Newfoundland & Labrador Tragedies

Newfoundland is an area where disasters were almost a way of life. The geographical position of the Island is such that it is in the path of a lot of inclement weather.

During WW11 it was necessary for aircraft flying across the Atlantic Ocean to stop in Newfoundland to refuel, regardless of the weather, resulting in many fatal crashes. It was interesting to see that some of those crashes impacted on the search for the Sabena aircraft. Warrant Gunner R.J. O’Leary, USCG, in his report on the search, had this to say: “Once airborne, LCDR Schrader’s crew spotted five crashes through holes and rifts in the fog. All were checked and determined to be World War 11 wrecks”.

“I chose the five stories for the book because I was familiar with the areas where they occurred and, over the years, had accumulated some knowledge that I felt should be passed on. This was the situation in the story ‘Diary of one now dead’, of which very little is known. The same applies to the Bowdoin expedition of 1891, which could be considered a part of the history of Labrador.”