The Untold Story of the 1945 Aircraft Crash at South Side Hills, St. John's

Tracing the Trail of the Forgotten Pilot

As I search through various newspaper articles for war time stories, I come across some interesting pieces such this in the April 5 and 7, 1945 editions of the Evening Telegram.

It recounts a tragic incident involving a small single-engine RCAF aircraft, leaving behind a shroud of mystery.

On that fateful morning, the skies over St. John's Harbour bore witness to a harrowing event. The tranquility was shattered by the sudden demise of the pilot, whose identity remains elusive even after meticulous research efforts. Despite scouring numerous sources and submitting inquiries, the pilot's name remains a poignant enigma.

Eyewitnesses, primarily men working on the Northside of St. John’s Harbour, watched in horror as the aircraft erupted into flames before plummeting to the woods. The deafening roar of the explosion echoed across the waters as the plane crashed approximately 300 feet behind Job’s Wharf on the south side of the Harbour.

In the aftermath, remnants of the tragedy were strewn across the landscape. The charred and twisted remains of the aluminum body lay scattered amidst the wreckage, with only the skeletal framework of the fuselage offering a grim testament to the catastrophic event.

Compounding the mystery is the fate of the aircraft itself, which was purportedly transported to "Angel’s Foundry" on Hamilton Avenue for storage. It is said that curious schoolchildren would gather at the site, peering over fences to catch a glimpse of the aftermath.

One intriguing detail that emerges from the fog of uncertainty is the speculation surrounding the pilot's identity. Whispers suggest that the pilot may have been affiliated with tiger cub training, lending an unexpected twist to the story. However, concrete evidence to support this claim remains elusive, leaving us to ponder the true nature of the pilot's occupation and its relevance to the events of that tragic day.