UA
RG 210Title :Bryan Priestman fonds
Dates : 1940-1945
Extent : 12.5 cm of textual records; 32 flight charts; 3 medals
Biographical Sketch : Bryan Priestman, the only son of well known English artist Bertram Priestman*, received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Cambridge University, England. Coming to Canada shortly after the first World War, Priestman was a lecturer in Physics at the University of Saskatchewan before entering Graduate School at McGill University where he earned a PhD. In 1929, he was appointed Head of the Department of Physics at UNB, a position which he held for twelve years.
In 1940, Bryan Priestman enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and after spending some time with the First Army Cooperation Squadron and at Headquarters in London, he transferred to the Atlantic Ferry Command, later the Transport Command. Priestman was a navigator of outstanding ability, making many trans-Atlantic flights as well as flights to North Africa and the Middle East. He eventually rose to the rank of Squadron Leader.
After his discharge in September 1945, he returned to the position of Head of the Department of Physics at UNB. On November 11, 1945, Bryan Priestman died in an attempt to rescue a drowning boy from the St. John River.
* For biographical information on Bertram Priestman see The Artist (Rare Book Periodical) v.3, n.3. May 1932. See The Artist v.1, n.1-6, March-August 1933 for articles written by Bertram Priestman.
Scope and Content : This fonds contains material related to Priestman's position as a navigator for the Royal Air Force Ferry Command. Note books, flight plans and navigation charts form the bulk of the fonds (see following pages for item level listing of RAF Ferry Command material). Also included are clippings about Priestman's death in November 1945, as well as four files relating to research carried out by Priestman on surface tension.
Access: Unrestricted
Listing of RAF Ferry Command Material:
Royal Canadian Air Force Note Book (2)
June 1940- [Training Notes]
July 1940-August 1940 [Training Notes]
RCAF T 123 Note Book for Air Observers
Signal Procedures, etc. [Training Notes]
Notes - General Method for Construction of Curves Constant Bearing
and miscellaneous sheets.
Transport Command Officers' Pro-Forma, etc. (3p.)
Flight Plans:
F.P. 1 Goose Bay to Reykjavik May 15, 1943
Delivery Sqn. 45 Gp. Type C47 No. F.D. 867
F.P. 2 Reykjavik to Prestwick May 16, 1943
- - - -
F.P. 3 Gander to Reykjavik June 4, 1943
Delivery Sqn. RAFTC Type B-24-D No. BZ.778
F.P. 4 Reykjavik to Prestwick June 5, 1943
Delivery Sqn. RAFTC Type B-24-D No. BZ.778
F.P. 5 Goose Bay to Prestwick June 21, 1943
- - Type LB30 No. AL593
F.P. 6 Prestwick to Goose Bay June 26, 1943
R.F.S. Sqn. RAFTC Type LB30 No. AL593
Preliminary Test Flight, 1907-1919 airborne 0:12
F.P. 7 Gander to Prestwick June 30. 1943
- - - No. AL593
F.P. 8 Prestwick to Gander July 10. 1943
- - - No. AL590
First attempt airborne 1903 duration 19 min.
F.P. 9 (Planned) Lyneham to Gib[ralter] August 8, 1943
(Performed) Base to Port Lyautey [Morocco]
- - - No. AL593
F.P. 10 Pt. Lyautey [Morocco] to Castel
Benito [Libya] August 9, 194[3]
- - - No.AL593
F.P. 11 Castel Benito [Libya] to Rasel
Ma [Ras el Ma, Morocco] August 10, 1943
- - - No. AL593
F.P. 12 Rasel Ma [Ras el Ma, Morocco]
to Prestwick August 10, 1943
- - - No. AL593
F.P. 13 (Planned) Gander to Prestwick August 31, 1943
(Performed) Base to Mildenhall
- - Type B24D No. BZ9[or G] 06
F.P. 14 B'da to Largs [Bermuda to
Largs, Scotland] November 24, 1943
Delivery - Type PBY No. JX279
F.P. 15 Gander to Prestwick December 24, 1943
Delivery Sqn. RAFTC Type C47 No. FL596
[attachment] Dorval to Sydney December 22, 1943
Sqn. Dakota III A/C No. FL596
F.P. 16 Gander to Prestwick March 22, 1944
- - - -
F.P. 17 B'da to Lagens [Bermuda
to Lagens, Azores] April 13, 1944
- - Type Lib B24 No. EW146
F.P. 18 I Rabat [Morocco] to Castel
Benito [Libya] April 15, 1944
- - - -
II Castel Benito to
Cairo W[est] April 16, 1944
F.P. 19 E.C. to Gander July 21, 1944
- - - No. 0.2824
F.P. 20 Gander to Reykjavik July 24, 1944
- - - -
F.P. 21 Gander to Rabat [Morocco] August 13, 1944
- - Type B24J No. KH112
F.P. 22 (Planned) Rabat [Morocco] to
Cairo W[est] August 15, 1944
(Performed) Base to Cairo
(Kilo 40)
Delivery - Type B24J No. KH112
F.P. 23 Cairo (Kilo 40) to Karachi [India] August 17, 1944
- - Type B24J No. KH112
[Interesting remarks on back of Flight Plan]
F.P. 24 Dorval to Gander September 2, 1944
- - Type B24J No. KH133
Flight Plans attached to Chart (In-Flight Chart notes: F.K.
227 Gander - Prestwick Oct 14/15 1942): [see Ch. 24]
Dorval to Kingston - Ottawa = Dorval 4/11/42
Aircraft Boston 231 -
Gander to Prestwick Oct 14/15 [1942]
Aircraft F.K.227 G./S. 199.K.
Flight Plans attached to Chart (In-Flight Chart notes: AL590
Oct 1/2 1942 G/C Powell): [see Ch.23]
Prestwick to Reykjavik Oct 1 [1942]
Aircraft AL590 G/S 159k
Goose to Montreal Oct 2 [1942]
Aircraft AL590 G/S 196k
Reykjavik to Goose Bay (via BW1) Oct 2 [ ]
Aircraft AL590 G/S 142k
Dorval to Gander Oct 13 [ ]
Aircraft FK227 -
Charts:
Ch.1 U.S. Army Air Forces. Special Air Navigation Chart
Newfoundland to Northwest Africa, N2500-E200/3500 x 8300W
(restricted)
Mercator projection true scale 1:5,000,000 along latitude
45N
Washington: US Army, Army Map Service, 1943
Ch.2 U.S. Army Air Forces. Special Air Navigation Chart [colour]
Newfoundland to Northwest Africa, N2500-E200/3500 x 8300W
(restricted)
Mercator projection true scale 1:5,000,000 along latitude
45N
Washington: US Army, Army Map Service, 1943
Ch.3 U.S. Army Air Forces. Long Range Air Navigation Chart
Arabia. N2000-E2700/2000 x 3600 (restricted) 2ed.
Mercator projection true scale 1:3,000,000 along latitude
30N
Washington: US Army, Army Map Service, 1944
-verso-
Long Range Air Navigation Chart
Arabia: Bahrein, Rhodes, and Cyprus Island
[maps and profiles]
Ch.4 U.S. Army Air Forces. Long Range Air Navigation Chart
Mediterranean. N2000-W900/2000 x 3600E (restricted)
Mercator projection true scale 1:3,000,000 along latitude
30N
Washington: US Army, Army Map Service, 1944
-verso-
Long Range Air Navigation Chart
Mediterranean: Island of Malta and Crete
Ch.5 R.A.F. Transport Command.North Atlantic Plotting Chart
[misc. notes in margin]
Dorval, Quebec: No. 45 (Atlantic Transport) Group, August
1943
Ch.6 R.A.F. Transport Command.North Atlantic Plotting Chart
Dorval, Quebec: No. 45 (Atlantic Transport) Group, August
1943
Ch. 7 Gnomonic Chart for facilitating Great Circle Sailing
North Atlantic.
London: Admiralty, 12 January 1914 (repro. Canadian
Hydrographic Service, May 15, 1941)
Ch.8 Gnomonic Chart for facilitating Great Circle Sailing
North Atlantic.
London: Admiralty, 12 January 1914 (repro. Canadian
Hydrographic Service, May 15, 1941, reprint July 1941)
Ch.9 Mercator Plotting Chart
North Atlantic
[Notes: AM 258 1942 Aug 5-6, in pencil]
Ch.10 North Atlantic Plotting Sheet
[Notes: May 15 Goose Bay only serviceable runway: -No 1.
NE-SW (gravelled) Range not calibrated, in pencil]
Ch.11 Mercator Plotting Chart
North Atlantic
[Notes: Liberator AL504 Prestwick-Dorval (via Gander) night of June 14-15 1942,
in blue pencil]
[Notes: Zone 12 Cloud tops 21 000 ft., in pencil]
[Notes, verso: Atlantic Chart used 1942 June 14-15
(AL504), in blue pencil]
Ch.12 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
[Notes: Az & Alt plotted for 1942 Nov 13, in pencil]
[Notes: It is sufficient that the posn. of observ be
within 100' (or so) of the plotted A.P.]
Ch.13 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
[Notes: Azimuths plotted for Nov 25, in pencil]
[Notes: from day postpone time of shot 20 sec.
to day Az. remains const. Alt. decreases 11'
in pencil]
Ch.14 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
[Notes: Gander
have North Sector A
Torbay
others: North Sector N
Nwp 323~ ?? what range, in pencil]
Ch.15 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
[Notes: Ranges Gander
have North Sector A
Torbay
others " " " N
in pencil]
Ch.16 Mercator Plotting Chart
North American Eastern Seaboard
Ch.17 Mercator Plotting Chart
North America Eastern Seaboard [portion]
Ch.18 [Half-map showing Great Britain, Ireland, France, North
Africa, Spain]
32ed., June 1930, No. 956
Ch.19 Navigational Star Chart (with hand-drawn star chart)
Ch.20 Star Chart
Star Recognition Chart
Zenithal Equidistant Projection
Ch.21 North Atlantic Plotting Sheet
[Note: attached are a number of calculation sheets
relating to Constant Bearing Curves]
Ch.22 [Chart]
[Atlantic]
[Notes: blue on white; broadcasting stations marked]
Ch.23 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart, flight plan attached
[Notes: chart in 2 pieces; AL590 Oct 1/2 1942
(G/C Powell), in pencil]
Ch.24 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart, flight plan attached
[Notes: F.K.227 Gander-Prestwick Oct 14/15 1942, in
pencil]
[Notes: weather comments]
[Notes, verso: Gander-Prestwick Oct 14/15 1942, in
pencil]
Ch.25 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart, have flight plan in
collection
[Notes: Capt Bowen BZ778 June 4/5 1943, in pencil]
Ch.26 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart, have flight plan in
collection
[Notes: Capt Ruggles DC3, in pencil]
[Notes: BZ906 Aug 31 1943, in red pencil]
Ch.27 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart, have flight plan in
collection
[Notes: 1943 June 26/27
1943 June 21/22
Ch.28 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
Jamaica-Borinquen-Trinidad-Georgetown
[Note: part of Ferry Command's Southern Route]
Ch.29 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
Trinidad-Belem-Natal
[Note: Beacons: Belem
Sao Luiz
Fortaleza
Natal
in blue pencil]
[Note: part of Ferry Command's Southern Route]
Ch.30 Navigator's 'In-Flight' Chart
Natal-Bathurst-Ascension-Kano
[Note: part of Ferry Command's Southern Route]
R.A.F.F.C., Dec. 15, 1942
Ch.31 Mercator ... [partial chart]
[Note: shows eastern US, part of Ferry Command's Southern
Route]
Ch.32 [Chart]
Tampa-Nassau-Puerto Rico
[Note: part of Ferry Command's Southern Route]
ON LOAN FROM FACULTY OF SCIENCE (JAN. 3, 1996):
Medals - Carnegie Hero Fund (replica of original)
- Carnegie Hero Fund with inscription
- Royal Canadian Humane Association (replica of original)
with copy of citation
Pamphlets - Carnegie Hero Fund Commission - Seventy-five years.
1904-1979.
- Carnegie Hero Fund Commission - Annual Report 1980.
- Farmer, T.W.D. - History of the Royal Canadian Humane
Association. 1976.
MORE ON BRYAN PRIESTMAN