On the evening of 22nd November 1943 the crew of this 419 Squadron aircraft took off from Middleton St.George airfield at 16.22hrs for an operational flight to bomb Berlin. Outbound to the target area the Halifax was damaged by flak to the cockpit windscreen and starboard wing, the crew opted to abandon the flight, jettison the bomb load at 18.55hrs and make for England. On their return they landed safely at Catfoss after midnight, possibly as a result of being low on fuel.
Pilot - P/O Melvin Pryor Stronach RCAF (J/21384).
Navigator - F/O Alexander Thomas Armstrong RCAF (J/21336).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Ross Joseph Phillips RCAF (R/150844).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Martin Arthur Thornhill RAFVR (1333987).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Jack Wilson Sharples RAFVR (1865144).
Air Gunner - Sgt Paul Henri Gingras RCAF (R/163539).J87974
Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Jacques Guy Dagenais RCAF (R/189973).
Left to right: Thornhill, Armstrong, Gingras, Stronach, Phillips, Dagenais (or Emery) and Sharples. This crew were later posted to 405 Squadron on 25th January 1944 and became members of the Pathfinder Force in May 1944.
Their eventual fate and story has been very well researched by Jeremy Halliday who was able to contact a number of the families of the crew and compiled a very well researched document, found at "www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/s,martinarthurthornhill.pdf". On the 10th / 11th June 1944 this crew were flying 405 Squadron Lancaster ND352 on an operational flight to bomb railway marshalling yards at Versailles, France when the aircraft was attacked from below by upward firing machine guns from a night-fighter. The Lancaster was struck in the bomb bay and the centre fuselage and immediately caught fire in the air. With fire filling the fuselage around the main spar area the captain ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft. The mid upper gunner, Gingras, fell out of his turret into the fuselage having heard the instruction to abandon, he left the aircraft through the rear escape hatch and believed that the rear gunner, Dagenais, was also in the process of following him. The pilot, Stronach, remained at the controls of the aircraft while the rest of the crew in the forward part of the aircraft headed to the forward escape hatch and he received burns to his right arm as the fire neared him. He eventually was forced to squeeze out through the port side window of the cockpit as the fire prevented him to abandon in the normal way. He narrowly missed the port inner propeller and the tail of the aircraft but landed by parachute. What is confusing from the available information held in the Canadian service files of the crew is that the pilot stated that he saw Phillips and Sharples "leave the aircraft from the front escape hatch" but that it was later suspected that from his position in the pilot's seat the pilot would not be able to see anyone leave from the escape hatch; he believed that they had got clear of the aircraft rather than actually saw them leave the aircraft. In all probablity they had not left the aircraft and that all in the forward section of the aircraft were killed as well as the rear gunner when it struck the ground near the village of Auneau, south-west of Paris, France. This possibly came about because the identifiable items after the crash related to just four of the crew and then leading those on the ground to believe that only four were killed in the crash not six. I speculate that the forward hatch was jammed, the pilot could not see this because of the fire that had reached him so after believing that he had allowed time for everyone to abandon the aircraft he then made good his escape. The pilot suffered burns to his right arm and head but landed safely and was treated for his injuries by a French doctor and eventually Allied lines reached him and he was liberated. The mid upper gunner also survived and escaped serious injury, his subsequent story is given below. The bodies of four of the crew, Armstrong, Thornhill, Dagenais and another airman were recovered and buried locally at Auneau Communal Cemetery, France. The bodies of Phillips and Sharples were never found and as such they have no known grave so are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The rear gunner Dagenais cannot have left the aircraft as his body was found in the wreckage despite Gingras believing that he was about to abandon the aircraft, he may have gone to help the wireless operator who was seen to be in trouble in the fire by Gingras just before jumping out.
Paul Gingras was born in Quebec City, Canada on 5th June 1918 and enlisted for RCAF service in Regina, Saskatchewan on 21st April 1942. He served in 419 Squadron from 9th October 1943 to 25th January 1944) and 405 Squadron from 25th January 1944 to 11th June 1944. For his actions after landing by parachute he was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star and FFI Emblem (France) following his role in joining the French Resistance and participating in several attacks on German communications systems. When recommended for his award by the French it was stated that he "voluntarily participated in the French Resistance Movement and displayed great bravery. By his courage, several important missions were successfully carried out behind enemy lines, notably the destruction during the night of the 2nd and 3rd of July 1944 of a bridge of the utmost strategical importance." His award was made in the field and that he was reported safe in Allied hands on 25th July 1944. He subsequently received a (British) Mention in Despatches for service with 405 Squadron, Gazetted on 1st January 1945. He would later return home to Canada.
Joseph Dagenais was born on 25th July 1923 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Ovila and Eva (nee Sauve) Dagenais. He was working as an engraver when he enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 11th September 1942. After training in Canada he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 28th May 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 23 OTU (beginning 6th July 1943) and 1664 HCU (beginning 9th September 1943). He was posted to 419 Squadron with the rest of this crew on 9th October 1943. He received a commission on 9th June 1944 (which was probably a back-dated / posthumous commission).
Alexander Armstrong was born on 28th June 1918 at Millbrook, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Herbert Riley and Sara (nee MacDonald) Armstrong. After leaving school he worked as a bank clerk. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto, Ontario on 22nd January 1942 and after training in Canada was awarded his air observer's flying badge and also a commission on 4th December 1942. Following posting to the UK he trained at 4 (O)AFU, 23 OTU and 1664 HCU before posting to 419 Squadron on 9th October 1943.
Ross Phillips was born on 25th February 1920 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was the son of John Stewart and Amy (nee Reeves) Phillips. As a young man he worked on a fur farm. He married Marna Bole in Edmonton on 20th December 1941 and they had a baby son born in Summer 1942. He enlisted for RCAF service there on 18th February 1942 and after training in Canada he was awarded his air bombers' flying badge on 5th February 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 23 OTU and 1664 HCU before posting to 419 Squadron on 9th October 1943. He too received a commission on 9th June 1944 (which was probably a back-dated / posthumous commission).
Melvin Stronach was born on 6th February 1916 in Calgary and died in 2001.
Jack Sharples was the son of Noel Wilson and Frances (nee Carter) Sharples, Nawton, North Yorkshire. He was twenty years old. His brother Thomas "Roy" Sharples would later become assistant manager at my own families drapery business in Helmsley until his death in 1980.