Catégorie : Collaboration

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Henri Alphonse St-Yves

Ça commence bien une journée n’est-ce pas?

Bon matin Pierre,
J’ai son log book qui certifie que R206636 ou J89719 Flying Officer H. A. St-Yves est qualifié air gunner le 15 octobre 1943 de l’unité 3 B&G School à Macdonald au Manitoba.

Le pilote du bombardier Halifax était le sergent Lacaille et sa position était mid upper gunner à partir du 8-4-1944. Il est la base de Tholthorpe avec le 425 squadron. Il a fait 38 sorties, son premier tour d’opérations complet et signé par H. Ledoux W/C.

Après cela il été instructeur à partir de février 1945 avec le 1666 Conversion Unit à Wombleton.

J’ai quelques photos…

À suivre…

Jean-Paul Lacaille

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Contribution from a reader

https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/search-awards/…

BUCKLEY, Flight Sergeant William Henry (RAF 755601) – Distinguished Flying Medal – No.425 Squadron – awarded as per London Gazette dated 30 November 1943. Born 1919 in Leicester; home there (leather trade); enlisted 1939. Air Ministry Bulletin 12171/AL.705 refers. This airman has completed a tour during which he has attacked many important targets in enemy territory. He has taken part in operations against objectives such as Berlin, Essen, and Kiel and has contributed materially to the successes achieved by crew. Flight Sergeant Buckley has constantly displayed the greatest keenness and devotion to duty.

NOTE: DHist file 181.009 D.1739 (RG.24 Vol.10608) has recommendation dated 16 September 1943 when he had flown 57 sorties (364 hours 50 minutes); total hours flown were 826 hours 35 minutes, of which 260 hours 25 minutes had been in previous six months.

This Non-Commissioned Officer has now completed one tour of operations over German and Italian territory. He has participated in attacks against some of the most heavily defended targets such as Berlin, Essen, Kiel, Cologne and Duisburg. He has proven himself to be an efficient Wireless Operator and has fully contributed to the successes achieved by his crew. Flight Sergeant Buckley has constantly displayed courage and devotion to duty.

RAF in 57 squadron between April 1941 and June 1942. Enlisted 2nd August 1939.

Grandson is on Facebook: Nick Warren-Smith

RAF Bomber Command Crews and Aircraft Photos

Che Lafoy

Flight Sergeant William Henry Buckley

My notes

Name: Buckley

First name: William Henry

Service number: RAF755601

Flight Sergeant

Medals: DFM

Wireless Air Gunner

 

Crew: C.E. Parnell

Pilot: Sgt E. Parnell

Navigator?: Sgt Soper D.J.G.

WAG: Sgt Buckley W.H.

Bomb aimer ?: Sgt Sauder W.D.

Rear gunner ? : Fair R.B.

 

Residence: Leicester, UK

Year of birth: 1919

Service: Kairouan 1943

425 ORBs where Parnell crew is mentioned

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John Maurice LeBlanc

Updated 8 September 2023

You might recall that I previously wrote to you about KW-E, specifically the X3763 version, I’ve done some digging and found out that X3763 had the KW-E code back in the summer of 1942, and so my apologies for raising a red flag on that.

Gary Brooks

John Maurice LeBlanc’s memorial is found on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, but there is very little information to pay him homage. 

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1475281?John%20Maurice%20LeBlanc

However John Maurice LeBlanc is remembered by clicking on the PDF link below.

Harry Gray

Gary Brooks sent me the PDF file and several more files taken from the British Archives. It was related to this mysterious iconic photo that is found everywhere on the Internet…

Gary Brooks commented on one of my other blogs.

Hi there, the details here are a little off, it’s a strange story surrounding X3763 and its squadron code. Curiously X3763 was never officially recorded as flying with the squadron code KW-E. It flew as KW-B for two missions in January 1943 and then adopted KW-L for the next 11 missions, the last to Stuttgart resulting in its loss. It’s unclear why it was painted up as KW-E for the photo shoot as this was the squadron code being carried by HE475 at the time. HE475 was lost two days later on the night of 16th April. My Great Uncle Harry Gray lost his life in HE475 KW-E that night.

I was building a model kit of KW-E for James Girling and I wanted James to write the story behind it.

The story behind Trumpeter Vickers Wellington Mk X by James Girling

This is how Gary came in with his comment and is instrumental to pay homage to John Maurice LeBlanc. I have no picture of John Maurice LeBlanc but I have now access to his record of service file.

To be continued…

 

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Remembering Lloyd « Lucky Red » Stanley Lafoy

This is how Lucky Lafoy’s  grandson and I met last August. He had mentioned my name on a Facebook group page and I got a notification…

This is my Grandfather, Lloyd « Lucky Red » Stanley Lafoy, he was a member of the 425 Alouette and later the Thunderbird Squadrons. He was a tail gunner. He passed last year but left me many photos which I will upload once I have scanned them all.

He survived 35 missions, which is how he earned his nickname, crashing once in England upon return from a mission over Germany. He wrote the story down before passing but it needs some editing. It is quite a tale.

He wore a scarf every mission as well given to him by an English lass who he found living in Florida via Facebook when he was 95. His pilot wouldn’t take off unless he had the scarf, sending him back to the barracks once to get it.

The third photo I found through Pierre Lagacé years ago of him shaking hands with the Prime Minister before their mission. We showed him this photo several years ago which he got quite a kick out of.

Needless to say he didn’t talk a lot about the war until he got older but he had a sister and 3 brothers who all served in various ways.

Since last August, Che Lafoy has shared with me close to 100 photos of his grandfather and he gave me permission to share them on this blog.

This was the first photo he sent me.

Lloyd « Lucky Red » Stanley Lafoy was the second airman on the left.

« Lucky Red » in Tunis

This was another photo from the album. The pilot on the left is « Spud » Talman.

« Lucky Red » with his crew

« Spud » Talman was killed on an operation flying as a second dickie. More about « Spud » later.

Here is « Lucky Red » again this time in Yorkshire, probably at Tholthorpe.

« Lucky Red »  in Yorkshire

He is holding what looks like a camera.  Lucky Red has an anecdote which explains why the Alouettes in the background were not that elated about the visit of the Prime Minister.

« Lucky Red » sharing hands with the Prime Minister

I will tell you more later.

Here is another photo. The war is over.

« Lucky Red » with a friend after the war

There is so much information both Che and I have and the need to validate some that we will pause for awhile. Before pausing though there is something Red wanted to tell.

It was about how Wing Commander had save his life on a sortie. This is what Che and I have to validate.

Next time, I will pay homage to Wing Commander Hector Lucien « Joe » Lecomte.

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Par où commencer? – Le wagon

Par où commencer ?

Le petit-fils de Lloyd Stanley Lafoy m’a dit de commencer à parler de la carrière de son grand-père par cette photo.

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Qui suis-je pour refuser, surtout quand il vient de partager plus de 100 photos de l’album de son grand-père, dont celle-ci où son grand-père serre la main du premier ministre du Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King?

Les Alouettes, qui posent devant le wagon, rentrent en Angleterre après leur séjour à Kairouan. C’est ce que « Lucky Red » avait écrit au dos de la photo.

Afrique. Oct. 1943,
De Tunis à Alger
Les équipes de Jones C.R. Turcottes.

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Turk Turcotte n’a pas obtenu de DFC durant le Deuxième Guerre mondiale, mais C. R. Jones en a obtenu une…

Qui était C.R. Jones ?

Traduction libre de la citation prise sur le site airforce.ca.

JONES, F/L Chesley Robert (J85017)

– Croix du service distingué dans l’aviation – Escadron 425

– Attribution en vigueur le 2 octobre 1944 selon la London Gazette du 13 octobre 1944 et selon AFRO 2637/44 du 8 décembre 1944.

Né le 12 novembre 1921 à Regina ; domicile à Vancouver.

A servi dans la brigade côtière de l’Artillerie royale canadienne. Engagé à Vancouver, le 7 octobre 1941 et affecté au dépôt d’effectifs n° 3.

Au 15e SFTS (service de garde), le 5 décembre 1941. Passage au 2e SIR, le 31 janvier 1942 ; diplômé et promu à BAC, le 28 mars 1942, mais n’est affecté au 15e ETS qu’à partir du 11 avril 1942, diplômé le 20 juin 1942 lors de son affectation au 15e ETS ; diplômé et promu sergent, le 9 octobre 1942.

Au dépôt « Y », le 23 octobre 1942 ; à la RAF outre-mer, le 29 octobre 1942. Entré en service le 15 février 1944. Promu lieutenant d’aviation, le 15 juin 1944.

Rapatrié le 13 août 1945. Retraité le 2 octobre 1945.

Décédé le 28 mai 1993 à Squamish (Colombie-Britannique).

Médaille envoyée par courrier recommandé, le 12 septembre 1949, alors qu’il vivait à San Jose, Californie.

La photo de l’ARC PL-26880 (ex UK-8355 du 29 février 1944) montre (de gauche à droite) le sergent D.K. McBain (mitrailleur), Toronto, le sergent Willie Morris (mécanicien de bord, RAF) et l’adjudant C.R. Jones (pilote, Vancouver).

La photo de l’ARC PL-42771 (ex UK-19662, 22 mars 1945) porte la légende suivante : « Le capitaine » regarde son patron, l’officier Robert Jones, DFC de Vancouver, C.-B. (avec un stylo) et l’officier Alan Harris, DFC de Toronto, remplir leur journal de bord. Les deux pilotes ont terminé une tournée opérationnelle et suivent maintenant un cours d’instructeur avancé.

Le lieutenant Jones a déjà volé avec l’escadron d’Alouette en Tunisie ». Aucune citation autre que « a mené à bien … de nombreuses opérations contre l’ennemi au cours desquelles [il a] toujours fait preuve de la plus grande force d’âme, du plus grand courage et du plus grand sens du devoir ».

Le dossier DHist 181.009.D.1730 (PAC RG.24 Vol.20607) a une recommandation datée du 27 juillet 1944 où il avait effectué 33 sorties (196 heures 30 minutes) dans un tour du 12 mai 1943 au 6 juillet 1944 ; le tour comprenait un atterrissage en catastrophe le 3 octobre 1943.

Pilote de bombardier d’une compétence exceptionnelle et d’un courage hautement louable, le Flight Lieutenant Jones a effectué un tour d’opérations avec un total de 33 sorties offensives contre des cibles ennemies. Ces opérations comprennent des attaques contre Berlin, Leipzig Stuttgart, Francfort et Nuremberg. Au cours de toutes ces sorties, sa superbe maîtrise de l’avion et son sens de l’aviation ont contribué, dans une large mesure, à la réussite de ses missions et au retour de l’avion en toute sécurité.

Avec la ténacité exceptionnelle qui caractérise toutes ses actions, cet officier a toujours atteint son objectif dans les délais prévus et a bombardé avec succès.

Dans le calme et la sérénité, le Flight Lieutenant Jones a un bel esprit offensif en action. Sa détermination tenace, son habileté et son dévouement au devoir sont un exemple et une inspiration pour les autres.

Source

Search Awards

À suivre…

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Where to start? – The train car

Where to start?

Lloyd Stanley Lafoy’s grandson told me to start with this photo.

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Who am I to argue with this request especially when he has shared more than 100 photos from his grandfather’s album?

The Alouettes are going back to England after their stay at Kairouan. This is what « Lucky Red » had written on the back of the photo.

Africa. Oct. 1943,
Tunis to Algiers
Jones C.R. › Turcottes › crews.

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Turk Turcotte was not awarded a DFC, but C. R. Jones was awarded one…

Who was C.R. Jones?

JONES, F/L Chesley Robert (J85017)

– Distinguished Flying Cross – No.425 Squadron

– Award effective 2 October 1944 as per London Gazette dated 13 October 1944 and AFRO 2637/44 dated 8 December 1944. Born 12 November 1921, Regina; home in Vancouver.

Served with Coast Brigade, Royal Canadian Artillery. Enlisted in Vancouver, 7 October 1941 and posted to No.3 Manning Depot.

To No.15 SFTS (guard duty), 5 December 1941. To No.2 ITS, 31 January 1942; graduated and promoted LAC, 28 March 1942 but not posted to No.15 EFTS until 11 April 1942, graduated 20 June 1942 when posted to No.15 SFTS; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 9 October 1942.

To “Y” Depot, 23 October 1942; to RAF overseas, 29 October 1942. Commissioned 15 February 1944. Promoted Flying Officer, 15 June 1944.

Repatriated 13 August 1945. Retired 2 October 1945.

Died 28 May 1993 in Squamish, British Columbia.

Medal sent by registered mail, 12 September 1949, when he was living in San Jose, California.

RCAF photo PL-26880 (ex UK-8355 dated 29 February 1944) shows (left to right) Sergeant D.K. McBain (mid-upper gunner, Toronto, Sergeant Willie Morris (flight engineer, RAF) and Warrant Officer C.R. Jones (pilot, Vancouver).

RCAF photo PL-42771 (ex UK-19662, 22 March 1945) has the following caption: “‘Skipper’ looks on as his boss, F/O Robert Jones, DFC of Vancouver, B.C. (with pen) and F/O Alan Harris, DFC of Toronto fill in their log books. Both pilots have completed an operational tour and are now taking an advanced instructors course.

F/O Jones formerly flew with the Alouette Squadron in Tunis.” No citation other than « completed…numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which [he has] invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty ».

DHist file 181.009.D.1730 (PAC RG.24 Vol.20607) has recommendation dated 27 July 1944 when he had flown 33 sorties (196 hours 30 minutes) in a tour from 12 May 1943 to 6 July 1944; tour included a crash-landing on 3 October 1943.

A bomber pilot of outstanding skill and highly commendable courage, Flight Lieutenant Jones has completed one tour of operations with a total of 33 offensive sorties against enemy targets. These operations include attacks on Berlin, Leipzig Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Nuremburg. On all of these sorties, his superb captaincy and airmanship contributed, in a great measure, to the successful completion of his missions and the safe return of the aircraft.

With exceptional tenacity of purpose that characterize all his actions, this officer has always reached his objective on schedule and bombed most successfully.

Under a calm and quiet manner, Flight Lieutenant Jones has a fine offensive spirit in action. His dogged determination, skill and devotion to duty are an example and an inspiration to others.

Source

Search Awards

To be continued…

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Where to start?

Here is another photo from the collection of Lloyd Stanley Lafoy whose nickname was « Lucky Red ».

Sergeant F. H. « Turk » Turcotte’s crew is in Kairouan. This is the original shared by the grandson of « Lucky Red ».

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I spruced it up a little…

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Then a bit more by colouring it…

425 in Africa

I still have a lot of photos from the collection, but where do I start? With this one perhaps?

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Or this one?

Flight school photo

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Par quoi commencer?

Voici une autre photo de la collection de Lloyd Stanley Lafoy dont le surnom était « Lucky Red ».

On y voit l’équipage du sergent F. H. « Turk » Turcotte à Kairouan. C’est l’original partagée par le petit-fils de « Lucky Red ».

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Je lui ai fait une petite beauté en noir et blanc…

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Puis une autre cette fois en la colorisant…

425 in Africa

J’ai encore beaucoup de photos de la collection, mais par quoi et par où commencer? Par ceci peut-être?

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Ou par celle-là?

Flight school photo

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The forgotten 425 Alouette – Sergeant F. H. Turcotte

The history of the Alouettes continues to be written…

Here’s a photo of Lloyd Stanley Lafoy’s collection. It was shared by his grandson earlier. Lloyd Stanley Lafoy’s nickname was « Lucky Red ».

Lloyd Stanley Lafoy was a rear gunner with the Alouettes, then, according to his grandson, he was transferred to the 426 Thunderbirds squadron.

His log book having been lost, I cannot validate this. What I do know is that Sergeant Turcotte was his pilot. Lucky Red identified him and his crew in this photo taken in 1943 in Tunisia.

Sergeant Turcotte survived the war because his name does not appear in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. For now I cannot find any reference to him anywhere else except on Richard Koval’s Bomber Group 6 website.

What makes the search more difficult is that there was a second Turcotte with the Alouettes who flew in 1945.

This is another photo from Lucky’s collection. The airmen have also been identified.

His grandson identified the crew members.

From left to right Richard « Spud » Talmann (pilot – shot down on a Dickie trip in Happy Valley), Jack Stokes (bomb aimer), Larry Ford (navigator), « Lucky », Murray Tupper.

This was his first crew and they all survived but Spud.

To be continued later…

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