F/O John Edward Dennis
Royal Canadian Air Force Navigator 433 Sqdn.
from:Holdfast, Saskatchewan, Canada
Jack Dennis enlisted on 27th July 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received training at several locations in Canada including: Brandon, MB; Dauphin, MB; Regina, SK; Edmonton, AB; Portage la Prairie, MB; and Halifax, NS. He completed training and left Boston, MA for the UK on 9th October, 1943. He disembarked in the UK on 17th October 1943. The early days in Britain involved several transfers to various bases. Jack began service with the Skipton on Swale 433 Squadron on 15th June, 1944.
According to Carlyle Chevalier they joined the 405 Pathfinder Squadron stationed at Gransden Lodge base on 27th August 1944, before finishing the first tour of duty. Their first mission with the 405 was on 13th September, 1944 - No. 21, Op Gelsenkirchen, Ruhr, Germany, a daylight mission. The crew consisted of pilot Jim Hartley, navigator Jack Dennis, rear gunner Don Snell, mid upper gunner E S Connolly, bomb aimer Ted Knox-Leet, engineer William Richard (Bill or Taffy) Williams and wireless operator Carlyle Chevalier. From information shared by Jack and Carlyle, this trip turned into near disaster. The Lancaster Bomber that they were flying was hit by flak and the plane dropped six thousand feet before the pilot and engineer were able to pull it out of the dive. One fragment went through the Perspex in front of the pilot, another bounced off the set-operators oxygen mask and some went through the mid-upper turret slicing the gunner’s collar, scarf and tie, narrowly missing his neck. The rear turret was hit and the gunner was hurt quite badly on the head, arm and seat. A piece cut Carlyle’s oxygen tube in two and went into the wireless set in front of him. He recalled wondering how he would be able to breathe at 22,000 feet, but the sudden drop to a lower altitude had solved that problem. There was a huge hole in the port wing where petrol was dripping out of a punctured tank. Luckily the tanks were self healing which prevented the loss of more fuel. As they could not regain altitude, they had to fly low on the return trip on a route that was full of balloon barrages. They put on their parachutes in case it became necessary to bail out. After crossing the English coast, they crash landed at an emergency drome at Woodbridge with no air in the port tyre. Fortunately this runway was almost as wide as it was long because upon landing, the plane did not slide to the usual stop – it went into a circular motion and finally came to a halt. The kite was full of holes, the port rudder useless and the elevator fabric ripped. The trip had lasted three hours and no one was lost. Years later the engineer told Carlyle that the aileron connections had been severed – they were not only lucky to have pulled out of the dive, but also to have made it back to England.
Most of the original members of the crew went on to complete almost two successive tours of duty. At that point they decided they would like to apply for leave back to Canada – something airmen could be eligible for after one full tour of duty. On 14th June 1945, Jack was struck off strength on completion of a term of voluntary service during an emergency and was transferred to Class “E†of the General Section of the Reserve. His medals included Navigator’s Badge, RCAF Operational Wings, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp and a temporary award of the PFF Badge.
Jack Dennis passed away on 20th September 1989. The families of the men on this crew were lucky – so many were not. A huge thank you to all of those who sacrificed so much to ensure the good life that we all enjoy today.
