Andy Carswell
Andy Carswell | |
---|---|
Born | California, US | 29 May 1923
Died | 25 July 2021 Toronto, Ontario, Canada | (aged 98)
Allegiance | Canada |
Service/ | Flight Lieutenant |
Unit | No. 9 Squadron RAF, No. 123 Search and Rescue Unit |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Awards | Air Force Cross |
Other work | aviation safety |
Andrew Gordon Carswell AFC (29 May 1923 – 25 July 2021) was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Avro Lancaster pilot who was shot down near Berlin on his fourth mission in 1943. After returning to Canada after the war, he rejoined the RCAF in 1948 as a search and rescue pilot flying Consolidated Canso flying boats off the coast of British Columbia. During this time he was involved in two famous rescues, including one in 1956 that won him the Air Force Cross which was presented personally by Elizabeth II. He later joined the Ministry of Transport and prepared a 1977 report on the shockingly poor quality of service and training of bush plane pilots operating in northern Ontario. The report led to the reformation of the Ministry's inspection bureaus and, ultimately, the formation of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Early life
Carswell was born on 29 May 1923 in California to Canadian parents. The family moved back to Toronto's Balmy Beach neighbourhood when he was still young.[1]
Bomber pilot
Carswell joined the
Carswell was captured and sent to
Carswell was repatriated in 1945 when the RAF men were sent on a "death march" westward and eventually met advancing British Army troops.[1]
Search and Rescue
After his return to Canada, Carswell began studies in architecture
On 28 June 1956, Carswell landed in high waves off Galiano Island to rescue the crew of a foundering fishing boat. The high waves damaged the aircraft which began to take on water faster than the pumps could handle. While the crew pulled the two men aboard the aircraft started sinking and had a very difficult takeoff.[2] The event made the newspapers across the country with a quote from one of the fishermen saying "Another 10 minutes or so and the end of the story might have been much different".[1]
On 6 September 1956, Carswell landed the Canso some 600 miles (970 km) off the west coast of
In February, the crew of a survey vessel were stranded on a small island on the Sunshine Coast. Carswell landed the Canso in a blizzard and picked up the five-man team. Once again this rescue made the newspapers across the country and in some foreign press, with the crew stating "Thank God for the RCAF".[1]
For these actions, Carswell was awarded the Air Force Cross, presented personally by Elizabeth II.[3]
Transportation safety
After retiring from the RCAF in 1970, Carswell took a position with Transport Canada's aviation safety division as a Regional Air Safety Officer.[3]
After several deadly crashes in northern Ontario, he and fellow inspector William Slaughter were asked to write a report on the operations of the bush plane companies. In 1977, Carswell booked flights for a total of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) of travel using a variety of small airlines. On these trips he noted undertrained pilots, non-functional instruments, dubious maintenance records and falsified log books. The report concluded "The timid approach to enforcement which Transport Canada is perceived to have adopted is an ineffectual deterrent that has nurtured unsatisfactory aviation safety standards."[1]
He was admonished by his boss at Transport Canada, but the report later leaked to the press. This caused enough anguish within Transport Canada that an inquiry was launched, the Dublin Commission on Aviation Safety. This led to sweeping changes in the airline industry and the eventual creation of an independent safety board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.[1]
Personal life
Carswell retired in 1988 and moved to
Carswell's grandnephew is professional footballer Sondre Solholm Johansen.[5]
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Rubin, Josh (28 July 2021). "'Andy' Carswell, a WWII flying ace who twice escaped from a German PoW camp, has died at Sunnybrook Veteran's Centre age 98". Toronto Star.
- Hopper, Tristin (29 July 2021). "Dead at 98: The decorated rescue pilot and Bomber Command veteran who brought safety to Canadian air travel". National Post.
- Carswell, Andrew (2012). Over the Wire: A Canadian Pilot's Memoir of War and Survival as a POW. Wiley. ISBN 9781118109694.
- "CARSWELL, Andrew Gordon". RCAF Association.