Edward Earl Fernandez

Edward enlisted at Windsor, Ontario on the 3rd June 1942. He expressed preference for bomber aircrew. Initially he joined the Special Reserve and committed to undertaking training under the Wartime Emergency Training Plan (WETP). This commitment involved a pre-entry aircrew course at the Ontario Training College, Hamilton which he completed in September 1942, passing out second in his class. In May 1943 Edward joined No.4 Air Observers School at London, Ontario to train as a navigator. However, in July 1943 he failed his mid-term navigation examination. His instructors considered that he found navigation too difficult but noted that he worked hard and was always smartly turned out. Following his initial rejection as a navigator Edward was recommended for remuster as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and was posted to No.2 Wireless School on the 17th September 1943. However, once again his service career hit a problem as at 6 feet 1 inch in height, he was considered too tall to be a WOP/AG, and on the advice of the Senior Medical Officer his training was discontinued. This presented the air force with a dilemma given his previous failings in navigator training. The views of his instructors were, however, mixed, and it was felt that he had been poorly treated in being wrongly remustered as a WOP. It was therefore decided to give him another chance as a navigator. On the 30th October 1943, Edward joined No.1 Air Observers School at Malton. There he completed ground school and 109 hours of day and night navigation training on the Avro Anson, successfully completing his course on the 24th March 1944. He was promoted from Leading Aircraftsman (LAC) to Pilot Officer the same day. On the 3rd May 1944 Edward embarked for the United Kingdom, arriving there one week later. He spent a short period with No.3 Personnel Reception Centre before joining No.10 (O) Advanced Flying Unit at Dumfries in Scotland for further training where he flew a further 30 hours on the Avro Anson. His instructors there found him ‘quite capable’ although lacking in confidence. Edward was promoted to Flying Officer (Temporary) on the 24th September 1944. On the 3rd October 1944 Edward joined No.86 Operational Training Unit (OTU), before moving on again a few days later to No.82 OTU at Ossington in Nottinghamshire, to learn how to fly as part of a bomber crew. On the 5th January 1943 Edward was the navigator in the five-man crew of Flying Officer J.C. McLeod RCAF, onboard Vickers Wellington X LP841. At 7.43 PM the aircraft took off from RAF Ossington on a night training exercise. Just two minutes later it struck electricity cables and crashed, bursting into flames, just 1500 yards from the runway near the village of Laxton. As the aircraft broke up in the South Field at Laxton, the tail section of the aircraft broke away, enabling the rear gunner Sgt R Eden to escape. He was led to safety by villagers. The other four crew members including Edward were killed. The Court of Inquiry into the crash could find no technical reason for it but suggested that the aircraft’s flap lever might have been left in neutral, causing the flaps to inadvertently lower at a critical point in the flight. ;- By David Nixon, CWGC, For Evermore, Stories of the Fallen.

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