HALIFAX — Relatives of a Second World War airman were expected to gather with others today for a ceremony near the remote site in Cape Breton where he died in a crash 80 years ago.
A local non-profit group plans to unveil two commemorative panels in Cape Breton Highlands National Park to pay tribute to 21-year-old Pilot Officer William Arthur James Bennet, who was originally from Montreal.
On Aug. 6, 1944, Bennet was flying a Royal Canadian Air Force training aircraft with three other airmen aboard when they entered thick fog near Cap Rouge, N.S., and crashed into Jerome Mountain, northeast of Cheticamp, N.S.
The injured passengers were rescued the next day but it took two days for a search team to retrieve Bennet’s body from the mountain’s steep, thickly wooded slopes.
An RCAF inquiry later determined the aircraft was well south of its intended course over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but it was unclear what caused the navigation error.
Today’s public event at the Mkwesaqtuk-Cap-Rouge Campground was organized by Les Amis du Plein Air, a group of outdoor enthusiasts who work with Parks Canada.
Relatives of some of the surviving crew members were also expected to attend the event.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.
The Canadian Press
