The last death associated with an aircraft at the Deseronto pilot training camps took place on the last day of the First World War. The victim was Joseph McDermid, described on the death registration as a worker for the Imperial Munitions Board. It is not clear whether he was “killed by aeroplane” on the ground or whether he was in the air at the time of the accident.

The registration does not give an age for McDermid, or a place of birth, so it is difficult to find out more about this man, especially as he was not employed by the Royal Air Force. It is even hard to know exactly where he died, as the registration states ‘Camp Rathbun’, but the death was registered in the ‘Mohawk Reserve Tyendinaga’ district of Hastings, which would normally suggest that the death took place at Camp Mohawk.

Joseph McDermid death registrationPlease comment if you have more information about Joseph or his family, or where he was buried.