Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 79 continued ... continued ... On June 28, 1942, I was posted to No. 245 Northern Rhodesia Squadron, Middle Wallop, Hampshire. I was told that I had been selected to fill a vacant Flight Section Leader position. While with 245 Squadron my flying operations included day and night dawn and dusk convoy patrols, army co-op training, and again, Havoc coop night flights. I was told that the Squadron had been selected to be moved to a base in Russia which move was canceled and that I would return to No. 87 Squadron. While I was away from 87 Squadron Canadian representatives of the Banting and Best Medical Research Institute at the University of Toronto (if I remember correctly) arrived at the Squadron with an anti gravity suit designed to prevent pilot redouts / blackouts. The suit was made with rubber and water-filled pads. One of our pilots, Sergeant Stan Bocking, volunteered to test fly the suit. The requirement was to fly to a high altitude near 30000 feet, dive, and abruptly pull out leveling off to test the suit’s ability to offset the gravity force being applied to the pilot. Sergeant Bocking was observed entering the dive and not recovering. He was killed in the crash on July 30, 1942. I was posted back to 87 Squadron, Charmy Down on August 3, 1942. Our Squadron flew to Tangmere and on August 19, 1942 took part in the raid on Dieppe flying three sweeps targeting gun emplacements on top of cliffs over the beach. I flew on two of three sweeps. It was a very difficult target as the Canadian soldiers were already on the beach and close to the target. Four of our aircraft were shot down: F/L Thom crashed on the English side of the channel, F/O Waltos missing, P/O Baker bailed out and was rescued (picked up from channel by US Navy), Sgt. Gibbon went down into the sea just off Dieppe. In October, 1942, I was called to meet with the Station Commander. He told me that I was being recommended for Royal Air Force commissioned rank of P/O and if I agreed, as part of the procedure, I would report to Fighter Command Headquarters to be interviewed by a Board of Officers. When I arrived at the Headquarters I was told that I was excused from the Board Interview and instead would be interviewed by the Air Vice Marshal, the Group Officer Commanding. During the interview I was asked if I would accept a commission in the Royal Air Force. I replied that I would be be honoured to accept but being a Canadian I would prefer in the Royal Canadian Airforce. I was promoted to Pilot Officer rank, Royal Canadian Air Force. At the end of October 87 Squadron ceased flying operations preparing for transfer overseas. On October 23rd it left Charmy Down traveling by bus to the London Midland Station Bath, Somerset, then by Troop Train to Gourock, Scotland and boarded the Polish ship MV Sobieski on October 24th, setting sail with a convoy on the eve of October 24th. The Squadron’s Hurricane aeroplanes were flown from Gibraltar to Algeria, North Africa, by some of the Squadron’s senior pilots who with the remainder of the pilots, except me, travelled from Gibraltar to North Africa on board a Royal Navy Destroyer. The Squadron Ground Crew and the Squadron’s ground equipment travelled by sea in the MV Sobieski. I was appointed provisional rank of Commanding Officer of the Ground Crew travelling with them on the MV Sobieski. We passed by the city of Tangier and some Spanish towns (neutral) which were ablaze with lights. On December 5th we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar with Gibraltar itself in the darkness only being seen as a shadow. We were delayed for a short while as the ship just ahead of us and the ship ahead of it had a slight collision. That ship then moved out of line and into Gibraltar for inspection. Next day we saw the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Spain and the Atlas Mountains in NorthAfrica. Both were snow capped. We dropped anchor in Algiers harbour on the afternoon of December 6th. Without disembarking we sailed on, a single ship without convoy or escort to Phillippeville Algeria. The MV Sobieski’s Captain advised me that the previous journey had been difficult and his crew were complaining and did not want to sail without escort and did not want to man the vessel’s guns. He said some crew members were confined
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