Monthly Archives: March 2012

Walter Neil Dove’s training days: Toronto Manning Depot to No. 14 S.F.T.S. Alymer

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Greg sent me these scans from his grandfather’s logbook and photo album.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

The gang at manning pool

Collection Walter Neil Dove

This was on the back of that picture.

# 5 Squadron

A-1 Flight

July 22/41

Toronto Ont

#1 Manning Depot

RCAF

Walter Neil Dove was really there in 1941 if we cross-referenced this picture with this logbook page.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

He was there from July 11 1941 to August 8 1941.

Walter Neil Dove then moved to No. 14 S.F.T.S. Alymer, Ontario where these pictures were taken.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Collection Walter Neil Dove

More pictures next time.

For more on No. 14 S.F.T.S. Alymer, click here.

Walter Neil Dove’s training days

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Greg sent me lots of new scans from his grandfather’s logbook and photo album.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

More to come as I post all that Greg sent me.

Inside cover with good luck charm on the upper left.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Walter Neil Dove was stationed at No. 3 E.F.T.S. London on October 29, 1941.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Flight Instructor Chandler is teaching Walter Neil Dove how to fly.

J. H. Chandler, Flight Instructor circa 1941

Collection Walter Neil Dove

First flight at No. 3 E.F.T.S. on October 29, 1941.

We don’t say enough about the Flight Instructors.

They played a big part in the BCATP. They stayed in Canada. Most of them would have like to be posted overseas where the action was. 

I wonder what happened to Flight Instructor J. H. Chandler.

Prior to being posted there, Walter Neil Dove was first stationed  at No. 14 S.F.T.S. Alymer, Ontario and after at No. 5 Belleville, Ontario.

Collection Walter Neil Dove

Aylmer airdrome

Harvard 71

Harvard 71

Taking the bus to Belleville


Mac Reeves’ Last Moment

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Dean wrote me this e-mail about Mac Reeves…

You may be interested to know that Mac Reeves sent a radio transmission to his fellow pilots moments after he had been attacked by enemy airplanes. He told them that his arm had been completely shot off and that he had no choice but to ride the airplane in. (he could not get out and he could not fly it). He wished them well and he said it was a privilege flying with them. 

 

Mac Reeves does not have a grandson to talk about him or remembering him by like Greg Bell and Colin Forsyth have. 

As a footnote, Mac Reeves would die just a few weeks after that picture was taken.

Mac Reeves

Flight Lieutenant Ron Forsyth

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Colin sent me this message.

He had some very interesting information to send along.

Hi Pierre,

I’m sending you a couple of pictures and some scans of papers that my grandfather has been keeping.  

There is a photo taken of him in September 1944, just after my father was born in Cambridge.  

There is a scan of a group photo from the Neil Dove collection that was published in a magazine in the 1970s.  It’s more formal looking than the ones you had posted on your blog.


My Grandfather had a book that he lent to someone, but lost track of.  The one thing he has from that book is a photo copy about the history of the 403 and all the planes with serial numbers.  

There is a list of all the types of planes he flew.

I’ll send these in a couple of emails so it doesn’t get too big.

 
I printed out a number of the stories for him to read.  He really enjoyed them and added some other details that were not included.  
He said that the reason that Tegerdine crashed onto the roof of the building was due to them using a new type of fuel that blew out the engines.  He told me about one time when he was loaded up with 250 lb bombs under the wing, the electrical system wasn’t working properly so he had to pull a cable to release them.  Unbeknownst to him, one of the 250 lb bombs was still loosely attached to his wing.  As the electrical system wasn’t working, no one could inform him on the radio.  He came in for a landing as usual and the bomb fell, skidded and bounced along the ground for a ways when his wheels touched the ground.  Fortunately it was a dud.  He said the people in the control tower were quite concerned…  
 
Colin

Footnote

Colin sent this picture on November 10, 2012.

Photo of Ron Forsyth on a new plane. A replacement after his previous one was shot up.

F/O R. M. Tegerdine… a very lucky pilot with pictures

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I found F/O R. M. Tegerdine’s name in Walter Neil Dove’s logbook.

Click on the image below.

I also found  this on the Internet.

On the 3rd F/O R. M. Tegerdine of the Wolf Squadron caused some excitement when his engine cut over Brussels and he landed on the roof of an apartment house. The aircraft broke in two but Tegerdine escaped with cuts and bruises. The same pilot had to bale out over enemy territory on the 22nd. He was seen to get down safely and roll up his parachute.

F/Lt G. Tegerdine (right) standing in front of his Halifax “Enemy Exterminator” with his brother, F/O R. Tegerdine of 403 Squadron RCAF.
These brothers hailed from Oakland California.

Photo courtesy of Canadian Forces Photo Unit PL-42162

Colin Forsyth found this Website with these pictures.

Click here to visit the site.

Come back for more this week as Colin sent me more information and pictures about his grandfather Ron Forsyth.

Ballantyne, Finley, Buckham, Browne, Goldberg

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More 403 pilots with this picture sent by Dean Black.

 

Collection Dean Black

James Hamilton “Jimmy” Ballantyne, Hart Finley, Robert Andrew “Bobby” Buckham, F/O J.D. Browne, Florham Park, New Jersey, F/L David Goldberg, Hamilton, Ont.

For more on Jimmy Ballantyne, click here.

For more on Hart Finley, click here.

For more on Bobby Buckham, click here.

For more on J. D. Browne, click here

For more on David Goldberg, click here

Hart Finley

Collection Dean Black

Group Picture of Squadron at Headcorn, September 1943

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Dean Black sent this picture taken at Headcorn in September 1943.

 

Photo # 12  PL 19718

Members of the Wolf fighter squadron are included in the above photograph with Wing Commander J.E. Johnston, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, of  Melton, Mowbray, Leicestershire, brown-eyed 27 year-old Englishman, who has just relinquished leadership of the Canadian fighter wing to W/C Hugh Godefroy, DFC, Toronto.  Johnston has destroyed 25 German aircraft in combat over France, Belgium and Holland, a record for enemy planes destroyed by any allied fighter pilot over enemy territory.

 

Front Row:

  F/O Joseph P. Lecoq, Montreal

F/L Charles P. Thornton, Detroit

P/O John Allen Wilson, Hamilton, Ont

Sgt Stanley Barnes, Toronto

F/O Stanley W. Matthews, Winnipeg

W.O.1 Clinton E. Rae, Moulinette, Ont

Sgt James R. MacKinnon, Winnipeg

Second Row:

  F/O Livingston Foster, Grimsby, Ont

F/O Robert G. Middlemiss, Montreal

F/O James F. Lambert, Winnipeg

F/L Dean Dover, Mount Dennis, Toronto

S/L Frank E. (Bitsy) Grant, Brockville, Ont

W/C J.E. Johnston, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar (Eng.)

F/L Noel J. Ogilvie, Ottawa

F/O Harry Dowling, Sarnia, Ont

F/O J.D. Browne, Florham Park, New Jersey

P/O Paul K. Gray, Toronto

Third Row: 

F/O Thomas A. Brannigan, Windsor, Ont

F/O John Hodgson, Calgary

F/L Arthur C. Coles, N. Vancouver, B.C.

F/L Herbert J. Southwood, Calgary

Sgt Norman V. Chevers, Niagara Falls, Ont

F/O James Preston, St. Catharines, Ont

F/L David Goldberg, Hamilton, Ont

F/O Malcolm J. Gordon, Edmonton, Alta

F/L Harry A. Pattison, Hamilton, On


403 Squadron Pilots at Diepholz, Germany April 1945

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Dean Black sent me more information he had about 403 Squadron.

This picture was taken at Diepholz, Germany, in April 1945.

 

Photo #30

Photo from Neil Dove & Bob Barbour

Front Row L to R:   Reg Morris, Keith Lindsay, Squadron Adjutant, Squadron Leader Hank Zary, Al Fleming, Bob Barbour

Back Row:  John Pickering, Cy Yarnell, Mo Morrison, Mac McLeod.

Dean added a note…

Zary, Barbour and Morrison were flying TB 752 at this time 

Source: http://spitfiremuseum.org.uk/spitfire/pilots.htm

The squadron moved to Eindhoven.

The war was far from over as we can see in these logbook pages.