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John C. (Jack) Crammond holds an artist's rendering of the Avro Lancaster, a bomber that he flew in as a bombardier during the Second World War, when he was based in Wickerby, England. |
John C. (Jack) Crammond flew on the first of his 26 bombing missions over Europe on Jan. 7, 1945.
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John C. (Jack) Crammond holds an artist's rendering of the Avro Lancaster, a bomber that he flew in as a bombardier during the Second World War, when he was based in Wickerby, England. |
The retired Saint John High School teacher, who grew up in St. George, still recalls that and many other details of those final months of the Second World War in Europe.
He recalled these stories not long ago for students at Saint John High School.
"I try to bring in veterans in to my Canadian history class," teacher Barry Ogden said in an interview.
The class filmed Crammond, with the intention of sending the recording to the National War Museum in Ottawa.
Crammond flew as a bombardier, a Canadian attached to Royal Air Force squadrons, out of Wickenby, about 13 kilometres from Lincoln, England.
On Jan. 1, 1945, the pilot he was to fly with on Jan. 7, Fred (Red) Benoit of Montreal, went along on another bombing mission to fly with an experienced crew before doing it on his own.
The rear gunner was sick.
"So our rear gunner, Bill Pogson was his name, volunteered to take the place of this rear gunner," Crammond said.
"He was a chocolate salesman."
Pogson did not make it back to England after the enemy shot down their bomber aircraft.
Benoit parachuted down over Liege, Belgium.
Young people celebrating New Year's at a camp in the woods found him hung up in trees. He made it back to fly again.
Crammond was born in Newfoundland, but came to St. George at the age of one, when the bank transferred his father there.
He graduated from high school in 1941. He worked the summer at the YMCA canteen at the new Pennfield Air Station. The bank transferred his father to Petitcodiac, so Crammond lived on the base.
He enrolled at Mount Allison University in Sackville in the fall of 1941.
"I was waiting to get old enough to enlist, you see."
He enlisted with the RCAF in Moncton in 1942, and trained in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan at Mossbank, Sask., before going overseas.
"I was overseas a year and a half," Crammond said.
The authorities credited his squadron with a complete "tour" of duty, even though the war ended before the squadron did the normally required 30 missions for this designation.
"I look back on it and it is remarkable to me that as many survived as did," Crammond said.
A total of 55,000 Commonwealth Bomber Command air crew died, including more than 10,000 Canadians, he said.
After more training in England, he joined the operational squadron at Wickenby.
Following the war, he returned to Mount Allison, where he completed bachelor's degrees in arts and education. He started his teaching career in Albert County near Elgin.
After three years in Albert County, he taught in Saint John for about 22 years, beginning at a junior high school on Union Street before moving to the high school.
He retired at 51 in 1975, taking advantage of a rule that teachers with overseas service could retire at 50 after 25 years of service.
He and his wife, parents of three children, moved to a new home on the Magaguadavic River, five kilometres north of St. George.
They liked the gardening, hunting and fishing.
"We liked it there, had 26 good years there," he said.
His wife's kidney disease forced them to return to Saint John in 2002. She died in 2006.
SOURCE: New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, NB) - March 6, 2009.
F/O John C. Crammond
R.C.A.F. wreath at Pennfield Ridge War Memorial Service (2009)
CRAMMOND, JOHN CHARLES "Jack" - It is with great sadness the family announces
the passing of Jack Charles Crammond on April 2, 2010 at the age of 85. Born on April 5, 1924 in Grand Bank, Newfoundland to the late Lester
and Nellie Crammond, Jack’s family moved to St. George, NB when he was a year old. He graduated from St. George High School in 1941. When he
turned 18, Jack enlisted in the RCAF where he trained as a bombardier, completing 26 missions over Europe. After the war, he completed his
Bachelor of Arts and Education degrees at Mount Allison University. He was principal of Elgin Rural High School for 3 years. He met Doreen
Rose Milton and they were married in 1953. Jack taught at Union Street Junior High School before joining the English Department at Saint John
High School where he taught for over 20 years, retiring in 1975. Jack and Doreen moved to Canal, NB enjoying over 25 years of country living.
Jack was predeceased by his wife, Doreen, in 2007 and his sister, Janet. He is survived by his three children, Rick of Sooke, BC, Marlene (Don
Avramenko) of East Port Medway, NS and Shelley (Bill Newton) of St. Albert, AB. He was the proud grandfather of Ryan, Jacob, Mark, Scott and
Derek and Don’s children, David, Lisa and James. Also, his sister Edwina of Vancouver, sister-in-law Anna Steeves (Everett) of Elgin,
brother-in-law Angus Milton (Elda) of Douglas as well as several nephews and one niece. Jack will be remembered as an outdoor enthusiast, a
life-long learner and a kind and thoughtful friend to many.
A memorial service will be held for Jack on Tuesday at 11:00 am, from Fundy Funeral Home Chapel with Connie Humphrey officiating. Reception to
follow at Fundy Funeral Home. For those who wish, remembrances to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Unitarian Univeralist Congregation of Saint
John or a charity of the donor’s choice would be appreciated by the family.
SOURCE: New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, NB) - April 5, 2010 & Fundy Funeral Home website.
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