Burton Norris “Burt” Jost was born on August 2, 1911, the son of Dr. Arthur Cranswick and Carrie Victoria “Tory” (Martin) Jost, Guysborough, NS. The Jost family traces its European roots to Johann Georg Jost, who was born at Strasbourg, Bas-Rhine, Alsace, France, in 1727. Johann immigrated to Nova Scotia in the early 1750s as part of a British initiative to attract “German Protestants” to counter-balance the colony’s predominantly Roman Catholic, Acadian population.
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| Flight Lieutenant Burton Norris Jost |
One of Johann and Susanna’s sons, John Casper Jost, was born at Halifax in 1763 and married Mary Catherine Hirtle/Hartel at Halifax in 1791. The couple raised a family of nine children. In the summer of 1822, John (1797 - 1883), one of John Casper and Mary Catherine’s sons, arrived in Guysborough with his cousin, William Moir. Both men were shoemakers by trade and had travelled to the area in search of work.
Impressed by the community’s business prospects, John returned the following year with a supply of mercantile goods, purchased in a silent partnership with his brother George. A third brother, Christopher Francis (1805 - 1884), accompanied John. Throughout the summer of 1823, the brothers sold their stock and purchased fish from local fishermen for sale in the Halifax market.
The brothers operated the seasonal business for several summers, initially in a space rented from local property owners. By 1827, the venture proved profitable enough to persuade John and Christopher to permanently relocate to Guysborough, where they purchased waterfront property on the village’s Main Street.
Christopher and John bought out George’s share of the business, built a store on the waterfront lot, and established a mercantile operation known as “J & C Jost.” The brothers remained partners until 1838, when Christopher purchased his sibling’s share of the business. “C. Jost” continued to operate in the original location, while John launched a new venture, known as “The British House,” only a few buildings away.
The year prior to purchasing his brother’s share, Christopher married Harriet Hart in a ceremony held in nearby Manchester. Over the ensuing years, seven children—five boys and two girls—joined the Jost household. Cranswick (1838 - 1927), the couple’s eldest son, entered the ministry and served congregations in several New Brunswick and Nova Scotia communities.
Two of Christopher and Harriet’s younger sons, Burton A. (1842 - 1916) and George Edward (1848 - 1939), eventually purchased the business from their father. Renamed “B & G Jost,” the business operated on a cash and barter basis, often exchanging goods for a wide variety of local products, such as butter, eggs, meat and fish.
Burton and George also owned and operated several vessels that engaged in the Grand Banks fishery and coastal trade. In 1890, the brothers built a four-storey structure to replace the original store. Tragically, the building was destroyed by fire in December 1927, only to be replaced by a more modest structure, owned and operated by Burton’s son, Christopher Arnaud Jost. The family name remained on the business until its sale in 1990.
Burton and George raised their families in houses located on the hill above Main Street. While George moved to Ottawa, ON, in his later years, Burton was a lifelong Guysborough resident. On April 27, 1869, he married Sarah Ann Mercy Norris, daughter of George—also a merchant—and Hannah Norris, Canso. The couple raised a family of 12 children—eight boys and four girls—three of whom died in childhood.
Arthur Cranswick Jost, Burton and Sarah’s fifth child and third son, was born on October 17, 1874. While his younger brother, Christopher Arnaud, eventually assumed operation of the family business, Arthur chose a different career path. After completing secondary school studies at age 15, he attended Acadia University, Wolfville, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree.
In the autumn of 1893, Arthur enrolled in the Medicine program of studies at Dalhousie University, Halifax. He subsequently transferred to McGill University, Montreal, QC, where he graduated with a medical degree. Dr. Jost then returned to Nova Scotia, practising medicine at Neil’s Harbour and Advocate before returning to Guysborough.
On July 23, 1906, Arthur married Carrie Victoria “Tory” Martin, daughter of Joseph and Henrietta Martin, Sand Point, in a ceremony held in Guysborough. The couple’s first child, Clyde, was born on September 18, 1907, but died three months later. A second son, Victor Arthur, was born on March 5, 1910. The couple’s youngest child, Burton Norris, joined the family on August 2, 1911.
While operating a medical practice in the Guysborough area, Arthur also served with the Canadian Corps of Guides. The organization was established in 1903 for the purpose of providing intelligence information to the Non-Permanent Active Militia, in the event of war on Canadian soil. A Company operated in each of the country’s 12 military districts and was responsible for providing information to its units. The detachment responsible for Military District No. 6 (Nova Scotia) established its headquarters in New Glasgow, NS.
At the time of the outbreak of war in Europe, Arthur had risen to the rank of “Officer Commanding” (OC), No. 6 Detachment, Corps of Guides. While his age and family obligations presented significant obstacles to active military service, he eventually enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) at Halifax, NS, on March 6, 1916. At that time, a wave of recruitment campaigns were sweeping across the province as representatives of three infantry battalions canvassed rural communities, in search of personnel for the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade.
Almost 42 years old at the time of his enlistment, Arthur volunteered to serve as the 64th Battalion’s Medical Officer and received the commissioned rank of Major. The unit, recruited across the three Maritime Provinces, departed for overseas aboard SS Adriatic at the end of March 1916 and set foot in the United Kingdom on April 9.
When the 64th was dissolved several months later, Arthur was briefly assigned to the 40th Battalion (Halifax Rifles), which soon suffered the same fate as the 64th. Arthur’s age made service on the continent unlikely. As a result, he was transferred to the CAMC Training School, Cheriton Camp, Folkestone, Kent, England, on July 13, 1916.
Before month’s end, Arthur was “detailed for duty as Senior Medical Officer, 6th CTB [Canadian Training Battalion].” During his time at Cheriton Camp, he made a four-day trip to France in late September, probably to visit CAMC facilities in the Étaples area.
In late October, Arthur was posted to the office of the Assistant Director of Medical Services, London Area. Initially “detailed for duty” at Seaford Camp, Arthur relocated to nearby Brighton on November 19 and assumed the position of ADMS [Assistant Director of Medical Service] Canada for the area. He served in that capacity until early January 1917, when he became ADMS at nearby Shoreham.
The Brighton-Seaford-Shoreham area was dotted with military camps that contained thousands of Canadian soldiers awaiting orders to cross the English Channel to the continent. In addition to providing personnel with routine medical services as required, the CAMC operated Medical Boards responsible for assessing the fitness of wounded or ill soldiers for combat.
As spring approached, unexpected events at home brought Arthur’s overseas service to an abrupt end. In early March 1917, his 43-year-old wife wife Tory suffered an embolism that resulted in paralysis. She passed away on March 25. Six days later, Arthur was granted leave to Canada and departed the United Kingdom aboard a troop transport on April 4. Before month’s end, he was “permitted to resign” his commission.
Arthur remained in Guysborough for six months, during which time his younger sister Bessie (1876 - 1970) agreed to care for his sons, Victor and Burton. On October 15, 1917, he re-enlisted with the CAMC and was appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services for Military District No. 7 (New Brunswick), Saint John, NB. Promoted to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant Colonel in late March 1918, Arthur supervised the provision of medical services to departing and returning soldiers. On August 1, 1919, he was formally discharged from military service and returned to Guysborough.
While Arthur was residing in Guysborough at the time of the 1921 Canadian census, his two sons were living nearby with their aunt Bessie. Arthur eventually relocated to Halifax, where he assumed the duties of public health officer for the province of Nova Scotia. In December 1928, he accepted a position as Executive Secretary, State Board of Health, for the state of Delaware, and established residence in Dover City, Delaware. Arthur became an American citizen in 1934. That same year, he married Mrs. Clara Delene “Dell” (Bastian) Reed in a ceremony that took place in Denton, Maryland, on July 30.
Arthur’s sons spent their formative years in Nova Scotia. Burt commenced his schooling at Guysborough Academy, where he completed Grades I to V. Following his father’s appointment as public health officer for Nova Scotia, Burt relocated to Halifax, where he attended the Morris St. School and went on to complete his high school education at Halifax County Academy. In the autumn of 1928, just prior to his father’s departure for the United States, Burt commenced post-secondary studies at Dalhousie University and graduated in the spring of 1931 with a Bachelor of Science and Diploma in Engineering.
On May 15, 1931, Burt and his brother Victor crossed the United States border by rail at Vanceboro, ME, on their way to visit their father. Six weeks later, Burt completed a Declaration of Intention at Dover, Delaware, stating that he intended to seek American citizenship. In the autumn of 1934, he commenced Mining Engineering studies at Pennsylvania State College, known today as Pennsylvania State University.
Burt had shown an interest in geology while attending Dalhousie University. During one of his summer breaks, he worked as an assistant with the Geological Survey of Canada. While attending Pennsylvania State College, he completed two work terms as an “assistant right of way engineer” with the Delaware State Highway Department. Burt graduated from Penn State College with a Bachelor of Science in Mining in the spring of 1934 and returned to Canada to pursue a career as a mining engineer.
In August 1934, Burt commenced work as a miner with Buffalo-Ankerite Gold Mines, Deloro Township, Timmons, Ontario. Two months later, he accepted a position as a mine engineer with nearby Marbuan Gold Mines. In May 1936, Burt was promoted to chief engineer and mine captain. After three years at the Marbuan operation, he returned to the Buffalo-Ankerite mine, which had purchased Marbuan in 1936.
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| Burton Norris Jost (civilian photograph) |
A passage from a letter of recommendation in Burt’s RCAF service file described the scope and quality of his work at Marbuan and Buffalo-Ankerite:
“His duties are to shape the policy of the underground workings and also to supervise all employees underground…. Mr. Jost is recognized as one of the best mine captains in this district. He is very well liked by all the miners at the mine and is well regarded by the staff there…. He presents a good appearance at all times and has a very good personality. Mr. Jost lives at the property in company-provided quarters and he mixes with the best people in the district. He belongs to the best clubs and is active in local sports…. He is well recommended by his employer for any position of trust.”
On June 10, 1941, Burt applied for admission to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The following day, he sat for an interview at Sudbury, ON. The interviewer noted that Burt was “well educated” and “”keen,” and rated him an “above average” candidate. Perhaps considering his age and educational background—Burt was almost 30 years old at the time—the interviewer judged him an excellent candidate for “Navigation Instructor.” A second assessment, dated four months later, mentioned the initial recommendation but commented that Burt had “no teaching experience.”
Burt formally enlisted with the RCAF at North Bay, ON, on December 20, 1940. He commenced service with the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class and was placed in the “Pilot/Observer Standard” stream. At the time of his enlistment, he signed an “Air Crew Enlistment Agreement,” acknowledging that he would be called upon to perform “other than Air Crew duties” until such time as the RCAF “was in a position to commence” his training.
In mid-January 1941, Burt was assigned to No. 17 Flight Training School, Stanley, approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Windsor, NS. As the facility was still under construction—it did not open its doors to trainees until mid-March 1941—Burt was assigned to “guard duty” at the facility. On March 24, he commenced the first stage of flight instruction at No. 3 Initial Training School (ITS), Victoriaville, QC.
At the end of the three-and-a-half week program, Burt placed 17th in a class of 370 cadets and was recommended for the “Pilot” stream. An instructor observed that he was “quick on the trigger and has a mind of his own - should do well.” Promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on April 20, Burt was assigned to No. 2 Elementary Flight Training School (EFTS), Fort William, ON, the following day.
Over the next two months, Burt logged more than 90 hours flying time in a Tiger Moth trainer, earning the highest possible pilot’s rating of “AA.” A comment on his assessment record described him as “a good steady pilot…. Keen and willing.” Burt’s ground training performance was also impressive—he placed 2nd in a class of 23 pilots and was described as possessing “exceptional ability.” Instructors recommended “bomber squadron training (twin engine),” as well as consideration for a commissioned rank.
On July 3, Burt report to No. 6 Service Flight Training School (SFTS), Dunville, ON. Once again, he logged more than 90 hours’ flying time—dual and solo, daytime and night-time—over the summer months. While his instructor rated Burt “an average pilot,” he noted that he was “above average in navigation. This pilot is very smooth on controls, will improve greatly with more time.”
Burt received an Officer’s Commission and promotion to the rank of Pilot Officer on September 13. the same day on which he received his Pilot’s Flying Badge. Two weeks later, he departed for overseas. Shortly after arriving in the United Kingdom, he reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on October 13 and was immediately assigned to No. 12 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Chipping Warden, Banbury, UK.
Formed in April 1940 to train light bomber air crew, No. 12 OTU was part of No. 1 Group, Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. OTUs offered air force personnel the first opportunity to train aboard the aircraft they would operate on active service. Burt’s new unit operated two-engine Fairey Battle I aircraft. OTUs also provided the first opportunity for establishment of air crews and their development into cohesive combat units.
Burt spent three months with No 12 OTU, honing is pilot skills. On January 25, 1942, he was assigned to No. 419 Squadron. Formed at Mildenhall in mid-December 1941, the unit became known as the “Moose” Squadron, after the nickname of its first Wing Commander, John “Moose” Fulton. The unit initially operated two-engine Wellington bombers, but later converted to Halifax (November 1942) and Lancaster (March 1944) aircraft.
On February 16, 1942, Burt flew his first mission with 419 Squadron as “2nd pilot” aboard a Wellington bomber. The aircraft set off on “a nickel raid”—dropping leaflets over Lille, France—but “had to land shortly after taking off as the inter-com failed.” Two nights later, the same crew completed a successful “nickel raid” over the French city.
On February 23, the Squadron became “non-operational” as personnel “commenced intensive training for conversion to Mark III’s, the latest Wellington model to enter combat service. Burt’s missions resumed in early April, at which time he completed seven flights as 2nd pilot in a Wellington piloted by the Squadron Leader. On one occasion, the starboard side of the fuselage was “hit by heavy flak,” but the aircraft safely returned to base.
Burt piloted his first mission on May 17, flying a Wellington bomber on a planned raid on Boulogne, France. Unfortunately, heavy cloud cover meant that the aircraft was not able to drop its bombs. His crew carried out a successful second mission—a bombing raid on the German city of Cologne—in late May.
During June and July 1942, Burt and his crew completed 17 missions without serious incident. While the vast majority were bombing raids on German cities, the air crew also carried out several “gardening” operations, planting “vegetables”—mines—along the approaches to several ports. Burt’s record was quite remarkable, considering the perils involved—the aircraft he piloted suffered no damage during any of its summer missions.
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| Flt. Lt. Jost (2nd from right) meets King George VI (2nd from left)—June 12, 1942 |
Over the next two months, Burt logged only two additional missions—August 6 and September 1—as he completed his “operational tour.” Altogether, he logged a total of 31 missions over a six-month span. As a result, Burt was “struck off strength” on September 22 and assigned to No. 22 OTU, Wellesbourne Mountford, Warwickshire, where he used his flying expertise and combat experience to instruct trainees in the operation of Wellington bombers.
On November 2, 1942, Flight Lieutenant Burton Jost was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, in recognition of the “courage and determination [displayed] in his operational sorties against the enemy….[W]hile acting as flight commander, [he] has set an inspiring example to those subordinate to him.”
Burt served as an instructor with No. 22 OTU throughout the winter of 1942 - 43, enjoying 10 days of personal leave in mid-March 1943. At some point after returning to duty, he volunteered for a second operational tour. On May 21, Burt was assigned to No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit, Topcliffe, Yorkshire, which trained air crew in the operation of four-engine Halifax and Lancaster bombers. He spent three weeks with the unit before returning to No. 419 Squadron on June 12.
One week later, Burt flew his first mission as pilot of a Halifax II aircraft—a successful bombing raid on the Schneider Works, an iron and steel mill located at Le Creusot, France. Two days later, his crew completed a successful mission over Krefeld, near Düsseldorf, Germany. It appeared that Burt’s second operational tour was off to a successful start.
At 10:40 pm June 24, 1943, Burt and his crew departed from No. 419 Squadron’s base at Middle St. George aboard Halifax JD147 on their third mission since Burt’s return. The bomber was one of 16 aircraft assigned to a 600-plane bombing raid on Wuppertal, approximately 35 kilometres east of Düsseldorf, Germany. Aboard the aircraft with Burt was Sergeant Ernest Bailey Pope, RAF, navigator; Flight Sergeant Ashley William Bruce, Royal New Zealand Air Force, bomb aimer; Flight Officer Robert Oscar Goodwin, Niagara Falls, ON, wireless operator/air gunner; Sergeant Julius Bjorn Johnson, Kirkland Lake, ON, flight engineer; Flight Sergeant Lesley Barker, RAF, second gunner; and Sergeant Robert Edward Austin, RAF, rear gunner.
While the 600 bombers shared a common target, the aircraft travelled in small groups and followed different routes to avoid detection. Based on information later provided by surviving crew members and civilian witnesses on the ground, a narrative of the eventful flight was later assembled.
As Halifax JD147 crossed Belgian air space and headed northeastward toward the border with the Netherlands, a German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighter, piloted by Obw. Reinhard Kollak, made contact with the aircraft north of Maastricht, Netherlands. Kollak opened fire on the plane, his first volley missing its target. Managing to avoid return fire from tail gunner Austin, the German pilot brought his aircraft around and below the bomber for a second round of gunfire.
Shells from Kollak’s cannon struck the bomber’s starboard wing, causing its outer engine to burst into flames. The fire quickly spread to the wing, prompting Burt to put the plane into a nose dive in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The maneuver proved unsuccessful and the fire quickly spread to the aircraft’s fuselage. As the incident unfolded, the bomber crossed into Dutch air space.
Realizing that the aircraft was disintegrating, Burt gave orders to jettison its bombs and instructed the crew to exit the plane. He and Sgt. Johnson wrestled with the controls, attempting to maintain an altitude and level flight path to allow the crew to safely evacuate. Bomb aimer Sgt. Bruce jumped out of the burning fuselage near Maastricht, while rear gunner Sgt. Austin left the plane near Leropperweg. As the bomber continued its descent, navigator Sgt. Pope and second gunner Flight Sgt. Barker jumped out.
From his vantage point in the cockpit, Burt could see that the aircraft was heading toward a settled area—the town of Roermond. He fired several flares in a desperate search for open ground where he could make a crash landing. By this time, only three crew members remained on board—Burt, flight engineer Sgt. Johnson and bomb aimer Flight Officer Goodwin. The aircraft was flying at a low altitude, heading directly for the town.
At a height of approximately 900 feet, Goodwin made his way out of the burning plane. Burt and Sgt. Johnson, however, remained aboard, managing to steer the aircraft away from Roermond as it disintegrated in the air. What remained of the bomber struck the ground in a field known locally as Hammer Feld, located between the village of Herten and Roermond. Local firefighters located the separated cockpit section and, after extinguishing the flames, recovered Burt’s and Johnson’s remains.
German soldiers on the ground eventually located and detained Flight Sgt. Bruce, Sgt. Austin, Sgt. Pope and Flight Sgt. Barker. Flight Officer Goodwin’s parachute failed to properly deploy and he was severely injured when he struck the ground. While local residents later recounted hearing his cries for help, he was not located that evening. His remains were found several weeks after the crash, as German authorities removed debris from the site.
At the time of the crash in the early hours of June 25, 1943, the fate of Halifax JD147 was a mystery. No 419 Squadron’s operational record noted that the bomber was one of three aircraft that failed to return to base. Until further details on the crew’s fate surfaced, for official purposes the crew was considered to be “missing.”
On June 30, No. 419 Squadron wrote to Dr. Jost, informing him that Burt was “missing” after an operation on the night of June 24, 1943:
“He was Captain of an aircraft detailed to attack a target in Germany on that night and unfortunately has been unreported since take-off, and I am afraid his loss can only be through enemy action. There is, of course the possibility that he may be a prisoner of war, but news of this could not be expected for some time yet. Burt as you know finished his first tour of operations with us and after a period of rest at a Conversion Unit came back to his old Squadron as Flight Commander of ‘A’ Flight. I had recommended him for Squadron Leader rank…. Your son and I were old and fast friends and I can assure you that I had great respect for his ability as a pilot and Captain of aircraft as well as for his many fine qualities. His happy carefree manner was a real tonic to all who came in contact with him and his knowledge of Bomber tactics was a great assistance to the newer lads on the Squadron. The news of his being missing has certainly thrown quite a cloud over his flight and the Squadron as a whole.”
The news of Burt’s fate reached Arthur at a difficult time. Only days earlier—June 19, 1943—his second wife Dell had passed away at Dover, Delaware. The two incidents may have persuaded Arthur to return to his roots. A note in Burt’s service file, dated December 8, 1943, noted a change in Dr. Jost’s address to Guysborough, NS.
As the months passed, RCAF officials gradually began to assemble information on the fate of Halifax JD147’s crew members. Flight Sgt. Bruce and Flight Sgt. Barker were transported to Stalag Luft L6, Heydekrug, Lithuania, while Sgt. Pope and Sgt. Austin were detained at Stalag 357, near Fallingbostel, Germany. The fate of Flight Lieutenant Jost, Sgt. Johnson and Flight Officer Goodwin, however, remained a mystery.
A statement from Flight Sgt. Barker, obtained on May 7, 1944, through Red Cross channels, indicated that both Sgt. Johnson and Lt. Jost were aboard the aircraft when it crashed. Barker stated: “I don’t know whether they were killed or wounded. I was unconscious for 10 days in a Dutch hospital and don’t remember what happened.”
A second statement, obtained from Sgt. Pope on May 15, 1944, corroborated Flight Sgt. Barker’s recollections:
“Our machine was attacked by enemy fire and set on fire. None of the crew were hit by gun fire. After a futile attempt to put the fire out F/Lt. Jost gave the orders to bale out, which were received by all members as far as I know. The plane was still flying at good altitude in an easterly direction, and F/Lt. Jost was still at his post when I baled out. I was second out of the plane which was by then a mass of flames.”
Sgt. Pope also recalled that the incident occurred near Venlo, Netherlands, which proved to be an important piece of information.
Following the end of hostilities in Europe in May 1945, the search for missing RCAF crew members intensified. RCAF investigators spread out across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, gathering information on lost aircraft and attempting to locate missing airmen.
Through a family connection, Dr. Jost was able to do some detective work on his own, in hopes of locating his missing son. On August 3, 1945, RCAF officials in Canada forwarded correspondence they had received from Arthur to the Canadian Casualty Branch, London, England. An excerpt from the letter contained specific information about the crash of Burt’s aircraft:
“Two bodies were found in the wreckage of the plane at once. The person first on the scene was C. Van Dyck, a Dutch Police Constable… One injured man, Sgt. Barker, was then found, he being an RAF man. The body of the third airman [Goodwin] was not found for several weeks when the wreckage of the plane was being removed. The first two bodies are in a cemetery, one marked the grave of an unknown RCAF airman, the other as the grave of an unknown RAF airman. This is an error as it is known that all the RAF men were accounted for otherwise. I have other addresses, the Hospital, the address of the physician who looked after Barker, etc. Just now the locality where the third body was buried is not yet known. And I believe that it is yet impossible to identify the individual graves. I still think it is damnably little to your credit that you are only now commencing to trace your missing men.”
An additional letter in Burt’s file, dated September 14, 1945, noted that four of Halifax JD147’s crew—former prisoners of war—were now safely in the United Kingdom. Flight Officer Goodwin’s grave had been located in a Roermond cemetery. The two remaining crew members—Flight Lieutenant B. N. Jost and Sgt. J. R. Johnson—were presumed to have been killed in the crash but the whereabouts of their graves was unknown. The letter concluded with a recommendation that “an investigation be carried out in the vicinity of Venlo in an effort to find out if the above noted officer and airman are buried there.”
The information led investigators to a cemetery in Venlo, where the two unidentified bodies from the June 25, 1943 crash had been buried. The remains, identified as Flight Lieutenant Burton Norris Jost and Sergeant J. R. Johnson, were initially re-interred in Venlo Military Cemetery. As time passed, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission decided to consolidate the remains of soldiers and airmen buried in small cemeteries into larger military cemeteries. On October 2, 1947, Burt and his crew mate were re-interred in Jonkerbosch British Cemetery, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
During the years following the war, the residents of Roermond did not forget Halifax JD147’s crash landing in a nearby field. Determined to preserve the memory of the two crew members who remained aboard until impact, thus sacrificing their lives, the town named a local street “Burton Jostweg” in honour of the Canadian pilot who steered the burning aircraft clear of its boundaries. A plaque bearing the names of Flight Lieutenant Jost and Sergeant Johnson was also erected at the crash site. In Canada, a lake in the Northwest Territories was named “Jost Lake” in memory of Burt.
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| Burton Jostweg, Roermond, Netherlands (Google Maps street view) |
Dr. Jost spent his final years in Guysborough. During that time, he researched and wrote several articles on local history and gathered genealogical information, all of which was compiled into a volume, Guysborough Sketches and Essays, published in 1950. Dr. Jost also provided funds for the establishment of the Burton Norris Jost Scholarship, awarded to a graduate of Guysborough Academy—now Guysborough High School. The scholarship is still awarded annually.
Dr. Arthur Cranswick Jost passed away on March 24, 1958, at the Nova Scotia Hospital, Dartmouth, where he had been a patient for seven and a half months. He was laid to rest in Guysborough, NS.
Arthur’s older son Victor became an American citizen on June 21, 1937, and later went to work as a draftsman with the Delaware State Highway Department’s engineering corps. He enlisted in the United States Army on February 27, 1942, and was stationed at Headquarters, 44 Division Army, Tacoma, Washington, at the time of his brother Burt’s death.
Victor served overseas as a T/4 [Technician 4th Grade] Sergeant with the 44th Division. Upon arriving home, Victor returned to his previous position with the Delaware State Highway Department. On June 3, 1950, Victor married Lillian R. Clarke, a native of Ohio. The couple had no children. Lillian passed away at Dover, Delaware, on May 15, 1972, while Victor died at Ocean City, Worcester, Maryland, on March 30, 1989. He was laid to rest in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Camden, Kent, Delaware, beside his wife Lillian.
Information on the Jost family’s arrival in Guysborough and the operation of the family business obtained from two sources: a) John N. Grant’s “Historic Guysborough—Images of Our Past” and Christopher Cook’s “Along the Streets of Guysborough,” Second Edition.
