In memory of

Captain

Gayle Burton Swaney

who died on 4 Jul 1945

Service details
  Conflict WWII
  Service Civilian
  Unit Ferry Command, Royal Air Force
  Rank Captain
  Service number ------
  Date of death 19450704
  Cause of death accidental death
Narrative history
  Captain (RAF Ferry Command civilian pilot) Gayle Burton Swaney (b.1907) died 19450704. He was the son of Charles E. Swaney who came from Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, to homestead NW17-11-9-W3 east of Vanguard in 1908. Gayle joined the RCMP in 1931, and enlisted with Ferry Command ten years later. He was married at Kingston, Frontenac Co., Ontario, in June 1945 and went missing the next month.

Swaney was part of a special crew assembled to fly a Liberator load of VIPs from Dorval to Northolt(?), his passengers were mostly diplomats returning from the San Francisco conference which established the United Nations. They set out on the evening of 19450703 but radio contact was lost early the next morning. It was Gayle's 190th transatlantic flight.
       A Glossary of abbreviations to help understand the terms used is available.
Images
  Service record
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Additional information
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Memorial information
  Saskatchewan rural municipality for commemoration 106 - Whiska Creek
  Cemetery or memorial location lost at sea    
  Honour roll location(s) Vanguard
  Geo-memorial ------
  Geo-memorial location ------
  Geo-memorial NTS map reference ------
Personal information
  Date of birth 19070826
  Place of birth Marietta, Washington Co, Ohio    
  Date of enlistment 1941
  Place of enlistment Montréal, Québec    
  Residence on enlistment Vanguard    
  Occupation pilot
Copyright Information
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