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Name: |
KELLY, Patrick Gregory, DFC |
Nationality: |
Canadian |
Regiment/Service: |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Rank: |
Flight Lieutenant |
Service No.: |
J/17322 |
Unit Text:>/b> |
No.420 Squadron |
Born: |
June 1919 - Deseronto, PQ |
KELLY, F/L Patrick Gregory (J17322) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.420 Squadron - Award effective 4 November 1944 as per London Gazette dated 14 November 1944 and AFRO 239/45 dated 9 February 1945. Born June 1919 in Deseronto; home in Montreal; enlisted there 4 June 1941 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To Trenton, 15 July 1941. To No.1 ITS, 20 August 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 08 October 1941 when posted to No.1 Manning Depot; to No.9 AOS, 25 October 1941; graduated 29 January 1942 when posted to No.6 BGS; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 14 March 1942; posted that day to No.2 ANS; graduated 13 April 1942. To “Y” Depot, 14 April 1942. To RAF overseas, 18 April 1942. Commissioned 31 May 1943. Repatriated 8 February 1945. Retired 25 March 1945. Living in Montreal in 1950. No citation other than "completed... numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which [he has]invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty." DHist file 181.009 D.1730 (National Archives RG.24 Vol.20607) has recommendation dated 18 August 1944 when he had flown 25 sorties (186 hours 44 minutes) in a tour asting 29 January 1943 to 24 March 1944; he was Squadron Bombing Leader as of the recommendation. Medal presented 15 April 1948.
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Flight Lieutenant Kelly as Squadron Bombing Leader has now completed twenty-five sorties on his first operational tour. His sorties have included most of the principal targets of Germany and France, but in the face of these heavy defenses, Flight Lieutenant Kelly was undeterred, and pressed home his attack with the utmost determination and obtained many fine photographs of his aiming points. His exceptional qualities of leadership, his outstanding ability and strong sense of duty have set a fine example to his section and to the squadron as a whole and it is strongly recommended that Flight Lieutenant Kelly be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. |
The sortie list was as follows:
FIRST TOUR
| 29 January 1943 | Lorient (6.35) | 13 May 1943 | Bochum (5.35) |
| 02 February 1943 | Gardening, Kattegat (7.15) | 07 October 1943 | Stuttgart (4.10, duty not carried out, guns unserviceable) |
| 03 February 1943 | Hamburg (6.25) | 08 October 1943 | Hanover (5.25) |
| 07 February 1943 | Lorient (5.25) | 18 October 1943 | Hanover (4.40, duty not carried out, oxygen unserviceable) |
| 13 February 1943 | Lorient (5.55) | 20 October 1943 | Leipzig (6.00) |
| 18 February 1943 | Gardening, East Frisians (4.15) | 22 November 1943 | Berlin (6.40) |
| 28 February 1943 | St. Nazaire (6.45) | 29 November 1943 | Berlin (3,00, duty not carried out, guns unserviceable) |
| 01 March 1943 | Berlin (7.25) | 02 December 1943 | Berlin (7.18) |
| 03 March 1943 | Hamburg (2.05, duty not carried out, all guns unserviceable) | 16 December 1943 | Berlin (7.30) |
| 04 March 1943 | Sea Search (3.25) | 20 December 1943 | Frankfurt (5.52) |
| 05 March 1943 | Essen (5.10) | 02 January 1944 | Berlin (5.45, duty not carried out, ASI and altimeter lost through severe icing) |
| 22 March 1943 | St.Nazaire (6.10) | 05 January 1944 | Stettin (8.25) |
| 04 April 1943 | Kiel (5.45) | 15 February 1944 | Berlin (9.28) |
| 08 April 1943 | Duisburg (5.25) | 19 February 1944 | Leipzig (3.39, duty not carried out, lost oxygen, returned early) |
| 09 April 1943 | Duisburg (4.30) | 25 February 1944 | Augsburg (8.00) |
| 12 May 1943 | Duisburg (5.17) | 24 March 1944 | Berlin (7.30) |
SOURCE: Air Force Association of Canada website.
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