Grandpa Bill’s
War Journal
Dad writes to me about the War and Why he went to Fight for Canada
remember the basement in our house in Toronto. I don’t know how old I would have been but I imagine I was 12 or 13. There was a fire place at the end of the family room where the TV was and on the right side there was a bookcase. I remember finding Dad’s Journal and I had a look at the first few pages and saw that it was addressed to me. But being a child, I put it back and forgot it.
Years later I remembered that there was such a book. But by then we had left Toronto and I did not see the book again for many years. Finally, a few years ago Dad gave me his three log books, two
of his and Joe Carpenter’s, and along with them came the Journal. It makes for powerful reading.
It is not great literature. It was never intended to be. Originally it was to be letters to me in case he did not return but I think it became an outlet for him. It was a place he could go over in his mind what was happening in his life and what it meant. The result is a peek into the mind of a pilot during the war.
Once Dad got overseas and into real combat flying the book fades out and stops. I suspect that events were difficult and all consuming and there was simply not enough time. And once you stop, well, the incentive to get back to it is lacking. But I am so glad Dad kept what he did write.
October 12th 1942 – Inside Cover
October 14th 1942 – Dedication
Mom and Dad on their Wedding Day.
Disclaimer
“31” Personnel Depot, Moncton, N.B.
The Pain of Leaving Mom and I
Mother had this picture of her and I taken to send overseas to Dad.
Summer 1939 Dad tries 3 times to join RCAF
Army training in Saskatchewan
Impact of death of his Father
6th June 1940 – Dad joins the Air Force.
27 February 1941 Graduation from Trenton
Anson training in Moncton, N.B.
Avro Anson Mk II. This twin engined aircraft was used by the RCAF throughout the war for multi-engine training. Over 2400 were built in Canada alone.
Pages missing from 10-14?
Pg. 16 – Dad has flying accidents!
Waiting to go Overseas
Pgs 18 No. 1 Depot Halifax N.B. 25 Oct ’42
Pgs 19 Posting Overseas 25 Oct ’42
Pgs 20 Home with Mom and Me 25 Oct ’42
The Cunard RMS Queen Elizabeth was pressed into service as a troop ship during the war. She was outfitted to carry about 15,000 personnel. Here she is docked at Pier 21 in Halifax harbour in early 1944. (Photo courtesy of Roger Litwiller)
Pgs 26-27 Queen Elizabeth in Halifax
Pgs 28-29 On board the Queen Elizabeth
Pgs 30-31 Queen Elizabeth sets sail
Pgs 32-33 Days at Sea
Pgs 34-35 Another Day at Sea
Pgs 36-37 Bornemouth, England 6 Nov ’42
Pgs 38-39 Bornemouth, England 12 Nov ’42
Pgs 40-41 N0. 18 AFU Church-Lawford 19 Nov ’42
Pgs 42-43 Dad describes Church-Lawford
Pgs 44-45 Impressions of RAF Officers 12 Nov ’42
Pgs 46-47 Progress of the War 29 Nov ’42
The RAF Airspeed Oxford multi-engine trainer
Pgs 48-49 Flyng the Airspeed Oxford 9 Dec 1942
Pgs 50-51 Christmas Eve Bash 27 Dec 1942
Pgs 52-53 Letters from Home
Pgs 54-55 Progress of the War 5 Jan ’43
Pgs 56-57 Progress of the War 5 Jan ’43
Pgs 58-59 Collision over the Field 17 Jan ’43
Pgs 60-61 Beam Approach Training B.A.T.
Pgs 62-63 More about B.A.T.
Pgs 64-65 Bombed in London 22 Jan ’43
Letter to McBurney returned to Dad
Dad in flight suit with Art Gee and Stu Campbell while at RAF Church-Lawford.
Pgs 66-67 Concern about McBurney 22 Jan ’43
Pgs 68-69 Night Flying 5 Feb ’43
Pgs 70-71 Landing at Night 5 Feb ’43
Pgs 72-73 Landing at Night 5 Feb ’43
Pgs 74-75 Conduct of the War 5 Feb ’43
Pgs 76-77 Posting to Nightfighters 14 Feb ’43
Pgs 78-79 Charter Hall 28 Feb ’43
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light twin engine bomber. It was used extensively in the first two years of the war but it was outclassed by newer aircraft types. For the remained of the war it was more and more relegated to a training role.
Pgs 80-81 Nightfighter training 26 Mar ’43
Pgs 82-83 Flying in Blenheims 26 Mar ’43
Pgs 84-85 Bristol Beaufighter 26 Mar ’43
Bristol Beaufighter Mk II with Merlin engines
Pgs 86-87 Flying Beaufighters 2 Apr ’43
Pgs 88-89 Conduct of the war. 9 Apr ’43
Pgs 90-91 War in North Africa 9 Apr ’43
Pgs 92-93 Flying the Beaufighter 9 Apr ’43
Pgs 94-95 RAF Winfield Target Practice 28 Apr ’43
Classroom training for Dad
Pgs 96-97 Request for Posting to 409 5 May ’43
Pgs 98-99 American Airforce 5 May ’43
Pgs 100-101 RAF Acklington 26 May ’43
Pgs 102-103 Dam Busters Raid 26 May ’43
Pgs 104-105 Posted to 409 Sqdr 22 Jun ’43
The Beaufighter Mk VI with the radial Olympus Engines. On the right is the cockpit of the Beaufighter.
Pgs 106-107 Night Fighting 22 Jun ’43
Pgs 108-109 Engine Failure 22 Jun ’43
Pgs 110-111 Back at Acklngton 28 Jun ’43
Pgs 112-113 Bristol Aircraft Factory 27 Jul ’43
Pgs 114-115 Down to London 27 Jul ’43
Pgs 116-117 Joe Carpenter 27 Jul ’43
Did you ever want to fly a Mosquito. Well then, you should read the instruction manual. Yes, there is one! Just click on the anual cover above.
Pgs 118-119 Acklington Again 17 Aug ’43
Pgs 122-123 Training Joe 27 Aug ’43
Pgs 120-121 Conduct of the War 14 Aug ’43
Pgs 124-125 Bombing Berlin 27 Aug ’43
Pgs 126-127 RAF Acklington 1 Sep ’43
Pgs 128-129 Italy out of the War 20 Sep ’43
Pgs 130-131 Invasion of Italy 20 Sep ’43
Pgs 132-133 Peace with Italy 22 Sep ’43
Pgs 134-135 RAF Acklington 10 Oct ’43
Pgs 136-137 The Germaqns in Italy 10 Oct ’43
Pgs 138-139 My Second Birthday 27 Feb ’44
Pgs 140-141 Training on Mosquitos 27 Feb ’44
Pgs 142-143 Bombing of Germany 27 Feb ’44
Dad’s Mosquito, the “Gooser”.
Pgs 144 The Last Page 27 Feb ’44
Dad’s Journal ends with page 144 written on February 27th, 1944. He told me once that there was a period while he was with the 409th that he became very depressed. He had been in action for several months and there was a ten day period in which he lost all of his best friends.
I think this may have been that time. The Squadron was seeing much more action, they were flying more and coming into contact with German aircraft. I think he just got too busy.
409 was the first nightfighter squadron to operate out of Europe after D Day and after a few weeks in Europe Dad’s tour with the squadron was over. He was returned to England where he instructed on Mosquitos for the rest of the war. And he just never got back to his Journal.
A Note about Page Numbers: Dad numbered his pages up to Page 78. He circled his numbers. For some reason he stopped numbering them so I took up the numbers and put mine in small squares. You will note that pages 11 thru 14 are missing. In the Journal you can see they were torn out. This was Dad’s doing and I do not know why.
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