Warbird Information Exchange

It may not matter to you RAVEN; it does matter to me. Sure the proof is in what you get home with. I was just illustrating that i think there will be more aircraft to be revovered and i illustrated it by referencing the point that at one time i did quite a bit of research in this regard. Have you ever recovered an aircraft?

You are using 44-53045 as the P-38 Serial number and I believe it is 44-53145. Check Joe Baugher's serial number list.

Joue Baugher is incorrect, he has transposed the digits - I will email him and let him know - 53045 and 53145 - The construction number is the clue

44-53045 is 8300
44-53145 cannot be 8300 as it is between 53100 (c/n 422-8355) and 53180 (c/n 8470)

This was taken from Joe Baugher's Serial Number List:

44-53145 (c/n 422-8300, F-5G-6-LO) on civil registry as CF-HSC. Crashed
Jun 25, 1956, Prince George, BC. Pilot and passenger killed.

This was taken from Joe Baugher's Serial Number List:

44-53145 (c/n 422-8300, F-5G-6-LO) on civil registry as CF-HSC. Crashed
Jun 25, 1956, Prince George, BC. Pilot and passenger killed.

I emailed Joe and pointed out the error and now his serials site says

53045 (c/n 422-8300, F-5G-6-LO) on civil registry as CF-HSC. Crashed
Jun 25, 1956, Prince George, BC. Pilot and passenger killed.

Sadly Ford Gainforth died back in 2003 in Trenton and pretty sure he was flying the Hurricane you mentioned. It was apparently found in 1963 with guns and ammo removed. Possibly DND from Comox as I understand they had a list of all missing aircraft on Van Island and they found this one. Unclear if she is still there.

Airmen Tells Girl Plane Crash Kept Him From Wedding

VANCOUVER, March 14 (Canada Press) - Sgt Ford Gainforth, RCAF explained to his bride-to-be, Miss Gertrude Blasche, Saturday that he was unable to appear for their wedding last Thursday, his 24 birthday because of a plane crash.

The young flier from Clinton, Ontario who parachuted to earth in the vicinity of Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island, and walked on a sprained ankle for four days to safety, told his story today from a hospital bed.

Gainforth was on a routine operational flight when his plane got into difficulties and he was forced to bail out about 4 pm last Saturday.

Lands on top of tree

Gainforth side he landed on top of a tall tree, climbed down to the last branch and then dropped about 30 feet to the ground spraining his ankle.

For the next four days he continued to follow the route of a river, with nothing but spring water to sustain him.

Meantime, he built fires each night to keep off the chill, using any papers he had on his person. He was prepared to burn up $97 in bills he had in his wallet but reached help before this was necessary.

Late last Wednesday afternoon Gainforth came to the shack of Andrew Hansen, a fisherman who got a tug and went to a settlement to radiophone the news of the flyer's safety.

Phones bride-to-be

Soon after arriving at a Western Canadian Airport, he telephoned Miss Blasche at Vancouver to let her know he had survived the parachuting from his plane.

"I'm sorry I balled up your wedding." Sgt Gainforth told his fiancée Sgt. Gainforth told his fiancée. Present plans are for Miss Blasche and Gainforth to be married here next week.