P5436 that crashed in 1942. All four crew members survived.

Hapden raised in 1985


A pilot friend of mine sent me this link on the Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina. If the paper is correct this would be the type of plane found recently.

PBY-5