Nanoose Bay

The twin engine airplane departed Patricia Bay AFB at 0932LT on a navigation training exercise. While cruising west of Nanaimo, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Flying too low in limited visibility, the airplane collided with trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located west of Nanoose Bay. As the airplane failed to return to base, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was found on 30 March 1943 only. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O David Jack Robertson, pilot,
P/O William Ward Harris, navigator,
P/O Percival Frederick Biggs, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Andrew Joseph Doherty, wireless operator and air gunner,
P/O James Roderick Vosburgh, wireless operator and air gunner.

The seaplane departed Patricia Bay on a reconnaissance patrol mission. The pilot apparently endeavored to effect a landing on exceeding water off Nanoose Bay. The left wing tip apparently dropped and came in contact with a large wave causing the aircraft to slew violently to the left and force the nose into the water crashing the forward part of the hull and breaking all cockpit windows. The aircraft then sank nose first in approximately four minutes. Wing tip and tailplane only visible during this period of time. All eight crew members were killed and the body of the pilot was found four days later.
Crew:
F/Lt Donald Clark MacDougall, pilot,
Sgt Gordon Herbert Andrews, pilot,
Sgt Russell Tremaine Mitchell, navigator,
AC1 Robert William Adams, observer,
LAC William Dennis Riley, observer,
AC1 Robert Albert Blakely, wireless operator,
Sgt John Cunningham Gunn, wireless operator,
P/O Richard Wood, wireless operator.