Victor Raymond Evans signature
On this day in 1918 Victor Raymond Evans, a cadet in the Royal Flying Corps, was killed at Camp Mohawk, the pilot training camp near Deseronto. He was born in Bradford, Ontario, on October 18th, 1896, the son of William Evans and Martha (née Neilly).Victor signed up in Toronto on November 14th, 1917 and was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps on December 10th. His regimental number was 153475. He was five feet five and a quarter inches tall. Evans was serving with 79 Canadian Training Squadron at the time of his death. The official Royal Air Force report noted the following facts about the accident which killed him:

…Date of Casualty: 24.4.18
Where occurred: Canada Camp Mohawk
Type of Machine: Curtiss J.N.4 C477
Nature and Cause of Accident: Struck on head by propellor while getting out of front of machine
Result of Accident: Killed
Name of other Occupant of Machine: 2nd Lt. J. I. [John Inglis] Bedingfield uninjured

The Court of Inquiry verdict was:

Victor Raymond Evans verdict of Court of Inquiry

Detail from Attorney General’s 1918 file RG4-32/1152 at the Archives of Ontario

The Cause of the accident was in our opinion that Cadet Evans V.R. No. 153475 whilst on duty at Camp Mohawk, Deseronto, on 25th April, 1918, about 11 o’clock a.m., after having come down from an instructional flight under 2/Lieut. J.I. Bedingfield in Machine C-477, got out of the front seat of the machine contrary to instructions, and walked into the propellor.

Victor was buried in Bayfield Cemetery, Ontario.