No. 28 Radar Detachment

Cape St. James, BC

Sixty years ago on July 24th 1943, the RCAF marine vessel M427 BC Star, a requisitioned 70 ton fishing boat, departed Bella Bella BC for the coastal radar station under construction at Cape St. James in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Manned by an all RCAF crew of ten and tasked with the delivery of construction materials (43 tons of gravel and cement) and six members of No. 9 Construction and Maintenance Unit (9 CMU) to the radar site, it never arrived at its final destination. On 6 August 1943 the BC Star was declared missing and by 8 March 1944 when Air Force HQ announced that personnel lost on board the vessel were presumed dead, only two bodies and miscellaneous debris were ever recovered. The exact cause of the disappearance remains a mystery. This incident was the single greatest loss of life to occur during CMU operational activities during the Second World War and maybe the greatest loss of life to Canadian military construction tradesmen to date. Due to wartime secrecy the sinking of the BC Star never gained widespread publicity. In the summer of 1943 the Japanese were still a threat, although diminishing, in the Pacific North West; having occupied Alaska's Aleutian Islands since 1942.

The 9 CMU war diary reveals the following entries concerning the BC Star:

6 Aug 43 MV BC Star was declared missing by WAC with all hands: Sgt Slater, F/S Drouillard, Sgt Hearfield, LAC Stead, and AC1 Vollhoffer of this unit were passengers on the boat. Next of kin were notified.

24 Aug 43 Western Air Command released the information that two bodies had been picked up near the spot where the BC Star was last reported. No identification has yet been established, although a tunic found, bore the number of LAC Stead of No.9 CMU, Vancouver.

21 Sep 43 A committee of Adjustment was appointed with F/L Ross as president and F/L Robinson and F/O Berwick as members to take action as required on the service estate of Cpl Polec, missing on the BC Star.

25 Oct 43 F/L Borthwick was posted to No. 1 Training Command effective October 24, reporting October 29. As F/L Borthwick was required to attend a Court of Inquiry into the loss of the MV BC Star permission was obtained from AFHQ to postpone posting date until completion of Court.

27 Oct 43 A court of inquiry composed of W/C Tuille No. 4 Group HQ, S/L Edwards, WAC HQ, F/O Beck, Prince Rupert and F/O Berry, Prince Rupert, reported to No. 9 CMU and proceeded to take evidence concerning the loss of the MV BC Star.

28 Oct 43 The Court of Inquiry regarding the BC Star continued with the following personnel on strength of 9 CMU giving evidence. S/L Purvis, F/L Borthwick, F/O Hansen and Sgt Schiltz.

8 Mar 44 Advice received from Air Force Headquarters that Unit personnel on board MV BC Star when boat was lost July 24, 1943 now presumed dead.

The last entry, over 7 months after the sinking of the BC Star closed the book on this incident.

The Crew of the BC Star:
Flt Sgt, WA Mitchell, age 23
Sgt WAG, WM MacNeil, age 24
Sgt, PE Olsen, age 22
Cpl, CG Glover, age 21
LAC, FC Mack, age 22
LAC, HF Oakenfold, age 19
LAC, CJ Sherlock, age 37
AC1, McFadyen, age age 18
AC2, GA Davies, age 18
AC2, MD Onuski, age 18

The Passengers (No. 9 Construction Maintenance Unit)
Flt Sgt, RH Drouillard, age 31
Sgt, JD Hearfield, age 22
Sgt, JC Slater, age 36
Cpl, TL Polec, age 25
LAC, GT Stead, age 21
AC1, T Vollhoffer, age 19

by MWO Scott Laird, 4 AES, July 2003

References:
History of the CMU's and 1 CEU: CWO KM Deller; 1985
Jericho Beach and the West Coast Flying Boat Stations: Chris Weicht; 1997; MCW Enterprises
9 CMU War Diary, 1942-47: Microfilm C12391; National Archives of Canada
They Shall Grow Not Old, Memorial Book: Les Allison and Harry Hayward; 1995; Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Inc.;