Lockheed-Vega Ventura 2218 - Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Posted by: 
The A-Team
N 48° 43.648 W 124° 18.069
10U E 404313 N 5397976
On April 25, 1944, a Royal Canadian Air Force Lockheed-Vega Ventura GR.V, serial number 2218, crashed into Mount Bolduc south of Cowichan Lake in British Columbia, Canada.
Waymark Code: WM12XCK
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 07/31/2020
Views: 6
The aircraft was originally built as a Lockheed-Vega PV-1 Ventura for the US Navy (serial number 33365). It was later transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force, redesignated a Ventura GR.V (serial number 2218), and stationed at Tofino as part of the No. 115 Squadron RCAF.
On April 25, 1944, the aircraft left RCAF Station Patricia Bay en route to Tofino. Disoriented in clouds, the aircraft struck trees near the summit of Mount Bolduc and disintegrated, killing all six crew members.
It took four days for rescue crews to arrive at the crash site due to the steep and treacherous terrain. The acting coroner on the scene determined that it would be nearly impossible to bring out the bodies of the crew, so they were buried on-site. A one square mile area around the crash site is officially designated as a war grave.
Due to the speed of the aircraft at the time of the crash, very few large pieces of the aircraft remain. The engines are recognizable, as well as some heavily-damaged pieces of fuselage and control cables, but most other pieces are unrecognizable.
An information board and memorial plaque have been installed at the site. The plaque reads:
Those honoured here
died in the service
of their country
and are buried nearby
25th April 1944
Warrant Officer I Lawrence Kerr
Sergeant Harry Arthur Maki
Flying Officer John Ernest Moyer
Flying Officer Ambrose Moynagh
Wrt. Officer I Brinsley George Henry Palmer
Ldg. Aircraftman Murray Thomas Robertson
The crash site can be reached via the Mount Bolduc Forest Service Road, branch road B-80, and then a 100-metre trail. A high-clearance vehicle capable of negotiating steep, rough roads is required.