WARTIMES.ca

Greetings everyone, not sure anyone can help, but thought I would ask ! I have found the names of five Americans, flew spitfires, squadrons unknown, they transferred to USAAF and flew as Technical Sargeant enlisted pilots, which was rare, they eventually promoted to F/O.

1) T/Sgt Victor Dempster Ardis, from Elvira, Ohio, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 355th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down, March 16, 1944, Mustang 43-6451, P.O.W.

2) T/Sgt William C. Aney, from Buffalo, New York, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 356th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, ran out of gas, ditched, captured, March 22,1944, Mustang 43-12205, P.O.W.

3) T/Sgt John V. Ferguson, from Bayside, New York, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 356th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, No further info known.

4) T/Sgt Dennis L. Johns, from Jackson, Michigan, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 353rd F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down April 8,1944, Mustang 43-12175, P.O.W.

5) T/Sgt Daniel L. Richards, from Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 355th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down by ground fire, Mustang 43-7169, bailed out of aircraft, chute did not open, K.I.A.

I know that all five airmen were RCAF flying Spitfires prior to transferring to USAAF, but I don't know if they were all assigned to the same squadron or assigned different squadrons, RAF or RCAF ???

If anyone could shed any light, I would truly appreciate any info !

Cheers

George

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:17 am

1) T/Sgt Victor Dempster Ardis, from Elvira, Ohio, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 355th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down, March 16, 1944, Mustang 43-6451, P.O.W.

What I could find on Victor Ardis

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:17 am

2) T/Sgt William C. Aney, from Buffalo, New York, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 356th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, ran out of gas, ditched, captured, March 22,1944, Mustang 43-12205, P.O.W.

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:17 am

3) T/Sgt John V. Ferguson, from Bayside, New York, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 356th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, No further info known.

Temujin,

Every time you put a newspaper clipping on, it puts me to work LOL. Some I found good info on a few I could not. All listed below:

1) Flt Lt Harold Ross Pinsent, J/7808, RCAF, Hickory Bluff, Connecticut, U.S.A., No. 400 Squadron Mosquito, MM353, Aprill 22, 1944, Aircraft took off on a mission, after t/o the battery died, had to abort and returned to base safely

2) P/O George Austin Cadmus, J/16783, RCAF, South Norwich, Connecticut, U.S.A., No. 427 Squadron, Halifax DK139, June 23, 1943, Aircraft took off from RAF Leeming on a bombing mission to Mulheim, Germany, aircraft was shot down and crashed near Rheinhausen, Germany West bank of the Rhine, with loss of all crew members, K.I.A.

3) F/O Thomas Edward Udny Lister, J/7821, RCAF, South Norwich, Connecticut, U.S.A., assigned RAF 3(P)AFU, (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, Oxford, DF262, September 10, 1943, Aircraft dived into ground at night Dean Farm, Haltherop, near Southrop, F/O Lister and W/O Smith. K.I.F.A.

4) Sgt Larry Daniel Barlow, R/83050, RCAF, Burke, South Dakota, U.S.A., RAF No. 112 Squadron August 28, 1942, Tomahawk, AK746, Aircraft flying a recon flight was shot down near Deir-El-Abyad, Egypt, was captured and became a P.O.W.

5) Flt Sgt Claude Lorraine Love, R/83249, RCAF, Ashville, North Carolina, U.S.A., RAF No. 142 Squadron, August 4, 1942, V. Wellington, Z1487, Aircraft took off on a Gardening Mission (Laying Mines) aircraft failed to return from mission, cause of loss and location are not known, K.I.A.

6) Sgt James Frank Advey, J/7817, RCAF, Painesville, Ohio, U.S.A., Unknown Squadron, Transferred USAAF assigned to 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, P-38, June 16, 1944 ground fire damaged one engine but safely made it back to base.

7) Sgt Winslow Michael Sobanski, Number Unk. RCAF, New York City, New York, U.S.A., RCAF No. 416 Squadron, Spitfires, Transferred RAF No. 133 Eagle Squadron, Trans USAAF 334th F.S., 4th F.G., aircraft shot down on D-Day, Killed in Action.

RCAF/RAF info unknown

8) Lt. Maurice J. Harper, RCAF 1941 to 1942, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A., Transferred USAAF, date unknown, assigned 406th Bomb Squadron, March 4, 1945, shot down, K.I.A.

9) Sgt John Taylor Walker, Number Unknown RCAF, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. No. 1 S.F.T.S., Died June 16, 2006

10) Sgt Arthur Lyndon Ashworth, Number unknown, RCAF, Langley Field, Virginia, U.S.A., No. 1 SFTS, Unknown history after SFTS

11) Sgt Robertus McRae, Number unknown, RCAF, Desota, Mississippi, U.S.A., No. 1 S.F.T.S., Unknown history after SFTS

12) Lt. Vance J. Chipman, Number unknown, RCAF, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., Squadron Unknown, Transferred USAAF, assigned 654th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, on November1, 1944 flying Mosquito, NS677, on ops to Schweinfurt, Germany, shot down on mission, captured became a P.O.W.

Cheers

George

Like to keep you busy George.

I’ll see if I can find more on the other pilots you listed. Not having much luck on RCAF/RAF Squadrons they were with, but seeing what I can find

Cheers

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:17 am

4) T/Sgt Dennis L. Johns, from Jackson, Michigan, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 353rd F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down April 8,1944, Mustang 43-12175, P.O.W. [/size]

georgetanksherman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:17 am

5) T/Sgt Daniel L. Richards, from Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, USA, flew Spitfires enlisted in RCAF, Squadron Unknown, Trans to USAAF, 355th F/S, 354th F/G, flying Mustangs, shot down by ground fire, Mustang 43-7169, bailed out of aircraft, chute did not open, K.I.A.