![[Bristol Freighter]](../../planes/bristol-1.jpg)
![[Bristol Freighter]](../../planes/bristol-2.jpg)
Bristol Freighter KC-697 in flight
Courtesy CF Photo
The RCAF flew six Bristol Freighters, although two were written off in France. One of these was KC-9696 which was involved in a crash at 1 (F) Wing, Marville on 3 December 1955. This crash took the lives of six military personnel - all of which were buried at the RCAF military cemetery at Choloy, France.
KC-697 (depicted below) was struck off strength on 21 January, 1964 after a category A accident while serving with the Air Division. This aircraft crashed while on approach to 1 (F) Wing on 30 December 1963. The crash took the lives of seven service and civilian personnel. KC-697 was one of six Freighters on strength with the RCAF from 25 April, 1952 until the fleet was retired on 16 May, 1967 and one of three Mk. 31Cs with the remaining aircraft being a single Mk. 31 and two Mk. 31Ms.
Bristol Freighter KC-697 in flight
Courtesy CF Photo
More than half of the 214 Freighters built went to various military forces with the Pakistani Air Force by far the largest single operator with 73. New Zealand, Argentina, the UK, and Canada also employed them, as did other countries and it is perhaps most generally remembered for its role in the highly visibile cross-channel car ferry service.
The remainder of the fleet were retired to storage in the UK until purchased from Crown Assets by Wardair and put to work in northern Canada where their tough construction and big clamshell doors were advantages especially to the mining industry. The surviving RCAF aircraft were converted to civilian standard in England and went to Wardair in 1968 and '69 along with spares for the bargain price of $40,000.00. The final remaining survivor, CF-WAE (ex-RCAF 9699) of Norcair was donated to the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Photographed over an European airfield this Freighter and Dakota (as seen below) in all likelihood belonged to 137 Transport Flight which was formed at RCAF Lachine (Dorval), Quebec on 1 August, 1952 and transferred to 1 Air Division as a component of 30 Air Material Base at RAF Langar, England on 20 October, 1952. The flight was tasked with transporting personnel and supplies as well as dis-assembled aircraft, and with ferrying aircraft to and from overhaul and rebuild facilities in England. The flight was also tasked to test fly aircraft that had been so refitted. The unit had on its strength six Bristol 170 Mk.31M Freighters, one Dakota (662), and two Dakota Mk. IIIs (KG441 and KG455).![[Bristol Freighter]](../../planes/bristol-3.jpg)
RCAF Bristol Freighter and RCAF Dakota in flight
Courtesy CF Photo