BROTHERS, Monty Holt

NAME                  BROTHERS         Monty Holt
RANK                  Sergeant               51548                                                                                                                                            No. 1 Group     RCAF Eastern Air Command
SQUADRON       RCAF No. 11 Bomber Reconnaissance
                            RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
                            Squadron Markings OY                                                                                                            Born                    November 25, 1908 - Township of Marlborough - County of Wellington -Ontario                Residence           Wroxeter - Ontario                                                                                                                  Died                    May 6, 1942          33 years   5 months                                                                            Cemetery           Gander War Cemetery - Gander - Newfoundland
                           3  4  22                                                                                                                              Daughter            Thelma May Brothers - Wroxeter - Ontario
Parents               Mr. Wesley and Victoria Brothers - Wroxeter - Ontario

Monty was born on November 25, 1908. As he was growing up he enjoyed softball, football and bowling.
As well he liked to do mechanical drawings and work with electrical instruments. Monty left school at the age of 15 after attending Listowel Public School and completing one year at Listowel High School. He was employed as a watchmaker in Geraldton - Ontario and was employed by Kemp Jewelers. He had married in 1929 and he and his wife had a daughter. At some point his wife passed away. He and his family attended Knox Presbyterian Church in Harriston - Ontario, Knox Presbyterian Church in Wroxeter and he would have attended St Andrew's Church in Geraldton. He had worked for a total of 14 years as a watchmaker. Prior to his enlistment he was studying aircraft instruments and aeronamics through the Canadian Institute of Science and Technology.

Canada                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   On November19, 1939 he travelled the approximate 170 miles to Fort William and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force. At that time he stood 5' 6" tall and weighed 140 pounds. He then went to Toronto to No. 1 Manning Depot until December 7 at which time he was posted to RCAF 11 Squadron of Eastern Air Command based at Dartmouth - Nova Scotia. While posted here he received the rank of Sergeant.                                      Between April 4 - May 6, 1942 he was based at Torbray - Newfoundland. No. 11 Squadron was formed as a bomber reconnaissance unit and flew Hudsons and Liberator bombers on East Coast anti-submarine missions.

In the field

From No 1 Group they had 4 aircraft flying out of Torbay in Newfoundland. Sergeant Brothers and his crew were one of the four crews in Newfoundland. On May 6, 1942 Hudson bomber 761 was to begin its return legto the home base at Dartmouth - Nova Scotia.
Hudson 761 with Sergeant Brothers and his crew aboard had just got airborne when the aircraft crashed and
burned. This aircraft was inspected prior to the flight with the engines not being tested until in the take off position where the pilot tested the engines for 10 minutes. The weather was good with the wind from the wnw and the surface wind at 20mph. On the take off run and when the aircraft was about 80% down the runway, Hudson 761 became airborne at a height of about 5’ when one or both engines were heard to “cough” or “backfire”. This could have been engine failure / or pilot applying more power / or the closing of the throttles to try a landing. The aircraft then touched down briefly and the engines were heard to increase their revs as it cleared the end of the runway; it began a slight climb to a height of about 50-100’ when it began to bank to the left to the point it was in a side slip. Now the aircraft was losing altitude and the turn of the aircraft was more rapid. There is evidence that the throttles were now closed as per the condition of the prop blades after the crash. Hudson 761 struck the ground by the left wing tip first then cartwheeled on its nose and became inverted. The aircraft caught fire immediately. Hudson 761was being taken back to Dartmouth for maintenance.
Sergeant Brothers had fatal head injuries along with other injuries. He was not a member of the aircraft crew but was travelling as a passenger. Sergeant Brothers was awarded the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. His mother Victoria received the Memorial Cross in December of 1942.

Sergeant Brothers is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, on www.canadianfallen.ca/73786/BROTHERS, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial, on the Fordwich Cenotaph, on the Brussels Cenotaph and on the Geraldton Cenotaph. He would also be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of Knox Presbyterian Church in Harriston - Ontario, of Knox Presbyterian Church in Wroxeter and at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Geraldton.
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