Tag Archives: Pilots

Van Sainsbury

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This pilot is in the group picture…

He is on the left of Johnnie Johnson in the photo.

I found this on him on the Internet…

Click here.

Flying Officer Arthur Van R Sainsbury

ARTHUR VAN RENSSELAER SAINSBURY

‘Van’ Sainsbury was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1922. He was educated at Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto. After University Van joined his father’s firm of A H Sainsbury & Co, a food brokerage firm.

In 1942 Van joined the RCAF and in the October was sent to 13 EFTS, St Eugene, Ontario where he trained on Fleet bi-planes — one of the standard training aircraft. By the January of 1943 Van was flying Harvards and Ansons. In July of that year he was posted to England and went to 7 Squadron AFU Peterborough where he underwent further training on Ansons and Masters: Van was recorded as an ‘above average’ pilot. He rose to the rank of Flying Officer in December and was then posted to Cranwell where he flew both Proctors and Masters. Van progressed to Hurricanes in March 1944 and in June had his first flights in a Spitfire II (TO-K) at 61 OTU, Rednal, Shropshire. Operational flying commenced in July 1944 from Mountford Bridge where his first ‘Rhubarb’ was in a Spitfire V (VV-N): in the August he transferred to the more powerful MK IX A operating from Bognor Regis in Sussex. Later that month he joined 403 Squadron (RCAF) in Normandy where his first flight was in a Spitfire IX B (KH-B). Van’s first victory was on the 31st August in Spitfire KH-M.

Van was privileged to escort King George VI to Brussels on the 13th October 1944. By the December he had returned to Tangmere flying Mk XVI Spitfires. In February 1945 Van returned to the European Theatre and on the 24th “blew a staff car off the road” near Eindhoven.

On the 24th March 1945 came Operation Plunder – Montgomery’s Rhine Offensive and Flight Lieutenant Fleming and Flight Lieutenant Van Sainsbury were the first section of TAF (Tactical Armed Forces) over the Rhine.

There is an interesting comment in Van Sainsbury’s logbook for the 1st April 1945. “BOCHEN area – Deck level – Bags of white flags”. On the 15th April 1945 Van flew a certain Mk XVI Spitfire (TB 752) from B78 to B114 but “returned as clouds were at ‘0’. Shaky do!” TB 752 had not then received her 403 Squadron code. On the 16th April Van led 12 other new aircraft in TB 752 to B114: his next flight in TB 752 (KH-Z) was on the 1st May. A number of other flights were made in TB 752 and on the 8th May he formed part of an escort for Dakotas flying to Copenhagen. The flight lasted 2 hours 45 minutes and the log entry reads “Hard on the ass – but an interesting trip”. By June 1945 Van was promoted to take charge of ‘A’ Flight.

On the 12th August he returned to the Central Gunnery School, Catfoss, East Yorkshire flying mainly Spitfires, Masters and Wellingtons. It is interesting to record that on the 20th August Van flew a Mk XVI Spitfire coded ‘Z’ but there is no way of confirming that it was TB 752.

By 1951 Van Sainsbury was attached to 411(F) Fighter Squadron RCAF flying Vampires: his last service flight was on the 1st August 1952 in Vampire 083.

He returned to business and the company of Sainsbury Limited became distillers, Vintners and Brewers representatives. Van had 5 children (4 sons and a daughter) and Michael and Peter Sainsbury have managed the business since Arthur Van Sainsbury’s death on the 26th June 1974.

His widow (Joan) and sons Michael, Peter and David have all visited Manston to see TB 752 and have generously donated items for display in the Memorial Building.

David Sainsbury in the cockpit of TB 752 in 1990

Fred Town

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Greg has this picture which gives a lot of information about who were pilots with 403 Squadron around March 1945…

This picture was taken when Fred Town left his command as Wing Commander.

Who was he?

Click here.

Flying Officer Frederick W Town

FREDERICK W TOWN

“Fred” Town was born in Durham, Ontario, the second oldest of four children: his father owned a jewellery store. When Fred was ten years of age the family removed to Orillia, a city with a population of some 24,000 inhabitants in Southern Ontario. Fred has always been athletically inclined and he spent an active time at school in the athletic programmes.
Fred joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 21 with hopes of becoming a fighter pilot as he puts it “the dream of enlisted men”. His training on the Link trainer at No 10 EFTS indicated that he had co-ordination and aptitudes above average and was accordingly sent to No 53 SFTS in Ottawa to train on Harvards. Fred received his wings and commission there and with 5 others (out of a class of 60) was sent to No 1 OTU at Bagotville, Quebec, to fly Hurricanes.

In October 1943 was sent to England on board the famous liner Mauritania: he comments that it was a dangerous voyage in those days as this is borne out by the fact that the Mauritania was sunk shortly afterwards. By the December Fred was flying Mk I and II Spitfires from the grass strip at Kirton-in-Lindsey and learning all the techniques needed for tactical operations. He almost flew Typhoons (a dangerous aircraft in those days) but perhaps fortunately was posted to No 7 Squadron operating from Predannack, near Lands End.

During 1944, Fred flew missions to Brest, escorting bombers and patrolling the Channel before the D-Day invasion. He also chased VI pilotless bombs from various stations including Bolt Head, Detling and Lympne scoring 4 “Buzz Bombs” as destroyed.

In August of the same year he was posted from Tangmere to join 403 (RCAF) Squadron to fly Mk IX and Mk XVI Spitfires in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. The Squadron apparently encountered little air to air activity and generally undertook strafing, dive-bombing (both hazardous businesses) and acting as top-cover for bombers. The loss ratio from the first two was quite high. Fred has one forced landing during his operational career landing wheels-up but safely on “foamed” grass at the edge of the airfield. On the 3rd May Fred was flying TB 752 and became separated from the Squadron after strafing an airfield. Trying to avoid the heavy flak he felt that the safest method to stay alive was to keep at a low altitude for at least 5 miles and then climb. It was then that he spotted a Heinkel He 111K bomber also at low level. Fred had some ammunition left so he approached from the left side remembering his training in leading with the gunsight: he used both cannon and machine guns and there was sufficient ammunition left to destroy the Heinkel. Fred did not stay around long as he was still below 1,000 ft and had to get back to base without protection and ammunition. After over 200 operational sorties Fred had shot down his first and, as it proved, his only enemy aircraft.

At the end of the war in May and having flown forty hours beyond his regular tour, Fred applied for the Pacific Theatre of Operations and was sent the same month to No 7 FLS Tangmere. There he trained in tactics, bombing and leading a Squadron. Once again fortune smiled on Fred Town: on leave before the Pacific Posting he had a priority return to Canada and it so happened that he arrived in his own home town on V J Day.

With the war over, Fred chose to go back to school and in 1949 graduated as an Optometrist. He married Mary in 1950 and raised 5 children (4 sons and 1 daughter). His practice is still very much part of his life and he keeps himself fit and healthy by workouts at the YMCA in Orillia and swimming over two hundred miles a year.

Amongst the aircraft that Fred has flown there is unusually a German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter (which 403 Squadron acquired!) plus the more usual Mustang, Tempest and a Meteor 1 twin engine jet aircraft (EE 240) in July 1945.

Both Fred and Mary have visited Manston to view his former ‘Spit’ and his involvement has made him something of a celebrity in Orillia.

Group pictures of No. 403 Squadron

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I am sure Greg’s grandfather never talked that much about his wartime experience.

Greg is sharing his grandfather’s photo album with us.

Greg has three group pictures of the squadron…

Walter Neil Dove collection


Walter Neil Dove collection


Walter Neil Dove collection


This is the original scan…

What is most interesting are all the names of the pilots.

I can identify Johnnie Johnson, Greg’s grandfather, Gil Gillis of course, and some others… Fred Arsenault, Mac Reeves who was killed later in the war, etc…

These pictures were taken in March 1945 when Wing Commander Fred Town was saying goodbye to the squadron.

The squadron was stationed at B-90.

B90 was in Petit Brogel, Belgium.

I continued my search on B-90.

Then I found this…

The Luftwaffe appeared again for a brief while on April 23rd. Returning from an early morning patrol of the Bremen-Hamburg area the Wolves met twelve long-nosed FW.190s.  of the aircraft were milling about low over an autobahn, the other four acting as cover at 3,000 feet.

The squadron engaged the four flying as cover and F/Ls H. R. Finley and W. N. Dove each destroyed one. F/O A. McLaren experienced engine failure southeast of Bremen and crash-landed but called up to say that he had got down safely. He eventually was released from a prisoner-of-war camp. Later in the morning two more FWs were seen but they took refuge in cloud.

For the source, click here.

This is a picture of a FW-190 long-nose.

Greg’s grandfather would be proud of Greg if he was still with us.

In a way, Walter Neil Dove will always be with us.

Lest we forget…


Flight Lieutenant Hart Finley

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This was in Walter Neil Dove’s photo album.

Walter Neil Dove collection

Click here

More about 443 Squadron…

Hart Finley did his elementary training in Windsor Mills.

Hart did his elementary flying training on the Fleet Finch at Number 4 Elementary Flying Training School at Windsor Mills, near the city of Sherbrooke in the Eastern Townships of Québec.

It was there that Finley actually flew the very same Finch that we now own – RCAF Serial 4462. It appears in his log book several times.

Finley became a BCATP instructor at Summerside, PEI as well as at No. 2 SFTS here in Ottawa. He went on to fly Typhoons at his Operational Training Unit in England, but transferred to Spitfires and 403 Squadron RCAF. He eventually commanded 443 Squadron. He was shot down once and managed to evade capture.

Source: http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/320/language/en-CA/In-His-Name.aspx

Hart Finley is also in this picture… on this site.

This is most probably the same FW-190 where Gil Gillis is sitting.

Walter Neil Dove collection

More information on Hart Finley…

Mac Reeves, Killed, Madoc, Ontario

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That’s what Greg’s grandfather wrote on a page of his photo album…

Walter Neil Dove collection

Mac Reeves, Killed, Madoc, Ontario

Walter Neil Dove collection

This is what I found here…

In memory of
Flying Officer
 MACKENZIE  REEVES 
who died on March 28, 1945 

Military Service:

Service Number: J/87156
Age: 25
Force: Air Force
Unit: Royal Canadian Air Force
Division: 403 Sqdn.

Additional Information:

Son of Loomis S. Reeves, and of Florence Reeves, of Madoc, Ontario; Canada.


Click here for more info.

Lest We Forget

Keith Lindsay, Edmonton

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Updated 6 December 2022

The first post I wrote where the name Mac Reeves appears…

 

This picture did not mean much to Greg when he was looking at his grandfather’s photo album…

 

Walter Neil Dove collection

Keith Lindsay was with this pilot when the Luftwaffe carried Operation Bodenplatte.

Click here for information on this pilot…

Canadian Fliers Down 36 German Aircraft in Luftwaffe Attack
London, Jan. 1, 1945 – (CP) – Canadian fighter pilots, in one of their greatest triumphs during the war, destroyed at least 36 of 84 Germans shot down today by the RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force.
The big Canadian score was rolled up as the German Air Force came out in its greatest show of strength for three years in an attempt to smash up Allied airfields in Belgium, Holland and France.

Five Planes Missing
Canadian fighter squadrons accounted for 35 enemy aircraft and the 36th was destroyed by a Canadian in an RAF Tempest Squadron Five. RCAF planes are missing.
Although the Huns’ low-level strafings included RCAF airfields and caused some damage, the operational program of the squadrons was not interrupted and approximately 300 sorties were flown. Some enemy planes were destroyed white the airfields were under attack and others when the enemy fled for home.
The pilot of one RCAF reconnaissance squadron, whose name was not immediately disclosed, destroyed two ME190s and damaged two FW190s as he returned to base.
Spitfire fighter-bombers also were active and destroyed or damaged several locomotives and freight cars in the German supply area around St. Vith in Belgium south of Malmedy.
The Canadian Wolf Squadron alone knocked down five out of a formation of 60 enemy craft which strafed the squadron’s airfield in the Brussels area. Two others probably were destroyed and another damaged in a low-level action that developed into the hottest dogfight for Canadian fighters in months.

Bags 2 Focke-Wolfs
Four RCAF Typhoons returning from a reconnaissance flight met enemy fighters and destroyed three and probably destroyed a fourth. Two were destroyed by FO. A. H. Fraser of Westmount, Que., and the other by FO. H. Laurence of Edson, Alta. All were FW190s.
A Canadian Tempest pilot, Flt. Lt. J. W. Garland of Richmond, Ont., jumped two Focke Wulfs just 50 feet from the ground. He dived from 9,000 feet and destroyed both.
In the Wolf Squadron dogfight, PO. Steve Butte of Michel, B.C., and Mac Reeves of Madoc, Ont., each downed two planes and Butte also claimed one damaged. FIt. Sgt. Keith Lindsay destroyed one and also had a “probable.”
These were the first scores for Butte and Lindsay.
Butte and Lindsay found themselves in a swirling mass of Huns as they took off on a morning patrol. Butte sent an ME-109 down in flames with cannon fire.
Next victim was an FW-190. “There were strikes on his wing and engine, and I saw him crash on the edge of a near by town,” Butte said.

Out of Ammunition
Then he hit an ME-109, seeing strikes and smoke, but losing sight of the enemy plane as it dived steeply toward the ground.
“By this time all my ammunition was gone and a Hun got on my tail,” Butte continued, “I managed to get on his tail, but couldn’t do anything about it.”
Lindsay shot one plane down in flames and registered a cannon hit on another, but couldn’t determine whether it crashed.
Reeves and his namesake, Flt. Lt. Dick Reeves of 1507 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Toronto, who is no relation, plunged into a flock of enemy planes while returning from patrol. Dick Reeves had to land immediately because of a faulty motor, but Mac, his guns belching, closed on the plane which caught fire and crashed. He attacked the second victim from underneath and the pilot baled out.
It was announced tonight that the Canadian Mosquito Squadron on the Continent during Sunday night destroyed two Junkers planes while on defensive patrol.

Keith Lindsay was with another pilot on January 1st 1945.

Mac Reeves was from Madoc, Ontario.

Walter Neil Dove collection

Mac did not come back from the war…

Walter Neil Dove collection

Joseph Pierre Auguste “Peter ‘Pete’ Logan” Lecoq

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This picture was not in Walter Neil Dove’s photo album…

But this is most interesting about a 403 Squadron pilot.

Click here…

Excerpt

Quoted from an email from Pierre’s son Peter :

“During the war, my father flew under an alias, Pete Logan.

Why?

During WW2, my father’s mother and siblings lived in Bonneville, France, and my father’s superiors felt that his family could face retaliation should the Germans ever learn of my father’s French roots.

My father did have some claims; however, his records are incomplete. When he went from being Pierre Lecoq (R77174) to Peter Logan, the official records for Pierre Lecoq were totally erased or lost …

What I do know, is that after my father’s tour of duty ended in July of 1944, in lieu of returning to England for a rest, he donned civilian clothing and headed east to join his immediate family in Bonneville, FRANCE. Being perfectly bilingual, my father had no problem communicating in French. In order to reach his family, he had to travel through enemy occupied territory; hence, along the way he assisted the French Resistance movement in defying the Germans, and also assisted downed Allied pilots in their quest to escape enemy territory. I don’t know exactly when my father returned to Canada, but he was in the reserves (City of Montreal 438 Squadron) after the war while attending McGill University (Medicine Class of 1952).”

Gil and Bob Young… and Les Rispler

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Here is Gil Gillis with someone else…

Walter Neil Dove collection

 

He is in this picture of a captured Me-108.

We know what a Me-108 is, but who is Bob Young?

Click here…

Flying Officer Robert Young

ROBERT ‘BOB’ YOUNG

Bob was born on the 17th May 1918 in Peterborough, Ontario and attended the Prince of Wales School initially and later the Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School. As he admits he was a very poor student and hated all the years he attended school. He tried hard to get into the RAF before the war broke out but they were not at that time taking anyone unless they had previous flying experience.

The RAF may have done Bob a good turn as they advised him to apply for admission to the RCAF, which he did immediately. Then followed one of the most frustrating periods of his life and as Bob states “one would not realise there was a war in progress! I just sat around day after day it seemed forever waiting until the 11th May 1940 when they finally called me. I used to say that if that is a sample of their preparations, we’ll lose for sure.”

It hasn’t been possible to establish details of all Bob’s wartime service but he clearly recalls the action on the 1st May 1945 when he shot down a long-nosed FW 190 with TB 752 (Code KH-Z).

A section from 403 Squadron was patrolling the Lavenburg Bridgehead when they came across a “gaggle” of Fw 190s. In the resultant dogfight Bob destroyed one for certain and also claimed 2 probables and no less than 6 damaged. At one time during the dog fight Bob was not very pleased to see another aircraft hanging on his tail. But one can only imagine his relief when Les Rispler advised Bob that it was him. As Bob states he was “perspiring freely”.

Although Bob seemed to suffer with mechanical faults on other aircraft, the only trouble he had with a Spitfire was the day he had a full 90 gallon belly tank which he forgot about when landing and which caused the port wheel to collapse which he regards as highly inexcusable flying.

Bob does, however, appear to have had more than his fair share of malfunctions when flying other aircraft. In August 1940 he was flying a Fleet bi-plane at E.F.T. and had to make a forced landing when a valve went through a cylinder head. On the 26th November that year he was flying a Northrop Nomad when the weather closed in and he was forced to land near Brantford. When flying a Hurricane near Ternhill in Scotland Bob also had to land hurriedly when the oil pressure gauge registered zero. Again, when flying from Ternhill in another Hurricane the port tyre blew

In Canada Bob was flying a Lysander in Alberta when the cockpit suddenly filled with smoke. There followed a loud metallic “bang”. He managed to land in a field next to the runway and when the smoke cleared away he saw that there was no propeller on the aircraft. This was returned by a farmer several months later. Apparently the lock washer had come off the propeller and had fallen into the reduction gears and which had led to the shaft being severed.

After the conclusion of the war Bob worked for Trent University in Peterborough and also for several years in the Post Office. He later worked for Unemployment Insurance in Post Office Building.

Well now we know.

And now everyone knows more…

And what about Les Rispler…?

Gil Gillis with his Spitfire Mk XVI

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Gil Gillis in on many pictures in the album.

We know little about Gil.

We know he was from Pense in Saskatchewan.

That’s not much information to go on.

But we never know you know…

Just in case, Pense has a Website…

I was more lucky with Tommy Todd yesterday.

Click here if you have not read my article on him with the memories of someone who knew him in England when he was just 15…

Walter Neil Dove collection

Click here to learn more about this plane… Also here.