Details:
21 July 1955
F/O BG "Bruce" Donald - 416 Squadron - flying in Sabre #23154
F/O JEA "Emile" Noel - 416 Squadron - flying in Sabre #23099
Comments by Gaston Mineault:
I had been directed to proceed to the site of the crash. As I was nearing Faulquemont I saw civilians walking towards brushes so I deducted that this was the site of the crash. I parked the AFP panel truck on the side of the road and ran in the same direction that the people were heading. The brush patch was not wide and it was only there to separate two open fields. I noticed two F-86 Sabres – one seemed to be complete less the canopy, and the other was missing a wing and the canopy. They were about 400 feet apart. One of the railroad tracks was buckled up and the other was intact. I ran to the farthest and noticed it was Emile Noel. His was not breathing. I ran to the other and it was soon apparent that this was Bruce Donald. What a shock! As everything was under control, I advised Sgt. Joe Trepanier that I was walking back to the truck and would contact FS Art Cave for instructions. I was advised that there was a third plane in a field about one mile away but everything was under control there so I was to return to base as there were only two policemen left on duty at the guardhouse.
I returned to base and learned that F/L Pat Paterson was at the Faulquemnont SNCF railroad station with his family returning to Canada as his service time had expired. He was a very much loved Flight Commander so F/O Emile Noel, F/O Bruce Donald, F/O Howarth and F/O Allingham had obtained permission to make a fly pass over the railroad station while Pat and Family would be out watching.
They did one pass (like for funerals) and then Emile took a dive under the other aircraft and when ahead of them, he made a loop and took his position back. They saw that the train had not left Sarreguemines Station, so they regrouped over St Avold and repeated the fly pass. However this time it did not go very well. One of Emile’s wings collided with one of Bruce’s. They both had time to line up for the empty field Emile landed in the right portion of the field while Bruce landed on the left side close to the railroad tracks. Upon touching ground, Bruce’s left wing separated from the body of the airplane and landed on the rails which caused them to buckle up. Thanks to the presence of mind of one of the people (believed to be Pat who saw what had happened) the RR Station attendant telephoned Sarreguemines and advised them to use the other siding.
F/O Howarth was flying behind Bruce and Emile and his aircraft took some debris in its intake. He was forced to land in a grain field that had not been harvested yet – almost directly in front of "Ma Hemerings" establishment. He pancaked his aircraft wheels up and did not suffer a scratch. He got out of the plane, removed his parachute and helmet and, holding one on his shoulder and the other under his arm, he walked to the road and got a ride to the base. He was less in a state of shock than I am, just relating the detail of the crash. After having been checked at the hospital, had dinner at the mess and then spent the evening at the Officers’ Mess (bar). He had nerves of steel.
F/O Allingham who suffered no scratches and whose aircraft was intact had to repeat his landing approach a couple of times before landing at the airfield. He suffered a terrible shock and spent the evening at the hospital under observation.