Watson Lake Memorial Cairn

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the crew of an RCAF Lincoln bomber which crashed in Watson Lake in 1948, killing one of the crew members.

"This cairn is dedicated to the ground crews and pilots who flew the Northwest Staging Route and participated in the Winter Experimental Establishment between 1941 and 1957. Three service men were killed at Watson Lake during their tour of duty with this program. Lieutenant Gerald Quarton, RCN, died when his Hawker Sea Fury crashed in 1948; Leading Aircraftman Ernest McWilliams, RCAF, died when an Avro Lincoln Bomber crashed into Watson Lake in 1948; and Flying Officer Walter Mollon, RCAF, died in a Hawker Sea Fury crash in 1951. The propeller is from the Avro Lincoln that crashed in Watson Lake."

[plaque/plaque]

THIS CAIRN IS DEDICATED TO THE MEN WHO FLEW [illegible] IN THE LEND LEASE PROGRAM AND THE WINTER [illegible] ESTABLISHED [illegible]

THE FOLLOWING TRANSCRIPT IS THE FINAL FLIGHT OF AIRCRAFT SX 924, A LINCOLN MK II. THIS TRANSCRIPT WAS PROVIDED BY RICHARD THOMAS THE FLIGHT ENGINEER.

ON NOVEMBER 10, 1948 AT 1515 HOURS A LINCOLN AIRCRAFT SX 924 LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY AT R.C.A.F. STATION EDMONTON ON A ROUTINE TRIP TO WATSON LAKE, Y.T. (XD-OH).
THE AIRCRAFT HAD A CREW OF FOUR. THE PILOT, FLIGHT ENGINEER, NAVIGATOR, AND RADIO OPERATOR. BESIDES THE CREW, THERE WERE TWO GROUND CREW ASSIGNED TO SERVICE THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE RETURN TRIP THE NEXT DAY. ALSO ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE A W/C ENGINEERING OFFICER ON A FAMILIARIZATION TRIP AND SIX RADAR OPERATORS BEING POSTED TO WATSON LAKE.
IN THE BOMB BAY WAS A CARGO OF 3,000 LBS. OF 20 MM. CANNON SHELLS PACKED ON PLATFORMS SUSPENDED FROM THE BOMB RACKS FOR COLD WEATHER ARMAMENT TRIALS AT WATSON LAKE.
THE LINCOLN MK II WAS ON STRENGTH AT WESTERN EXPERIMENTAL ESTABLISHMENT (W.E.E.) FOR WINTER TRIALS, AND WAS MANUFACTURED BY [illegible]. A MUCH LARGER AIRCRAFT THAN THE LANCASTER, IT CARRIED HEAVIER ARMAMENT AND A LARGER BOMB LOAD, WITH AN OVERALL WEIGHT OF 83,000 LBS., AND A FUEL LOAD OF 2,130 GALLONS.
ASIDE FROM SOME ICING WHICH REQUIRED A CLIMB TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE, THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL DESCENDING TO 1,000 FT. OVER WATSON LAKE IN THE DARK AT 1045 HOURS, AND COMMENCING THE DOWN [illegible] IN THE LANDING PATTERN. BANKING TO PORT TO LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY AT THE FAR END OF THE LAKE, WITHOUT WARNING BOTH PORT ENGINES FAILED. WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON THE PORT SIDE, DESPITE FULL EMERGENCY POWER ON THE TWO STARBOARD ENGINES, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LOSE ALTITUDE IN A PORT ENGINE DOWN SIDE SLIP.
RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM AS FUEL FAILURE, IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS TAKEN TO TRANSFER FUEL FROM THE STARBOARD WING TANK TO THE PORT ENGINES. AT THE SAME TIME THE BOMB DOORS WERE OPENED AND AN ATTEMPT MADE TO JETTISON THE EXPLOSIVE CARGO. WHEN THE LOAD DID NOT RELEASE, THE FLIGHT ENGINEER LEFT HIS POSITION AND WENT INTO THE BOMB AIMER POSITION TO JETTISON THE CARGO ELECTRICALLY. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE LAKE. THE PILOT, SEEING THE LAKE COMING UP, CUT THE POWER TO THE STARBOARD ENGINES WHICH ENABLED HIM TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AND BRING THE NOSE UP.
THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE WATER AND BROKE IN HALF AFT OF THE WINGS. THE FORWARD SECTION CONTINUED ON COMING TO REST ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE SHORE IN 25 FEET OF WATER WITH THE COCKPIT CANOPY ABOVE WATER.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO CREWMEN, ALL PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE ABLE TO SCRAMBLE THROUGH THE EMERGENCY HATCHES ONTO THE ROOF OF THE CANOPY.
IT WAS PITCH DARK, AND THE WATER WAS AT FREEZING TEMPERATURE WITH A SKIM OF ICE. THE TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW FREEZING.

ONE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN RIDING IN THE NAVIGATOR COMPARTMENT IN THE NOSE SECTION DISAPPEARED AND DESPITE EFFORTS TO LOCATE HIM IN THE DARK AND UNDER WATER, THE BODY WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE NEXT DAY IN THE NOSE TURRET WHERE HE HAD BEEN HURLED [illegible] ON IMPACT.
THE FLIGHT ENGINEER WAS TRAPPED IN THE BOMB AIMER POSITION AND ALTHOUGH SUBMERGED IN ICY WATER MANAGED TO SCRAMBLE UP INTO THE COCKPIT AND WAS HAULED THROUGH THE ESCAPE HATCH.
IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE BEING RESCUED BY BOAT, BUT IT WAS A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FOR THE SURVIVORS, AS A CRASH INTO THE HEAVILY WOODED AREA AROUND THE LAKE WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL FOR ALL.
IRONICALLY, THE CREWMAN WHO DIED WAS ON THE FLIGHT AS A RESULT OF A COIN TOSS. ONLY ONE ENGINE TECHNICIAN COULD BE TAKEN ON THE FLIGHT AND THE TWO TECHNICIANS ASSIGNED TO THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED A COIN TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD GO.
DURING THE CRASH INVESTIGATION IT WAS CONCLUDED FUEL STARVATION TO THE PORT ENGINES CAUSED THE CRASH, BUT IT WAS MANY MONTHS LATER WHEN ENOUGH OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SALVAGED THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE WAS DETERMINED.
THE REFUELLING VEHICLES AT R.C.A.F. STATION EDMONTON WERE PREVIOUSLY THE PROPERTY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE OPERATING OUT OF NAMAO DURING WORLD WAR II AND LATER TURNED OVER TO THE R.C.A.F. THE FUEL HOSE HAD DETERIORATED INTERNALLY AND LARGE PIECES OF THE RUBBER LINING HAD BEEN DISCHARGED INTO THE LINCOLN FUEL TANKS DURING REFUELLING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLOGGED THE MAIN FUEL FILTER FEEDING THE PORT ENGINES.
TODAY, THE BONES OF LINCOLN SX 924 CAN STILL BE SEEN ON THE SHORES OF WATSON LAKE. THE BAY WHERE THE CRASH OCCURRED HAS BEEN NAMED "BOMBER BAY", AND IS SITUATED DIRECTLY SOUTH OF THE WATSON LAKE AIRPORT.