In Memoriam – Gordon McKenzie Hill (1923-2021)

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Updated 25 March 2021 with a YouTube video at the end of the post.

In 2017 Clarence Simonsen met veteran Spitfire pilot Gordon McKenzie Hill who then shared with him all he had kept from his service with the RCAF during WWII. He shared stories and photos but mostly he remembered his comrades-in-arms.

Clarence then wrote me because he wanted Gordon’s stories and photos online to preserve Gordon Hill’s past.

In 2017 I knew nothing about 416 Squadron, but with Clarence’s research I learned so much more about Gordon Hill and also some French-Canadian Spitfire pilots who according to Gordon Hill were damn good pilots. Being myself French-Canadian suffice to say that information made my day.

On Sunday, Clarence wrote me again and asked something…

Hurricane 20

RCAF Pilot Gordon Hill died on 30 January 2021. Gordon was 97 years of age. Maybe you can add something at the end of this wonderful man’s history blog.

Clarence

I then decided to add something and share Clarence’s research on the links below…

“Crabapple” Fighter, Hurricane Mk. XII, serial #814, RCAF 5389

“Crabapple” Fighter, Hurricane Mk. XII, serial #814, RCAF 5389 – PDF Version

The Making of a WWII RCAF Fighter Pilot – Part One

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part One (PDF version)

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part Two

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part Two (PDF version)

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Fighter Pilot – Part Three

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot Part Three (PDF version)

Intermission One – Kittyhawk AK803 (1034)

Intermission Two – “Pic” Picard

Intermission Three – “Damn good pilots!”

Intermission Four – Crazy Frenchies

Intermission Five Petit Brogel

Intermission Six – More from Gordon

Intermission Seven – Jules, the Forgotten Batman in RCAF history

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot Part Four

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part Four (PDF version)

The Making of a WW II RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part Five

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Fighter Pilot – Part Five (PDF version)

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Pilot – Part Six

The Making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire Fighter Pilot Part Six (PDF version)

Postwar – Base 174, Utersen, Germany Part One

Postwar – [5 July 1945 to 21 March 1946] Base 174, Utersen, Germany Part One (PDF version)

Postwar – Base 174, Utersen, Germany, [5 July 45 to 21 March 1946] – Part Two

Postwar – [5 July 1945 to 21 March 1946] – Base 174, Utersen, Germany – Part Two (PDF version)

Postwar – [5 July 1945 to 21 March 1946] – Base 174, Utersen, Germany – Part Three

Postwar – [5 July 1945 to 21 March 1946] – Base 174, Utersen, Germany – Part Three (PDF version)

 

Paying Homage to RCAF 416 Squadron During World War Two

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Updated 23 August 2021

There is very little information about RCAF 416 on the Internet. This is a Website I found which tells the history of RCAF 416 Squadron.

Source: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/ruckbie9.htm

I had seen that Website in 2012 when I was researching a 416 Spifire pilot who was shot down by a P-47 Thunderbolt.

Chuck Darrow - S. Straub - Dave Harling - Sandy Borland.

Chuck Darrow, S. Straub,  Dave Harling and Sandy Borland
From the collection of Gordon McKenzie Hill

Sandy Borland was shot down by an American pilot flying a P-47 Thunderbolt.

The collection of old World War Two pictures on that Website was quite impressive to say the least, but many photos had no names.

You will find also find what is written about the history of 416 Lynx Squadron…

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Colourising photos

Colourising photos could be a hobby or it could be a passion.

Rico Sharun was remembered here on this blog.

This is another photo I will eventually colourise.

 

Colourising photos is only one of my hobbies but for this person it’s a real passion.

 

 

 

If you are on Facebook, go and see what he does here.

If you are not on Facebook, this is what Nathan wrote.

A small but badly damaged image supplied at @ 72 dpi. It is now very rare that people come to me to request the use of my image repair skills, so it was nice to flex those ‘muscles’ again with such a severely damaged image, and attempt to breathe some new life into it? Issues included fountain pen notes, chronic flaking, creases, and fade.
I am not 100% happy with it, but those personal concerns are based largely on the fact the image was supplied in such tiny resolution to begin with…and, thus, there is only so much one can do…regardless of intention!? However it was a somewhat gratifying labour of love to retrieve it this far.
This is image shows part of the Cpt. Charles B. Cruikshank crew of the 100th BG B-17F aircraft known as ‘Bastards Bungalow’.
Clockwise from the rear: 1 Cpt Frank Murphy. Nav. 2. Cpt Charles Cruikshank Pilot. Capt Bur S2, between 2/3 3 Lt August Gasper, and Cpt Glenn Graham Kneeling centre. The crewman kneeling front left is 418th Operations Officer Bucky Elton.
This crew was shot down in another aircraft 42-30725, known as “AW-R-GO” on the mission to Munster, on the 10th October 1943.
Charles B.Cruikshank Capt. P POW
Glenn E.Graham 1st Lt. CP POW
Frank D.Murphy Capt. NAV POW
August H.Gaspar 1st Lt BOM POW
Orlando E.Vincenti T/Sgt ROG KIA
Leonard R.Weeks T/Sgt. TTE POW
Robert L.Bixler S/Sgt. BTG POW
James M.Johnson S/Sgt WG POW
Donald B.Garrison S/Sgt. WG POW
Charles A.Clark Sgt. TG KIA
Photo: Matt Mabe – 100th BG Foundation.
Extreme Image Repair & Colourisation – Nathan Howland @HowdiColourWorks.

This is also from Nathan.

 

Spitfire MkIX of RCAF 416Sqn, DN-B, BS319 with DN-G sitting in the background, at Wellingore, England, late May 1943.

No. 416 Squadron RCAF was initially formed at RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1941 as a fighter squadron for service during the Second World War and was based at various RAF stations in Scotland, England and continental Europe. The squadron was disbanded in March 1946.

Photo: Canadian National Archive PA. 136898.

Image Repair & Colourisation – Nathan Howland @HowdiColour. Voir moins
 

Comment by readers

Commenting on this blog is how a research usually starts. This is a comment I got yesterday.

Hello,

Thank you for emailing me the latest posts and photos on members from 416 Squadron RCAF (Frank Horner). My late father, F/O William Hewitt Palmer was a pilot who flew with that unit at the same time frame i.e. July 1943 until late October 1944 (last posted base for him was Grave, Netherlands).

I did manage to meet two other members of 416 from that era, F/L Gordon (Gordie) Cameron I met in Mission, BC in 1993 and earlier, on a couple of occasions, F/L George (Pat) Patterson of the same era. Pat was shot down over enemy territory, (fired upon by 20mm cannon and was hit in the arm when drifting down in his parachute, repatriated as a POW.

I managed to contact the son of another member of that era in 416, Dr. William Mason, in Coquitlam, BC whose father Dr. William (Bill) Mason was a F/L on 416.

As time is passing on a lot of sons and daughters of those veterans are getting at those years where time is running out for them too. So the more information and photos we can get now, before it is too late, would be a good thing.

Contact with Pierre Legace would be most helpful!

Best regards,

Alan Palmer

Sometimes a comment drives a point…

As time is passing on a lot of sons and daughters of those veterans are getting at those years where time is running out for them too. So the more information and photos we can get now, before it is too late, would be a good thing.

To be continued?

Jules, the Forgotten 416 Squadron’s Batman

Draft post written three years ago.

No. 416 had a Canadian RCAF Batman, LAC Wally Brieve, pictured in front of squadron building at B.78 Eindhoven, Holland, March 1945. Gordon believes he was with the squadron when he arrived in October 1944.

When 416 moved to Brussels, B.56 in December 1944, they took on a civilian Batman named Jules. This northern part of Belgium spoke a language called “Flemish” which was a mix of Dutch and Belgian. Jules spoke all three languages, and was most important in obtaining anything he could beg, borrow, or steal, for the Canadians. He was loved by all the Canadians and most important in finding, fire-wood, booze, etc…

Gordon took three images of Jules, the forgotten Batman in RCAF history. I have attached two images.

The pilots took Jules for a ride in a captured German aircraft, that’s how they felt about this man.

They loved him, he was an equal.

Paying Homage to RCAF 416 Squadron During World War Two – Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams

Updated 24 August 2021

Ken Williams’ son has been sharing what he knows about his father. In fact very little, but enough to rekindle my curiosity about  416 Squadron.

The information below was shared by John Englested. It’s Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams’ postings starting when he was taken on strength at No. 5  Initial Training School on December 28th 1942.

5 ITS December 28th 1942

20 EFTS March 7th 1943

6 SFTS May 1943

1 OTU August 27th 1943

3 PRC February 1st 1944

61 OTU March 21st 1944

3 TEU June 2nd 1944

1690 Flight June 6th 1944

83 GSU December 10th 1944

416 Squadron December 25th 1944

To contact me…

Photos from Frank Holt Horner’s collection

Ground crew shall not be forgotten although I forgot to post these photos part of his collection in April.

Frank Horner 1

Frank Holt Horner’s story has been be told last April on this blog, but there is much more to learn when we look at his photos. Frank Horner was not a pilot with 416 Squadron, but this did not mean he was out of harm’s way as you have found out by reading Sam’s account.

Here Frank Horner is leaning on a Spitfire, probably a Mk IX.

Frank Horner Spitfire Mk IX

Here he is leaning on a Spitfire Mk XVI.

Frank Horner Spitfire

He was a ground crew servicing the 416 Spitfires. Here are exclusive photos of Frank Horner and other ground crew.

All this to preserve the past for unsung heroes.

This one had names…

Frank Horner friends

 

group photo with names

Frank and George Threadkill

 

Frank

 

Frank with unknown men

 

Frank Lubeck, Baltic 1945

 

Frank in Paris or Germany

 

Frank in Paris 1945 wearing Andrew's beret

 

Frank in London before D-Day

 

Frank in Germany

 

Frank in Germany 1945

 

Frank in front of hangar

 

Frank Bruges 1945

 

Frank boarding a plane to Hamburg 1945

 

Frank at Petit Brogel

 

Frank and Sy

 

Frank and Sgt McColl 1945

 

Frank and his Sergeant

 

 

group photo

 

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