Before remembering Philip Ensor who was killed on a sortie on September 8, 1941, I have to tell you how I had created another blog in 2010 with the mission of remembering RAF 23 Squadron.
It was about remembering a RAF Squadron I knew nothing about. First it was about remembering a French-Canadian Mosquito pilot.
1921-1947
I had never heard about Eugène Gagnon before 2010. I was not alone in 2010. People here in Quebec don’t remember the Fallen that much. Eugène Gagnon did not die in the war. He died on October 21, 1947 in a plane crash.
The story of the crash is on the blog RAF 23 Squadron.
Eugène Gagnon was a night bandit as they were called back then. He would fly his Mosquito near German airfields just waiting for German night fighters to come back after shooting down RAF and RCAF bombers.
Eugène Gagnon flew 33 sorties but he never shot down a German plane. He was not an ace. But does it really matter?
Writing that blog led me to write about more and more about pilots and navigators who flew with 23 Squadron. I will spare you the list.
One of them was Alistair (Alec) Lawson. This is when I got this comment in August 2011 from someone I did not know… His name was Gilles Collaveri.
Good evening from France,
I am interested in 23 squadron for 2 reasons:
1) I met last year Alexander Lawson who flew Mosquitos with 23 Sq. and shot down a JU88 over Toulouse on 6 jan 1944; I found the remains of this JU88.
2) I shall look next week for the remains of Philip ENSOR’s Havoc I that crashed on 8 sept 1941 near Morlaix, Brittany.
If you wish to know more, let me know.
Best regards
Gilles Collaveri
To know more about Alistair Lawson, click here.
To know more about Philip Ensor, click here.
Lest We Forget 