Month: August 2012

Summer of 1943

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

In August 1943 Wally Dove continued his operational training with #1 O.T.U based at Bagotville, Quebec.

Even if he was with B Flight, Wally Dove certainly met O. C. Dennis Connolly who was Officer Commanding of A Flight.

collection Walter Neil Dove

August 1943…

Interesting to see on this logbook page how hitting the target was somewhat difficult.

2 hits – 600 rounds

collection Walter Neil Dove

Here is a picture of Harvards and Hurricanes sitting on the tarmac at Bagotville in the summer of 1943.

collection Walter Neil Dove

This is Hurricane 51 flying over Bagotville…

collection Walter Neil Dove

Here is a picture of Harvard FE628 in flight.

collection Walter Neil Dove

Wally finished his operational training on August 25, 1943.

Aug 25 – Hurricane 71 – Self –  Solo – Squadron Balboa – Dusk Landing – 1:30 Lovely Sight – Air Smooth…

collection Walter Neil Dove

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Commenced # 1 O.T.U. Flying Bagotville Course 14 P.Q.

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

Wally Dove commenced his operational training at # 1 O.T.U. Bagotville.

June 29, 1943.

collection Walter Neil Dove

Small world!

Dennis Connolly was there since February 4th 1943. Greg scanned all the logbook pages related to his grandfather’s posting at Bagotville.

Did Dennis Connolly and Walter Neil Dove meet?

Most probably.

Dennis Connolly was O.C. (Officer in Charge) of A Flight. Wally Dove was a pilot with B Flight.

Next time, I will post all the pages Greg scanned with… pictures!

collection Walter Neil Dove

collection Walter Neil Dove

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No. 403 Wolf Squadron (Stalk & Strike) – R.C.A.F. Casualties 1941-1945

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

From Dean Black.

The list.

I added the links.

Lest we forget

F/L        Edward Grant Aitchison                 Age 26                  31 March 1945

P/O        Douglas Spencer Aitken                 Age 21                  08 March 1942

F/O        James Hamilton Ballantyne           Age 26                  08 March 1944

P/O        Harry Vern Boyle                            Age 21                  17 August 1944

P/O        George Rawson Brown                   Age 19                  31 May 1943

F/O        Wallace Victor John Burdis           Age 22                  17 April 1945

F/O        Harold Chauncey Byrd                  Age 22                  19 March 1945

P/O        John Nicholson Cawsey                 Age…

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Out of Ammunition and Chased by 5 FW-190!

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

That’s one anecdote Dennis Connolly told me when Lillian asked him to recount what had happened during a mission in the Paris area.

I did not want to talk about the war per se with Dennis Connolly. Most veterans I meet will talk more about their comrades-in-arms than the war like his Squadron Leader Jean Demozay for whom he had only praise for.

We did not have enough time to talk at length about his military career and go over his logbook.

My visit was more a pretext to give him all the pictures I could find on the Internet about the squadrons he flew with… RAF 91, RAF 222, RCAF 130… He told me that he also flew with RCAF 411 and RCAF 163!

Since I did not want to extend my visit too much after two hours, I used this as a pretext to come and visit him…

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One more for Doug Orr

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

A reader sent me this picture.

It was destined to end up in a dump.

Ken saved it for all to see.

I got more to write about after my two-hour visit with Flight Lieutenant Dennis Connolly my new found Spitfire pilot.

I found out he was posted with 411 Squadron after his posting with Treble Two what they called 222 Squadron. After 411, he was sent to No. 1 O.T.U. in Bagotville. After Bagotville, he was sent to RCAF No. 163 Squadron at Sea Island and ended up at Patricia Bay.

NO. 163 SQUADRON

Formed as an Army Co-operation unit at Sea Island, British Columbia on March 1, 1943. The squadron flew Bolingbroke aircraft on West Coast photographic work and Harvard aircraft in close air support training for Canadian Troops at Wainwright, Alberta. Converted to Hurricane aircraft in June 1943, and redesignated Fighter squadron on October 14, the unit…

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Warden was flying Spitfire Vb W3422 when he was killed

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

Noel Proctor Warden was killed on October 1, 1941. He is the second pilot on the left.

John Engelsted added this comment on this blog.

Warden was flying Spitfire Vb W3422 when he was killed.

Why am I telling you all this…?

Because someone else wrote me about this same picture. He is the nephew of the pilot on the right, Jean Demozay.

Jean Demozay survived the war but was killed in a plane crash in December 1945.

Dennis Connolly knew him well. Before I met Dennis Connolly at the presentation of Marc-André Valiquette’s and Richard Girouard’s book, I knew nothing about 91 Squadron or about Jean Demozay a Free French pilot who is a legend.

After evading France in June 1940, Jean Demozay joined the RAF and flew Hurricanes with No 1 and No 242 Squadron before joining No 91 “Nigeria” Squadron from July 1941 to February 1942. During…

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Noel Proctor Warden

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

Noel Proctor Warden was killed on October 1, 1941. He is the second pilot on the left.


This is all the information I found on the Internet.

Name: WARDEN, NOEL PROCTOR
Initials: N P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pilot Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 91 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 01/10/1941
Service No: 100592

Additional information: Son of Norman Charles and Eva Warden, of Andover, Hampshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 35.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

He made a number of claims:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=11lHtPnzgy8C&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=%22Warden%22+%2291+sqn%22&source=bl&ots=01UQTvRd86&sig=1G3sW1zSBoFCwNqn1qBVQq0m39k&hl=en&ei=L5exTYjHC4mqhAfOoJHrCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Warden%22&f=false

The book above has his middle initial wrong. TMotBoB has him joining the RAFVR in May 1939, called up at the start of the war, and joining 610 Sqn in 6 Oct 1940. Neither that book nor FCL have his Spitfire serial, shot down during ASR escort.

Why am I telling you all this…?

Because I am going to meet Dennis Connolly…

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