Floyd Joseph Dwyer signature

Floyd Joseph Dwyer of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, died of a fractured skull in a flying accident at Camp Taliaferro in Texas on this day in 1918. He had joined the Royal Flying Corps in Toronto on July 17th, 1917 and was a member of 87 Canadian Training Squadron, which was part of the Deseronto Wing. He claimed he was 19 when he enlisted, giving the name of a friend, Mr E. O. Bowman of 678 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, as his next of kin. His regimental number was 74247 and he was five feet five inches tall.

The official report of Dwyer’s accident notes that he was flying alone in a Curtiss JN-4 which crashed upside down in a field to the northwest of the camp; the cause of his crash was unknown. He was attached to 87 Canadian Training Squadron. At the Court of Inquiry held the same day, 2nd Lieutenant James gave the following statement:

Detail of Attorney General's 1918 file RG4-32/800 from the Archives of Ontario

Detail of Attorney General’s 1918 file RG4-32/800 from the Archives of Ontario

3rd witness:- 2/Lieut. F. James, states:-

I was Cadet Dwyer’s instructor and gave him five hours and 50 minutes dual instruction. I could have soloed him sooner, but he shewed a tendency to stunt dangerously close to the ground. He was repeatedly warned against doing this, both by Captain Fairbairn and myself. I also gave Cadet Dwyer 85 minutes higher training. He had 18 hours solo and had looped several times. He was a good pilot, but inclined to be reckless.

[signed] F. James, 2/Lt

Dwyer was buried on May 4th, 1918 in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery in Montreal.

Floyd Dwyer was the last casualty of the Deseronto Wing of the Royal Flying Corps in their Texas winter quarters: within three weeks of his death the training squadrons had returned to Camp Mohawk and Camp Rathbun.