Eighty-five years ago this Friday, Canada experienced its deadliest airline crash at the time.
American Airlines Flight 1, en route to Detroit from Buffalo, slammed into the ground just east of Lawrence Station at 10:10 p.m. Oct. 30, 1941, killing all 20 aboard the DC-3.
The final resting spot of the Flagship Erie was in a soy field on the farm of Thompson and Viola Howe, northwest of St. Thomas.
It remains Elgin’s worst disaster — an almost forgotten chapter in the history of Southwold Township.
On Sept. 9, 2018, those 20 souls, including the Flagship Erie’s captain, David Cooper, were honoured through the efforts of the Green Lane Community Trust, the Southwold Township History Committee, S.S. #12 Southwold School Alumni and the Township of Southwold with a plaque within sight of where the Flagship Erie hit the ground – dangerously close to the Howe farmhouse – and burst into flames.
“The memorial is really an honour for the families of the survivors,” advised David Cooper Jr., who was two years old at the time of the crash that took the life of his father. He was one of 34 children left without a father that evening.
“My dad said there should be a marker put up where all these people lost their lives,” added Ken Howe, who was five at the time and whose bedroom window reflected the flames from the wreckage.
This one story of a plane crash spawned countless other stories,” advised Ross Burgar, chairman of the Southwold Township History Committee and ceremony moderator.
“Stories of people impacted by the shock of sudden loss. People with memories of witnessing such a horror. And the endless wondering why and how this anguish happened.
“For many of you, the effects of experiencing this tragedy at such a young age would influence your ideas and attitudes throughout a lifetime. It is our hope today’s gathering . . . might at least provide some measure of comfort.”
The fatal flight of Flagship Erie also was the inspiration for the theatrical production of Lawrence Station: The Crash of American Airlines Flagship Erie, by Len Cuthbert of Mount Brydges-based Fridge Door Live Theatre Company.
It debuted in April 2023 at the Keystone Complex in Shedden.
An updated version of the production, featuring music, returns to Shedden this Thursday and Friday.
Speaking with Cuthbert this week, he admitted he was surprised by the number of people who attended the original production and who had a connection to the incident.
The cause of the crash was never fully determined, and that added to the intrigue, suggested Cuthert.
“There was an extensive investigation, both by American agents and Canadian agents, and they never even published a final paper,” noted Burgar in a previous interview. “They explored so many possibilities, including pilot error, weather, a lightning strike and a Canada goose strike.
“They considered everything, but any of the pertinent evidence was destroyed in the fire, so they never were able to determine the cause. They just left it as cause unknown.”
In her closing prayer at the plaque ceremony, Rev. Diane Macpherson acknowledged, “that to some people this is just a farmer’s field, as time has eroded memories.
“Today, we acknowledge that this place is so much more than a farmer’s field. It holds a significant place in the history of this community and of the Township of Southwold, as we honour and remember the lives lost and the lives forever changed by this tragedy.”
What hasn’t changed, stressed Capt. Cooper’s son, are the ties that bind two neighbouring nations together.
“At a time when so many try to divide Americans and Canadians, we Americans want to tell you how thankful we are for your compassion and generosity over the years. It demonstrates the enduring bond of friendship between us.”
Lawrence Station: The Crash of American Airlines Flagship Erie runs Oct. 29 and 30 at the Keystone Complex in Shedden, with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. each day. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.OnStageLive.ca or at the door.
Written by Ian McCallum
Ken Howe points to the area where the Flagship Erie crashed at the family farm, east of Lawrence Station on Oct. 30, 1941. Howe was five years old at the time.
Ken Howe, left, five years old at the time of the crash, with David Cooper Jr., son of the pilot. He was two when his father perished in the wreckage on the farm of Howe’s parents.
