J/17000

Flight Lieutenant

Royal Canadian Air Force

World War II

Age 28

Recipient of Distinguished Flying Cross

and Distinguished Flying Medal

Son of Albert T. Stewart and Lottie M. Stewart;

brother of Frank Brisbin Stewart, of Camrose.

Commonwealth War Dead

F/Lt Stewart was one of 21 RCAF personnel killed in the crash of their Dakota transport plane at Estevan, Saskatchewan.

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On Sunday morning, 15 Sept 1946, RCAF Douglas Dakota III (#962) transport aircraft crashed at Estevan Airport, in Saskatchewan, with the loss of 21 RCAF personnel; all airmen had served honourably during the Second World War, many of them having been decorated for their war-time acts of valour. The Dakota was engaged in ferrying airmen from Fargo, North Dakota to Estevan, Saskatchewan. The airmen had ferried Fairchild PT-19 Cornell planes to Fargo and were returning for another series of ferry flights. F/O W. A. PERRY was one of the casualties of this tragic accident.

The twenty-one casualties of this tragic accident were-

Flight Lieutenant Henry Hugh COWAN DFC,

Flight Lieutenant Joseph Alphonse Camille BOUCHARD DFC,

Flying Officer Raymond Avard BRANDSER,

Flight Lieutenant Clifford Somerville COPPIN,

Flight Lieutenant Maurice Crosby CUTHBERT,

Flight Lieutenant William Murdoch JACKSON,

Flight Lieutenant James Pyle JESSEE DFC,

Flying Officer Ned JORDAN DFC,

Leading Aircraftman Vitantos Luke KIRKO,

Flight Lieutenant Lawrence Victor KIRSCH DFC,

Flight Lieutenant James Stewart LEES DFC,

Flying Officer Robert James McINTYRE,

Flight Lieutenant Robert Cowan McROBERTS DFC,

Flight Lieutenant Louis Eric John MURPHY DFC,

Flying Officer William Albert PERRY,

Flying Officer Stephen POND,

Flight Lieutenant Charles Stanley Wright PROCTOR DFC,

Flight Lieutenant Edward Chester STEWART DFC,

Flying Officer Max THOMAS,

Flight Lieutenant Leonard Edgar TURTLE and

Flight Lieutenant William Jacob Louis WEICKER DFC & BAR.

***In 2021, on the 75th Anniversary of this RCAF tragedy a memorial service was held at RCAF 15 Wing in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan: Lester Hinzman's wooden sculpture, honouring the 21 airmen was unveiled; and Marie Donais Calder's book, "Together Forever, In the Clouds" [Commemorating the RCAF Air Disaster of September 15, 1946 in Estevan, Saskatchewan] was highlighted.***

[Thanks to SJB Hearn 46864594]

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From RCAF records

STEWART, F/L Edward Chester, DFM (J17000) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.427 Squadron - Award effective 5 July 1945 as per London Gazette dated 17 July 1945 and AFRO 1507/45 dated 28 September 1945. Presented at Government House, 7 November 1949. DHist file 181.009 D.2610 (RG.24 Vol.20627) has recommendation dated 19 March 1945 when he had flown 40 sorties (269 hours 25 minutes), broken down as follows: at No.1458 Conversion Unit, three trips (10 September 1942 to Dusseldorf, 23 October 1942 to Genoa, 24 October 1942 to Milan); at No.78 Squadron, 25 sorties, 8 November 1942 to 19 February 1943; with No.427 Squadron, 16 sorties, 17 December 1944 to 14 March 1945.

Flight Lieutenant Stewart has successfully completed a large number of sorties against such heavily defended enemy targets as Dusseldorf, Hanover, Ludwigshaven and Berlin. His work as deputy flight commander both in the air and on the ground has been of the highest order and his courage in the face of the fiercest opposition has been an inspiring example not only to his own crew but to all who have served with him.

*Thanks to Aaron Shaw, Linda and laurinlaurin espie for the photos