John Robert HARDING (1919-2002)

Name:	HARDING, John Robert "Jack", DFC
Nationality:	Canadian
Regiment/Service:	Royal Canadian Air Force
Rank:	Flight Lieutenant
Service No.:	J/17377
Date of Birth:	31 August 1919 - London, ON
Date of Death:	16 May 2002 - Guelph, ON

HARDING,F/O John Robert (J17377) - Distinguished Flying Cross -No.550 Squadron - Award effective 24 May 1944 as per London Gazette dated 6 June 1944 and AFRO 1660/44 dated 4 August 1944. Born in London, Ontario, 31 August 1919; home in Windsor, Ontario. Enlisted in Windsor, 16 May 1941 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To "K", 25 May 1941. To No.3 ITS, 14 July 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 20 August 1941; to No.11 EFTS, 20 August 1941. Ceased training on 8 September 1941 and posted to Trenton. To No.4 AOS, 26 October 1941; to No.4 BGS, 31 January 1942. Graduated and promoted Sergeant, 14 March 1942. To No.2 ANS that date. To "Y" Depot, 14 April 1942. To RAF overseas, 30 April 1942. Commissioned 25 March 1943. Repatriated 31 July 1945. To Greenwood, 3 September 1945. Subsequently to No.168 (Heavy Transport) Squadron and was navigator on their last mail flight overseas. To No.7 (Photographic) Wing, 13 March 1946. To No.14 (Photo) Squadron, 1 April 1946. To Release Centre, 6 November 1946. Released 12 November 1946. Died 16 May 2002, age 81, Guelph, Ontario. No citation other than "completed...many successful operations against the enemy in which [he has] displayed high skill, fortitude and devotion to duty." Public Records Office Air 2/8780 has recommendation dated 17 March 1944 when he had flown 39 sorties (276 operational hours) consisting of 28 sorties (184 hours) on first tour and eleven sorties (92 hours) on second tour.

FIRST TOUR
23 Jan 1943	Dusseldorf	9 Mar 1943	Munich
27 Jan 1943	Dusseldorf	11 Mar 1943	Stuttgart
30 Jan 1943	Hamburg	12 Mar 1943	Essen
4 Feb 1943	Turin	22 Mar 1943	St. Nazaire
11 Feb 1943	Wilhelmshaven	26 Mar 1943	Duisburg
13 Feb 1943	Lorient	27 Mar 1943	Berlin
14 Feb 1943	Milan	29 Mar 1943	Berlin
16 Feb 1943	Lorient	10 April 1943	Frankfurt
18 Feb 1943	Wilhelmshaven	13 April 1943	Spezia
28 Feb 1943	St.Nazaire (inverted over Lorient)	16 April 1943	Pilsen; shot up coastal batteries on return
1 Mar 1943	Berlin	20 April 1943	Stettin; low level attack, 200 ft.; shot up flak position
2 Mar 1943	Hamburg	26 Apr 43	Duisburg
5 Mar 1943	Essen	28 Apr 43	GARDENING, Danzig
8 Mar 1943	Nuremburg	30 Apr 43	Essen; part of tail assebly cut off by a Halifax leaving target
SECOND TOUR
16 Dec 1943	Berlin	28 Jan 1944	Berlin
29 Dec 1943	Berlin	20 Feb 1944	Stuttgart
1 Jan 1944	Berlin	24 Feb 1944	Schweinfurt
14 Jan 1944	Braunschweig; coned over Osnabruck; returned on 3 engines	25 Feb 1944	Augsburg
20 Jan 1944	Berlin; shot up over Munster on return	1 Mar 1944	Stuttgart
27 Jan 1944	Berlin

This Canadian officer has now completed as a navigator, 39 sorties and 276 flying hours against the enemy, which have required navigational ability of the highest order. He has always carried out his duties in a highly efficient and determined manner, often in the face of heavy opposition and under difficult weather conditions. His keenness and devotion to duty and his accurate work has largely contributed to the success of the operational missions in which he has taken part. I consider that he well merits the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

RCAF Press Release dealing with No.168 Squadron’s final mail delivery overseas reads, in part:

Harding did two tours of operations with RAF Lancaster squadrons and has crossed the Atlantic 38 times. Flak put 50 holes in his aircraft at Osnabruck but his worst experience came over Berlin. With a completely unexpected wind of 120 m.p.h. on their tail coming into the target, they overshot Berlin long before the time set for attack. They orbited and found themselves making a net speed of only 40 m.p.h. in the teeth of the tremendous gale. They were sitting ducks for German ground batteries and Nazi gunners had a field day, Harding recalled.

SOURCE: Air Force Association of Canada website & Hugh Halliday (August 10, 2010).