John Andrew “Jack” Diggins was born in Canso, Guysborough County, on January 12, 1912. Jack’s father, Walter Andrew Diggins, was a native of St. Francis Harbour, the son of William and Bridget (Power) Diggins. His mother, Sarah Elizabeth “Bessie,” was the daughter of Dan and Theresa (McNeil) Ryan, Canso.
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| Flying Officer John Andrew "Jack" Diggins |
Walter and Bessie were married at Canso on January 29, 1907, after which the couple established residence in the fishing community. At the time of the 1911 Canadian census, the Diggins household included 30-year-old Walter, fisherman by occupation, his 24-year-old wife Bessie, and their children Theresa B., age two (DOB September 1908), and William D., age four months (DOB January 1911). A third child, daughter Viola M., was born in January 1910 but died in infancy.
During the following decade, four more children joined the Diggins family—John Andrew (January 12, 1912), Mary Agatha (February 19, 1913), Patrick (c. 1915) and Cecilia (c. 1917). Two other daughters died in infancy. Sarah Elizabeth, born February 25, 1914, died of bronchitis on July 30, 1915. Helena Ethel, born April 13, 1918, died of pneumonia on February 7, 1920.
The day before Helena Ethel’s death, Walter Diggins passed away at St. Martha’s Hospital, Antigonish. He suffered an injury to his hand in mid-January and was admitted to hospital with sepsis on January 28. Walter died of pneumonia on February 6, 1920, and was laid to rest in Canso. He was 40 years old at the time of his passing.
Her husband’s unexpected death left Bessie to care for six dependent children. At the time of the 1921 Canadian census, she was living in New Glasgow, her occupation listed as “washer woman.” Records list all six of her children—Theresa, William, John, Agatha, Patrick and Cecilia—as members of the household. Other documents, however, suggest that at least one of her children was residing elsewhere at the time.
Census records for the Mulgrave area list “John Diggins” as a “nephew” living in the household of Hibbert and Sarah Carr, Steep Creek. Sarah was an elder sister to Walter’s mother, Bridget Power, and thus a great-aunt to young Jack. Documents in his service file indicate that he spent his formative years in the Mulgrave area, during which time he developed a strong attachment to the Carr family.
On May 24, 1924, Jack’s mother Bessie married Frederick William Gerroir, a widowed native of Larry’s River and son of William George and Lillie (Pitts) Gerroir. The ceremony took place at St. Bee’s Rectory, Westville. The couple established residence in New Glasgow, where Fred and Bessie raised a family of five children. Three—Mary, Andrew and—were from Fred’s previous marriage, while Bessie gave birth to two daughters—Charlotte “Lottie” (Fennell) and Rita (Lewis}—from her second marriage.
Jack Diggins completed his elementary and secondary education school in Mulgrave, graduating from Grade XII in 1928. The following year, he completed a business course at Shaw Schools, Halifax. Employment prospects, however, were bleak as the effects of the Great Depression devastated the economy. From 1929 to 1934, Jack worked as a “labourer” at “odd jobs.” Finally, in 1934, he was hired as a “fireman” with Canadian National Railway’s Mulgrave operation.
At the time, Mulgrave was a bustling hub for railway, vehicle and passenger traffic crossing the Canso Strait to and from Cape Breton. The island’s steel and coal industries produced valuable products for export to mainland markets, transported by rail car ferry to the mainland. A letter of recommendation in Jack’s military file, signed by William McMullen, Supervising Engineer, Ferry Services, SS Scotia, provides a brief description of Jack’s duties:
“[Jack] has been in the employ of the Canadian National Railways since November 21, 1934, as fireman, oiler and water tender, and for the last three years has been assisting the machinist, overhauling and repairing the main engines and auxiliaries on the [ferry] boat off service. During this time, I have always found Mr. Diggins sober, willing, a good workman, and very attentive to his various duties.”
Following Canada’s September 10, 1939 declaration of war on Germany, the Canso Strait quickly became a busy hub of military activity. Artillery batteries were established at Auld’s Cove and Sand Point to defend the entrances to the strategic body of water, and a military barracks was erected in Mulgrave. Soldiers from local militia units manned the batteries, defending the strategic location from enemy attack by water.
As he resided in the Strait area, one might expect Jack to be enticed into service with one of the local militia units. However, he chose a different path, applying for admission to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on January 18, 1941. Almost six months passed before he completed an interview at Halifax. The result was not only his acceptance as a “good Pilot prospect.” Jack’s age and maturity were likely a factor in the interviewer’s recommendation that he be considered for a commissioned rank.
On July 8, 1941, Jack attested with the RCAF at Halifax and commenced service with the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class. He listed his great-aunt and foster-mother, Mrs. Sarah Margaret Carr, as his next of kin on his attestation form. While Jack was “taken on strength” at No. 1 Military District, Toronto, the same day, he did not commence training until September 14, 1941, when he reported to No. 5 Initial Training School (ITS), Belleville, ON.
Upon completing the initial phase of training, Jack was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on November 7, 1941. The following day, he was assigned to No 6 Elementary Flight Training School (EFTS), Prince Albert, SK, for the first phase of pilot training. Unfortunately, his service file contains no details on his performance at the facility. The fact that he was transferred to Composite Training School, Trenton, ON, on December 10, 1941, suggests that he did not meet the requirements for the pilot stream.
After a three-week leave, Jack “re-mustered” as an “Air Observer” on December 31, 1941. Three days later, he reported to No. 10 Air Observer School (AOS), Chatham, NB, where he logged 77 hours’ flying time aboard an Anson aircraft, mainly in the role of Navigator. Instructors rated his performance as “above average” and described Jack as “conscientious and keen,” with “lots of backbone and perseverance.”
Jack’s performance in “armament” also impressed his supervisors: “This is a very conscientious observer [who] displayed excellent co-operation in the classroom.” Comments on his evaluation form describe Jack as “older and steadier than most observers. Keen to help others.” He placed fifth in a class of 20 cadets, achieving an average of 79 % in his course work. Jack earned an “above average’ rating and a recommendation for future consideration as an instructor.
On April 12, 1942, Jack was transferred to No. 6 Bombing & Gunnery School (BGS), Mountain View, ON, for the next phase of training. Over the next six weeks, he logged more than 37 hours aboard a Fairey Battle aircraft, placing ninth in a class of 26 cadets. While judged “average” in bombing, his gunnery skills were “quite good in all aspects.” Instructors described Jack’s overall performance as “thorough” and “reliable.”
Having earned his Air Observer’s badge, Jack was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant on May 23, 1942. The following day, he was assigned to No. 1 Air Navigation School (ANS), Rivers, MB, for “advanced air observers” training. He logged more than 30 hours aboard an Anson aircraft while placing 8th in a class of 24 cadets. While instructors described his skills as “slightly above average,” they recommended that Jack be considered for instructor duties and an immediate commission.
On July 3 1942, Jack was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer. He placed 76th in a class of 277 cadets now considered ready for overseas service. After enjoying two weeks’ pre-embarkation leave, he reported to No. 31 General Reconnaissance School (GRS), Charlottetown, PE for a “navigation reconnaissance” course. Jack logged more than 23 hours as navigator aboard an Anson aircraft. Supervisors were impressed with his work ethic and concluded that “[w]ith experience he should prove himself to be a useful G. R. Observer.”
Jack was assigned to No. 1 “Y” Depot, Halifax, on August 16 and departed for overseas five days later. After arriving in the United Kingdom, he reported to No. 3 Personnel Recruitment Centre, Bournemouth, on September 2. At month’s end, Jack was assigned to No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit (OTU) for the final phase of his pre-service training.
OTUs prepared novice air crew for active duty by providing them with flight experience aboard the aircraft in which they would serve. No. 3 (Coastal) OTU was formed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Base Chivenor, on the north coast of Devon, England, in late November 1940. As its name suggests, its focus was the training of air crew for coastal surveillance, as opposed to bombing missions. Its aircraft, however, were capable of deploying weapons, specifically torpedoes that were delayed against enemy shipping, as well as bombs.
No. 3 OTU trained air crews aboard Bristol Beaufort, Avro Anson, Vickers Wellington and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft. In late July 1941, its Whitley and Wellington aircraft relocated to RAF Cranwell, while the Beaufort section remained at Chivenor, where it was re-designated No. 5 OTU.
Jack spent five months with No 3. OTU, training aboard a Vickers Wellington bomber. On January 3, 1943, he was officially promoted to the rank of Temporary Flight Officer. Two months later, he was assigned to No. 458 (Royal Australian Air Force) Squadron. Formed in Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia, in July 1941, the unit was officially established in the United Kingdom one month later. Throughout the war, 458 Squadron contained personnel from several countries—Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom—as well as its native Australia.
The unit commenced service in the European theatre in late October 1941, flying Vickers Wellington bombers. In late January 1942, 458 Squadron relocated to the Mediterranean theatre. Delays in the arrival of aircraft meant that it did not commence active operations until September 1942, when it re-formed at El Shallufa, north of Suez, Egypt.
The squadron conducted Maritime patrols, convoy escorts and mine-laying operations while operating Wellington bombers. During the first half of 1943, as Allied forces organized for a planned invasion of Sicily, the unit’s aircraft sank or damaged a number of enemy ships, including an Italian destroyer and cruiser.
No. 458 Squadron deployed its personnel in several locations throughout the Mediterranean theatre. One group operated at El Shallufa until March 1943—around the time of Jack’s transfer—when it relocated to Amiriyah, near Baghdad, Iraq. A second section was located at Luqa, Malta, while a third was based at Protville, Tunisia.
Jack was assigned to the Protville detachment and officially joined its ranks on March 11, 1943. Six days later, he flew his first mission as navigator aboard a Wellington, in search of enemy shipping along the Italian coast. Over the following six weeks, he participated in six more surveillance flights, several of which patrolled the area of Capo Gallo, near Palermo, Sicily.
On April 24, Jack participated in his first convoy escort mission. The following month, assignments focused on the Marsala docks at Trapani, Sicily, where Jack’s crew carried out three bombing missions before mid-month. On June 22, his aircraft conducted a “shipping strike” in the Tyrrhenian Sea, between the island of Sardinia and Italy. The crew reported “no enemy sightings. Weather good, with calm sea and good visibility.”
In July 1943, missions expanded to the Italian mainland. On July 11, the squadron dispatched six Wellingtons “on various anti-shipping searches between Corsica - Sardinia, Italy and Sicily, and round the west coast of Corsica and Sardinia.” A seventh plane containing Jack’s crew conducted an anti-shipping patrol over the Naples area. Its report indicated “no incident. Weather fair, sea moderate.” All aircraft safely returned to their Protville base.
On the night of July 12/13, 1943, ten of the Squadron’s Wellingtons “were engaged in shipping searches and strikes in the Tyrrhenian Seas and in the Straits between Corsica and Sardinia. All aircraft were airborne between 2025 hours and 2132 hours.” Patrol sightings during the day had reported two large vessels believed to be troop ships near the island of La Maddalena, located off the northeast coast of Sardinia. In response, six of the 10 aircraft were dispatched to carry out a night attack on the vessels.
Jack’s Wellington, piloted by Flying Officer William Charles Hailstone, Regina, SK, and two other planes were armed with torpedoes, while the remaining aircraft carried bombs. The unit’s operational records provided details on the mission’s outcome:
“Considerable shipping was noted in La Maddalena Harbour as a result of the thorough reconnaissance made by Col. Mackenzie at 100 ft.[,] in spite of considerable light and medium flak. No torpedo attack could be made, however, owing to the proximity of the ships to the islands and the mainland. The bomb carrying aircraft dropped their loads near the harbour and also the railway but no results were observed. Unfortunately the torpedo carrying aircraft of which F/O Hailstone was the Captain failed to return from this operation. A sighting report of vessels seen at La Maddalena was received from his aircraft but nothing further was heard from it…. The remaining five aircraft landed back at base by 0348 hours.”
Aboard the missing aircraft with F/O John Andrew Diggins and F/O Hailstone were Flight Sergeant Francis Gerald Crocker, RAF; Sergeant William Wallace Wright, Departure Bay, Vancouver Island, BC; Sergeant Howard Eldon Bradley, Moose Jaw, SK; Wireless Operator Donald Hyatt McConechy, Paddockwood, SK; F/O Kenneth John Neill, Campbelltown, South Australia; and Sergeant James Tindall, RAF.
A letter from the RCAF Overseas office to Sarah Carr, dated July 30, 1943, informed her that “your nephew, Flying Officer John Andrew Diggins, was reported missing as a result of air operations on the night of the 12/13 July 1943. Your nephew was Navigator of a Wellington aircraft, which took off on the above mentioned date on a shipping search strike against the enemy and failed to return.”
Over the ensuing months, there was no further information on the crew’s fate. A second letter to Sarah, dated June 30, 1944, stated that “your nephew, Flying Officer John Andrew Diggins, is now for official purposes presumed to have died on Active Service Overseas on July 13, 1943.” In mid-July, a telegram to Jack’s mother, Mrs. Frank Gerroir, New Glasgow, provided her with the same sad news.
Following the end of hostilities, military officials dispatched a set of Operational Wings and Certificate to Sarah in October 1946, “in recognition of the gallant services rendered by your nephew.” The final communication to family occurred in late September 1952, when an RCAF Casualties Officer informed Sarah that, “due to the lack of any information concerning [your nephew] since he was reported missing, it must be regretfully accepted and officially recorded that he does not have a ‘known’ grave.”
The letter also described plans to commemorate all missing air crew on “general memorials,” one of which “will be erected at Malta, and the name of your nephew will appear on that Memorial.” Jack’s name and those of his fellow crew members are among the 2,298 names engraved on the Malta Memorial, unveiled in 1954 in memory of Commonwealth air crew who lost their lives in the Mediterranean theatre and have no known graves.
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| Private Patrick Diggins (second from left) |
Two of Jack’s brothers also served overseas during the Second World War. Jack’s older brother William Daniel “Bill” also enlisted for military service with the Canadian Army. Bill passed away at Stellarton, NS, in 1988. A younger brother, Patrick, enlisted with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and served overseas with the unit. Upon returning home, Pat remained in uniform, serving with the Canadian Ordnance Corps, Windsor Park, Halifax. After leaving the military, he was employed by Health Canada (Food & Drug Division) and the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax. Pat passed away at Dartmouth on April 2, 2008.
Special thanks to Barry Diggins, Dartmouth, son of Jack's brother Patrick, who proofread the manuscript and provided photographs of Jack and Patrick Diggins.
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