Roll of Honour (Training Casualties)

HIGH FLIGHT
by P/O John Gillespie Magee, Junior (1922-1941), RCAF

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

P/O J.G. Magee

When the Battle of Britain was being fought in the hot summer of 1940, John was still a freshman at Yale. He was born in China, of an American clergyman father and an English mother. He came to England at age nine, attended the famous Rugby School, following in the footsteps of the great war poet Rupert Brooke, whose work he much admired. While at Yale Magee decided to give up his studies to join the RCAF in the hope of getting into the fighting in Europe, though war monger he certainly wasn't. "An aeroplane," he wrote home during his basic flying training in Canada, "is not to us a weapon of war, but a flash of silver slanting the skies; the hum of a deep voiced motor; a feeling of dizziness; it is speed and ecstasy."

Magee gained his wings in June 1941 and shipped out to Wales to complete his advanced training-- "Patches of brilliance, tendency to overconfidence" noted his instructor-- before joining 412 Squadron, RCAF, at RAF Wellingore, Lincolnshire, that fall. So exited was the 19-year-old about his first flights in a Spitfire that he jotted his feelings on the back of an envelope, and sent it to his parents with the note: "It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed. I thought it might interest you." The scribbled poem was "High Flight."

Abbreviations Used	Stands For	Total Number Killed
RAAF	Royal Australian Air Force	Eight (8)
RAF	Royal Air Force	One (1)
RAFVR	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Ten (10)
RCAF	Royal Canadian Air Force	Thirty-Eight (38)
RNZAF	Royal New Zealand Air Force	Twelve (12)
RN	Royal Navy^*	One (1)

*OR Ronald H Faulkner was not stationed at Pennfield Ridge, but was aboard a Pennfield Ridge aircraft that crashed.

1941

DATE	NAME	SERVICE	SERVICE NUMBER	RANK
Aug. 25^th	ELIOTT, Gerald John	RCAF	R/60107	Aircraftman, Class 1
" "	SMALLMAN, Walter Samuel "Leslie"	RAF	GB39003	Flight Lieutenant
" "	STREET, Sydney	RAFVR	GB1058228	Sergeant
" "	WOODHAMS, George Thomas John	RCAF	R/58453	Sergeant
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: These four (4) airmen were involved in a search & rescue effort of a previously down aircraft. According to a newspaper account of the accident: "One of them sighted a bonfire set in a gravel pit near Liverpool by F/O J. Barneson, pilot of the missing plane, evidently swooped down to signal, and crashed into an orchard at Beech Hill, six miles from Liverpool."

1942

DATE	NAME	SERVICE	SERVICE NUMBER	RANK
May 9^th	HOOPLE, J. "Allan"	RCAF	R/125748	Leading Aircraftman
July 23^rd	AUSTIN, Harvey John	RAFVR	GB1331495	Sergeant
" "	YURKOWSKI, Joseph Stanley	RCAF	R/107012	Sergeant
Nov. 20^th	MALE, Harold Otho	RAFVR	GB188825	Pilot Officer
" "	SARGEANT, Thomas Frederick	RAFVR	GB1125256	Aircraftman, Class 1
" "	SUTHERLAND, Stanley "Evan"	RCAF	J/15455	Pilot Officer
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Sgt. H.O. Male was a graduate of Course No.1 at Pennfield Ridge (11 September 1942) and had been retained as a staff pilot. At the time of the crash both Sgt. Male and P/O S.E. Sutherland were attached to No.34 Operational Training Unit Detachment at Yarmouth, NS. AC1 T.F. Sargeant was stationed at No. 34 Operational Training Unit Detachment at Yarmouth, NS where he was employed as a Flight Mechanic (Engines).
Nov. 22^nd	PUTT, Gerald St. George	RNZAF	NZ416039	Sergeant
" "	SMITH, Desmond	RAFVR	GB1477985	Sergeant

1943

DATE	NAME	SERVICE	SERVICE NUMBER	RANK
Jan. 5^th	DYASON, William Henry	RAFVR	GB1186005	Leading Aircraftman
Jan. 23^rd	McCARTHY, Philip William	RCAF	J/21050	Pilot Officer
" "	NORRISS, Geoffrey Alexander	RNZAF	NZ421334	Pilot Officer
" "	WILLIAMS, Bayden Bala	RCAF	J/21199	Pilot Officer
Jan. 26^th	CORMACK, Donald Shaw	RAAF	AUS414470	Pilot Officer
" "	HUNTER, Thomas Matthew	RNZAF	NZ42329	Sergeant
" "	JAMES, Stanley Joseph	RAAF	AUS416966	Pilot Officer
Feb. 6^th	McCLANAGHAN, Frederick	RCAF	R/126158	Leading Aircraftman
Feb. 8^th	BURNHAM, Hubert John	RAAF	AUS420135	Sergeant
" "	EDMOND, Philip Llewellyn	RAAF	AUS413841	Sergeant
" "	HOGAN, John Edward	RNZAF	NZ416424	Sergeant
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Sgt. H.J. Burnham, Sgt. P.L. Edmond and Sgt. J.E. Hogan were attached to No.34 Operational Training Unit at Yarmouth, NS at the time of the crash. Course No.6, which they were all members of, began classes at Pennfield Ridge 9 November 1942 and was detached to Yarmouth, NS 17 January 1943.
Feb. 26^th	BATES, Donald Stuart	RNZAF	NZ413220	Sergeant
" "	HARRIS, Norman Clifford	RAFVR	GB138121	Pilot Officer
" "	OTTO, Thomas "Marshall"	RCAF	R/161141	Sergeant
" "	WILLIAMS, Evan	RAAF	AUS416901	Sergeant
March 13^th	CANNON, David Armstrong	RCAF	R/103962	Flight Sergeant
" "	CORR, Thomas Anthony	RAFVR	GB138491	Pilot Officer
" "	LALOR, Fintan Howard	RCAF	J/22229	Pilot Officer
" "	FAULKNER, Ronald Herbert	RN	D/JX366668	Ordinary Seaman
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: F/S D.A. Cannon, P/O T.A. Corr and P/O F.H. Lalor were attached to No.34 Operational Training Unit at Yarmouth, NS at the time of the crash. Course No.8, which they were all members of, began classes at Pennfield Ridge 9 January 1943 and was detached to Yarmouth, NS 10 March 1943. OS R.H. Faulkner was a member of H.M.S. St. Vincent and was a passenger aboard the aircraft when it crashed.
April 23^rd	CALVERT, Kenneth George	RCAF	R/144389	Sergeant
" "	FRANCKEISS, John Edward	RAFVR	GB1525643	Sergeant
" "	SELF, Keith Robert	RAAF	AUS425367	Sergeant
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:Sgt. K.G. Calvert, Sgt. J.E. Franckeiss and Sgt. K.R. Self were attached to No.34 Operational Training Unit at Yarmouth, NS at the time of the crash. Course No.9, which they were all members of, began classes at Pennfield Ridge 9 February 1943 and was detached to Yarmouth, NS 7 March 1943.
May 29th	ROGERS, Albert Ernest Edward	RAAF	AUS421828	Sergeant
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Also involved in crash of Ventura Mk.I AE678 near Digdeguash, NB was Sgt. Leslie Albert Ellis (injured).
June 3^rd	BRIER, Roland Frank	RNZAF	NZ424967	Sergeant
" "	CARTER, Francis Robert	RNZAF	NZ416456	Sergeant
" "	LANGDALE, Selwyn Noel	RNZAF	NZ424554	Pilot Officer
" "	STILES, Frederick John	RCAF	R/164116	Sergeant
June 9^th	SENCIALL, Frank Leslie	RAFVR	GB1137087	Aircraftman, Class 1
June 12^th	BURLEY, Herbert Thomas Campbell	RCAF	R/69756	Warrant Officer, Class 1
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Also involved in crash of Ventura G.R.V. FN977 at Naval Air Station in Quonset Point, RI (USA) was Sgt. D.W.J. Odlum (slightly injured) and third party was a U.S soldier, Cpl. S. Wishbone. Cpl. Wishbone was on duty at Anti-Aircraft gun post was struck by aircraft and seriously injured.
June 25^th	COWIE, George Wellington	RNZAF	NZ422262	Pilot Officer
" "	GRIFFITHS, Clifford Avery	RNZAF	NZ421703	Pilot Officer
" "	LOUCKS, John Clarke	RCAF	J/26843	Pilot Officer
" "	MULCAHY, Arthur Cornelius	RAAF	AUS422234	Sergeant
July 10^th	HANSEN, Milton Whitehead	RCAF	J/26817	Pilot Officer
" "	JASMIN, Herbert Eloi	RCAF	J/26838	Pilot Officer
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: In fall 1943, Australian trainees at the RAF Operational Training Unit in Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick, watched in horror as one of their crews was killed in a twin-engine Ventura that crashed at the airfield. The Australians refused to fly any other Venturas, claiming they were death traps. Robert Fowler, a Canadian trainee at the station, watched as "the chief flying instructor, an RAF squadron leader with a DFC and Bar, who had done a tour on Blenheims and another on Mosquitoes, got everyone out on the airfield... We watched him fail and feather an engine on take-off, and after a couple of low passes and tight turns, he landed in front of the crowd with the engine still shut down. He then got out, walked over to our group for a chat. And the Aussies then went back to work." The CFI knew their language; only bravado greater than theirs could move the Australians." SOURCE: "Behind The Glory: Canada's Role in the Allied Air War" by Ted Barris (ISBN o-88762-212-7)
Aug. 10^th	ALBREY, Trevor Alexander	RNZAF	NZ425583	Sergeant
" "	ALLEN, Joseph Cletus	RCAF	C/6555	Flying Officer
" "	LAWS, Russell	RNZAF	NZ421515	Sergeant
" "	LEDINGHAM, Robert Alexander	RCAF	J/27450	Pilot Officer
Aug. 26^th	NELSON, John Archibald	RCAF	R/1678872	Leading Aircraftman
Dec. 19th	ANDERSON, Herbert Lawrence	RCAF	R/197565	Sergeant
" "	BARTS, Roy Joseph	RCAF	R/151359	Sergeant
" "	CHRISTENSEN, Carlyle George	RCAF	J/35729	Pilot Officer
" "	CULL, George Christopher	RCAF	R/151223	Sergeant

1944

DATE	NAME	SERVICE	SERVICE NUMBER	RANK
March 19^th	SOMERS, George Robert	RCAF	R/203432	Sergeant
" "	THOMPSON, Frank William	RCAF	J/39305	Pilot Officer
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Also involved in crash of Ventura Mk.II AE925 were Sgt. Raymond Edward CORMIER (slightly injured) and P/O Eric Sankey HICKS (seriously injured). For additional information see: Rescuers Deserve Recognition.
Oct. 16^th	WALKER, Kenneth Alexander	RCAF	C/5863	Flight Lieutenant
Dec. 6^th	REYNOLDS, Harold Charles Beresford	RCAF	J/16971	Flying Officer
" "	WHITE, Albert Stanford, DFC	RCAF	J/23795	Flight Lieutenant

1945

DATE	NAME	SERVICE	SERVICE NUMBER	RANK
March 21^st	LEVESQUE, Reid Edmond	RCAF	R/84634	Leading Aircraftman
June 3^rd	BOUCH, Robert Leonard	RCAF	R/270058	Sergeant
" "	BOUGH, Roy Edward	RCAF	R/180547	Sergeant
" "	DAVIDSON, William Gordon "Gord"	RCAF	R/221311	Flight Sergeant
" "	HARJU, Sulo Matt	RCAF	J/46723	Flying Officer
June 22^nd	BALDERSTON, Edward Asthorpe	RCAF	R/257476	Flight Sergeant
" "	GRAVEL, Louis Peter	RCAF	J/25273	Flying Officer
" "	MacNEILL, Daniel "Hilary"	RCAF	R/271794	Sergeant
" "	McQUARRIE, John "Parker"	RCAF	R/219160	Warrant Officer, Class 2

Pennfield Ridge Air Station Training Casualties

Pennfield Ridge Air Station

Training Casualties