Deseronto Archives

Cadet Herbert Fielding Paul died at Camp Mohawk on this day in 1918 as a result of a flying accident. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on November 24th, 1917 and was accepted into the Corps in Toronto three days later. He was 24 years old and five feet eight inches tall. His regimental number was 153008.

Herbert was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia on August 11th, 1893, the son of Elisha Budd Paul and Lavinia Paul. At the time of enlisting, he was working as a civil engineer. He was attached to 82 Canadian Training Squadron at Camp Mohawk, part of 42nd Wing at Deseronto.

The official Royal Air Force report into the accident states only that he was killed in Canada. The death registration entry records that death was caused by “Fall with aeroplane”. The Court of Inquiry held the day after the crash found that the right hand wing of the aircraft broke off when it was at a height of 6,000 feet, from an unknown cause or causes.

Belleville’s Intelligencer newspaper gave a different account of the accident:

Spinning Nose Dive Carried Young Cadet to Instant Death

Cadet Herbert Paul, No. 153,008, was instantly killed in a crash at Camp Mohawk at 9.30 on Saturday afternoon. It is believed the accident was due to a spinning nose dive. Cadet Paul was a Canadian training with the Royal Air Force and his next of kin is E. Paul, Springhill, Nova Scotia. He was a young man of great promise, bright and genial and had the makings of a brilliant aviator. He was a prime favorite in the camp and his passing is regretted.

Cadet Paul was 1800 feet in the air in a solo flight when his machine was observed to being a spinning nose dive and escape from the control of the young aviator. The plane struck the ground with great force and was smashed to pieces, the cadet being instantly killed.

Paul was buried in Hillside Cemetery, Springhill, Nova Scotia.