DAER, Harold Crawford
NAME DAER Harold Crawford
RANK Flight Sergeant 209991 Group 12 - RAF Fighter Command SQUADRON RAF No. 57 Operational Training Unit
Boulmer Airfield in Northumberland
Squadron Markings JZ LV XO Birth July 29, 1923 - Auburn - Townships of East / West Wawanosh and Hullett Township - County of Huron - Ontario Died April 9, 1945 21 years 8 months
Cemetery Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery - Harrogate - North Yorkshire - England
H J 16
Parents Mr. Robert and Agnes Daer of Goderich / Bayfield Sisters Mrs. Ruth Jerry Mrs. Marjorie Thomson
Harold was born on July 29, 1923 in Auburn - Township of West Wawanosh and at some point the family moved to Goderich and lived on Bayfield Road. The Daer family attended Knox Presbyterian Church in Goderich. He attended Victoria Public School between 1928-36 and Goderich Collegiate Institute from 1936-41 and at 17 years of age he left school. While in high school he spent four years with the High School Cadets. His hobby was model aircraft and he enjoyed gymnastics, swimming, and skating. After receiving his schooling he worked at the Goderich Organ Company as a shipping clerk and at G. Gladhill Company as a shoe salesman.
Canada
Harold knew he was under the minimum weight to be accepted into the Royal Canadian Air Force and was so determined to get into the RCAF that when he went to bed at night he would take a loaf of bread and peanut butter with him. After eating all this bread night after night, he finally did succeed in reaching the required weight and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on February 5th of 1943. Upon enlistment was 5' 5" tall and weighed 117 pounds. He had a medium complexion with grey green eyes and brown hair. He was given the rank of Aircraftsman II. On March 16th he was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto and while here he learned how to bathe, shave, shine his boots, polish buttons and care for his uniform. In the afternoons there were two hours of physical education, marching drill, foot drill, rifle drill and learning how to salute. The comments he received were...fit, eager, responses are quick and accurate, wiry, not easily upset and that he should do well. He then moved on to No. 6 Initial Training School in Toronto at the end of April. While here he studied theoretical subjects including navigation, theory of flight, meteorology, algebra and trigonometry and had to do numerous tests. One test was a meeting with a psychiatrist as well as a 4 hour long medical examination. He also had to do a session in a decompression chamber and take a "test flight" in a Link trainer. At the end of May he was posted to No. 1 Initial Training School in Toronto. Very early in July he was assigned back to No. 1 Manning Depot to take remedial high school subjects such as English, Science and Mathematics which would bring him up to the standards of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Then it was back to No. 1 Initial Training School he went from July 11 - September 16, 1943. Here he studied aircraft recognition, armament, principles of flight, engines, law and discipline, mathematics, meteorology, navigation and signals. He now has the rank of Leading Air Craftsman.His next posting was to No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School based in Windsor. Here he would receive basic flying instruction on the Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch and Fairchild Cornell aircraft. On December 12th he was posted to No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden. Here men in the fighter pilot stream would train on the North American Harvard and Yale aircraft. While training here he receives the rank of Tactical Sergeant. He receives his Pilot Flying Badge on May 5, 1944 and one week later he received a week of leave. For those airmen posted overseas they are assigned to No. 3 Advanced Ground Training School based at Trois Rivieres in Quebec. T/Sergeant arrives here approximately May 20, 1944. Here the airmen play soldier and are being trained by a Army Commando Officer. This training would be important if a pilot had to leave his aircraft and was in enemy territory. Then he is posted to "Y" Depot in Lachine - Quebec where he receives his shots and inoculations in preparation for going overseas. His final stop in Canada takes place on July 13th at which time he is assigned to "Y" Depot in Halifax and is there a week prior to boarding the ship that will take him overseas.
Overseas
He departs from Canadian shores on July 20th and disembarked in the United Kingdom on July 27, 1944. One day later he is posted to No. 3 RCAF Personnel Reception Centre. His next posting takes him to No 7 Advanced Flying Unit for Pilots on September 26th. Here he will do further training on Navigation and will take part in cross country flying. It was then on to RAF Condover - Shropshire to No. 11 Advance Flying Unit and again he trained on Navigation and cross country flying. Here he flew the North American Harvard and the Miles Master aircraft. While he was training here he received the rank of Flight Sergeant. On February 5, 1945 after almost five months at the Advanced Flying Units for Pilots he is posted to No. 57 Operational Training Unit on February 24th. This unit was with No. 12 Group and operated from Eshott - Northumberland. He was where fighter pilots were trained for Fighter Command and they used Masters and Spitfire aircraft. The pilots here trained in night flying, dive-bombing, strafing, bouncer and chase tactics. This unit also helped to defend the Midlands. Flight Sergeant Daer was the pilot of Spitfire Mk Vb BL 342 and he was engaged in dive bombing practice, but he failed to pull out of his dive in time and crashed into a farm yard at Belford in Northumberland approximately 110 miles north north-west of the base. This Spitfire was equipped with 2 cannons – 4 machine guns and 4 practice bombs. Flight Sergeant began his dive from 8,000’ and at 4.000’ was to begin pulling out of that dive and at 2,500’ he began to recover but then began a turn to starboard without full recover of the dive. He was called on the radio and told about this, but there was no reply. The aircraft buried itself into the ground about 15-20’. There was no fire nor was there any smoke. The aircraft crashed about 8’ from where the owners of Lowmoor Farm - Belford - Northumberland were standing and it is said the aircraft was in a just over vertical dive and flying at about 480 mph. It is felt that Flight Sergeant Daer had passed out during his dive. He was killed instantly and did not feel anything whatsoever. The weather at the time of the accident was the winds were low about 10 mph out the west south west, with few clouds and 10 miles of visibility. He had 178 hours flying time in training aircraft, 15 hours in the Hurricane and 49 hours in the Spitfire.
Flight Sergeant Daer was buried with full military honours on April 19, 1945 at 10:30 hours. As time passed the Daer family did hear from the lady who was the owner of the farm where F/S Daer lost his life.
Harold's mother Agnes in December of 1945 received the Memorial Cross and then at a later date the family received the medals awarded to Harold and these were the Defence Medal, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
Harold is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of Knox Presbyterian Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Goderich Collegiate. He is also honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
