Community members held a Remembrance Ceremony for the lives lost on 20 March, 1958
On 20 March, 2024, CFB Borden military members and veterans from the Angus Legion gathered at the Angus Cenotaph to remember the deaths of one Airman and six civilians who lost their lives in an explosion at the RCAF 13 X RCAF Ammunition Depot building, known presently as the Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot (CFAD) in Angus Ont.
On this day 66 years ago at 1606 hrs, an explosion occurred in the receipts and issues building at 13 X. The building was destroyed and engulfed in thick black smoke, allowing for two members of the crew to survive including 17-year-old Reg Rawn from Glencairn, Ont. and 32-year-old Cpl Tom Cartwright who escaped the building in time to help the firefighting operation.
Explosive Safety Officer Dave Gillis lead the ceremony and reminded all in attendance of the efforts made by the Borden fire halls and hospital to aid the injured and minimize damage. Although the incident didn’t receive much media attention, the community felt it.
“The accident also impacted many local communities, leaving behind 20 children, wives, brothers, sisters, friends and loved ones,” Gillis said.
The fallen crew members included Leading Aircraftsman Earle Claude Boughner, age 27 of Guelph, Ont., Lawrence Alton Dobss, age 31 of Glencairn, Ont., Robert Cecil McGillvray, age 39 of New Lowell, Ont., Edward James Trott, age 54 of Avening, Ont., Howard Russell Thompson, age 31 of Barrie, Ont., Wayne Charles Kennard, age 18 of Angus, Ont and Elliot Edwin Bush, age 42 of Utopia, Ont.
Now occupying the site of the building is a parking lot as all that was left behind from the explosion was a brick chimney and roof trusses.
The memorial stone and plaque located at Clark St. and Queen St. at the Angus Cenotaph were dedicated back in August 2005 and says:
IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO
LOST THEIR LIVES IN 13X
EXPLOSION MARCH 20, 1958
LAC EARL C. BOUGHNER
EDWIN ELLIOT BUSH
LAWRENCE DOBS
WAYNE CHARLES KENNARD
ROBERT C. McGILLVARY
HOWARD THOMPSON
EDWARD TROTT
The ceremony concluded once the CFAD wreath was laid in front of the plaque and Ammunition Techs paraded out of the ceremony.
By: Caleb Hooper
