Flying
Officer J.J.R. (RAY) BÉDARD
Royal
Canadian Air Force
The
son of Paul Emile Bédard and Marguerite Moore,and the
husband of the former Mizpah Jane Wood, F/O Joseph Jean
Raymond Bédard (age 25) was a native
of (Malton) Ottawa, Ontario.
While
stationed at North Luffenham, England, 32496 Flying Officer Ray
Bédard was killed when his Canadian F-86 Mark II Sabre Serial Number
19193 crashed during a training exercise on the 23 June, 1953.The
following entry is from 439's Operations Record Book:
Flying Officer
Ray Bédard was on an exercise with Flying Officer Fowler and
Wilkonson when he became separated from them and no R/T (radio)
contact could be made. Later in the day a call was received that a
Sabre had crashed near Boston, in the county of Lincolnshire.
Witnesses
said that they had seen the jet emerge from a cloud layer with the
engine sputtering and the fuselage ablaze. After turning in a
semi-circle, the Sabre nose-dived and crashed into the earth creating
a 30 foot crater and missing several cottages only a few feet away. It
was hoped that F/O Bedard had ejected from the aircraft, but further
investigation proved that he had stayed with his Sabre.
The
second of five children, Flying Officer Ray Bédard also left behind
two sisters and two brothers, as well as a son, born 3 months almost
to the day following this tragic accident.
Following entry is from
The Canadian Virtual War Memorial website courtesy of the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
32496 Flying Officer Ray Bédard is buried at
Brookwood Military Cemetery in England Grave Reference: Canadian
Annexe, Row C, Grave 9.
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The above plaque was unveiled
on the 50th anniversary of F/O Bédard's crash .
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"The
gate is at the entrance to the cemetery. It was a
beautiful day, the gate is at the end of a long drive lined
with tall conifers. The second picture is of the
actual grave. I picked flowers in the surrounding
woods to place on the marker. It was a very moving
experience to see this grave. The third picture is of
the Canadian annex. That is where Canadian soldiers
killed after the war are buried. The cemetery was
beautiful, well maintained. I'm really glad I
went. I gave my dad copies of the pictures when I came
back and he was all choked up. He's never been.
My uncle was actually buried the first time closer to where
he was killed. I'm not sure where actually. I
just know that his grave was moved."
Photos
provided through the courtesy of the Bédard Family
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