Flight Sergeant William John Ross Davies—Killed in action over Europe March 5, 1943

William John Ross Davies was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 24, 1918. His father, James William, was a native of Saltsprings, Pictou County, the son of Duncan Cameron and Mary M. (MacLeod) Davies. His mother, Eva Muriel Williams, was born in the United States.

Flight Sergeant William John Ross Davies

The Davies family placed great importance on education. All three of Duncan and Mary Davies’ sons pursued post-secondary studies. John Angus Davies (1887-1964), the oldest, completed Grade XI studies at Pictou Academy. He enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program at Dalhousie University in 1911 and went on to graduate with a degree in medicine.

On January 24, 1917, John Angus enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps at Halifax, NS. Awarded the commissioned rank of Lieutenant, he departed for overseas in late March 1917. Shortly after arriving in the United Kingdom (UK), John Angus was posted to the Canadian Forestry Corps Base Depot, Sunningdale, where he served as a Medical Officer.

In January 1918, John Angus was promoted to the rank of Temporary Captain. Like many personnel stationed in the UK, he was eager to serve on the continent. In early September 1918, he proceeded to France and was posted to No. 8 Stationary Hospital (University of Saskatchewan), which was operating near Camiers at the time.

John Angus served on the continent for six months. Shortly after returning to the UK in mid-April 1919, he was hospitalized for treatment of kidney stones. He departed for Canada in June 1919 and briefly served at Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax, prior to his August 31, 1919 discharge. At that time, he gave his proposed residence as the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, QC.

John Angus later relocated to Windsor, Ontario. When his father Duncan fell ill with neuropathy, John Angus took him into his home, where Duncan spent his final months, passing away there on December 16, 1931. Duncan’s youngest son, Edward Ross, accompanied his remains to Salt Springs, where he was buried beside his wife Mary, who had predeceased him. At some point after his father’s death, John Angus moved to Hong Kong, where he passed away on April 14, 1964.

Edward Ross Davies (1893-1960) graduated from Pictou Academy in May 1914 and also enrolled at Dalhousie University. On October 5, 1916, he set aside his studies to enlist with the Canadian Signal Corps at Halifax, NS. Edward departed for overseas in the spring of 1917 and proceeded to France for service with the 3rd Canadian Divisional Signal Company in mid-July 1917. He served on the continent without incident for the remainder of the war and returned to Canada in March 1919.

Sapper Edward Ross Davies

Edward resumed his studies at Dalhousie University and graduated with a medical degree in 1924. He then returned to the Salt Springs area, where he planned to establish a medical practice. On an unknown date, Edward married Irene Jeanette MacLeod, daughter of John A. and Anne (MacDonald) MacLeod, Salt Springs. Before the end of the decade, the couple relocated to Londonderry, Colchester County, where Edward established a family practice.

On February 12, 1931, Edward crossed the American border at Niagara Falls, New York, destined for Indianola, Mississippi, where he completed a Public Health training course at Rockefeller Institute. He then obtained a public health position in West Virginia, where his wife Irene Jeanette joined him. The couple’s only child, Edward Ross Jr., was born there in 1934.

By 1940, the family was living in Ellicott City, Maryland, where Edward Sr. worked for the Howard County Health Office. Edward Jr. graduated with honours from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in June 1952 and received a three-year Westinghouse scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, where he planned to study electrical engineering. Edward Ross Davies Sr. died at Baltimore in 1974. His remains were transported to Nova Scotia, where he was buried in Gladstone Cemetery, Four Mile Brook, Pictou County.

James William “Bill” Davies also attended Pictou Academy, completing his third year of studies—equivalent to Grade XI—in 1909 - 1910. His whereabouts for the following two academic years are unknown. However, Bill was accepted into the University of Maryland School of Dentistry for his third and final year of dental studies on September 27, 1912. Admission required successful completion of two previous years of study at a recognized dental school. Unfortunately, available documents do not provide a school name or location.

Dr. James William "Bill" Davies' Graduation Portrait

Bill graduated from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry at the end of the 1912 - 13 academic year and remained in Baltimore for several years. During his time there, he met Eva Muriel Williams. The couple married on April 5, 1915, and William John Ross—the couple’s only child—was born at Baltimore on January 24, 1918.

At some point after William Jr.’s birth, the family returned to Canada. An undated next of kin “change of address” entry in Captain John Angus Davies’ service file requests that military authorities “also notify J. W. Davies DSS, 362 Laurier Ave., W. Ottawa [Ontario],” in the event of an emergency. Based on available census documents, the family’s stay in Ottawa appears to have been brief.

At the time of the 1921 Canadian census, which took place on June 1, the Davies family was living at Clark’s Harbour, Cape Sable Island, NS, where Bill had opened a dentistry practice. Based on information in William Jr.’s service file, the family moved around the province several times over the ensuing two decades. William Jr. first attended Westville Common School in 1924 and moved on to Le Marchant St. School, Halifax, in 1926. By 1930, the family was residing in the Strait of Canso area, where William Jr. attended Mulgrave Common and High Schools. He finished his secondary education at Halifax County Academy, graduating in 1935.

After completing a Banking course at Shaw Business College, Halifax, William Jr. secured a ledger keeper position with the Royal Bank of Canada, Halifax. In 1939, he was transferred to the bank’s Guysborough branch. Before year’s end, he relocated to its Shubenacadie office, where he worked as a teller and accountant.

On May 24, 1941, William Jr. applied for admission to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). By that time, his father and mother had established residence in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, where Bill provided dental services to the local community. Two weeks later, William Jr. completed a preliminary interview, and was judged “suitable for pilot” and commissioned rank with the RCAF.

William Jr. formally attested with the RCAF at Halifax on June 12, 1941. After a two-week leave, he reported to No. 1 Military District, Toronto, ON. Upon completing basic training, he proceeded to No. 31 Radio School, Clinton, ON, on August 4. Established earlier that year to address a shortage of trained radar technicians, the facility was the only one of its kind in North America and a closely guarded secret.

After completing the radio school’s program, William Jr. was transferred to No. 3 Initial Training School (ITS), Sherbrooke, QC, on September 13 for the first stage of pilot training. Instructors were impressed by his “serious, dependable, responsible [and] capable” demeanour. A mid-October medical examination described William Jr. as an “alert, quick lad, definite in opinions.”

Promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on October 19, William Jr. remained at No. 1 ITS until November 7. He then proceeded to No. 17 Elementary Flight Training School, Stanley, NS. Located approximately 15 kilometres east of Windsor, the small facility had opened in March 1941 and was equipped with Fleet Finch and De Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft.

Over a two-week period, William logged approximately six hours of flying time aboard a Finch II aircraft. While instructors commented that he was “progressing favourably,” on November 22 William informed his superiors that “he did not like flying and asked [for his pilot training] to be discontinued.” A “training cessation report” in his service file states:

“This airman says he does not like being in control of aircraft but denies being nervous in the air. He is definite in his opinion that he would like to remain in aircrew. He does not appear emotionally unstable.”

William Jr. requested “that he be recommended [for service as] an Observer.” His supervisors agreed that he “has [the] ability, intelligence, and initiative required.” William Jr. was granted two weeks’ special leave while RCAF authorities decided his future.

On December 8, 1941, William Jr. was assigned to the Composite Training School, Trenton, ON, where he “re-mustered” as an Air Observer. Before month’s end, he commenced training at No. 7 Air Observer School (AOS), Portage La Prairie, MB. Over a period of three months, he logged almost 78 hours flying time as a navigator and nine hours’ flying time as a bomb aimer.

In late March 1942, William Jr. proceeded to No. 3 Bomber & Gunnery School, MacDonald, MB, where he spent more than 30 hours aboard a Fairey Battle aircraft. He achieved an overall grade of 71.1 % in his course work and earned an “average” rating in both bomber and gunner skills. A comment on his evaluation form described him as a “good average type.”

On May 9, 1942, William Jr. received his Air Observer’s Badge and was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant. That same day, he was transferred to No. 1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, MB, for the final phase of his Canadian training. Over the ensuing four weeks, he logged 31 hours of flying time aboard an Anson aircraft. Instructors described him as a “studious” individual with a “serious[,] quiet nature” who “needs more experience” before commencing active service.

On June 9, William Jr. received the standard two-week pre-embarkation leave. In late June, he reported to No. 1 Y Depot, Halifax, and was transferred to the Royal Air Force Trainees Pool in mid-July. Shortly afterward, he proceeded overseas, where he re-mustered as “Navigator B.” On July 29, William Jr. reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, where he waited for a posting to a training unit for the final phase of his combat preparation.

On August 7, 1942, William Jr. was assigned to No. 10 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit, Dumfries, Scotland, for a three-week program or instruction. On September 1, he was assigned to No. 22 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Mountford Airfield, Wellesbourne, Warwick, England. OTUs provided personnel with the first opportunity to train on the aircraft in which they would conduct active missions. Flight crews were also assembled at this stage, providing members with an opportunity to form cohesive units.

During the next two months, William logged over 40 hours of daytime flying and 53 hours of night-time flying as a wireless operator/air gunner. While an evaluation sheet rated his performance as “average,” his instructor noticed “great improvement toward end of course.” On November 9, William Jr. was promoted to the rank of Temporary Flight Sergeant and awaited assignment to an active air unit.

On November 20, William  Jr.was posted to 428 (RCAF) Squadron. Formally established only two weeks previously, 428 was a night bomber squadron that operated Vickers Wellington aircraft. Initially assigned to No. 6 Group Royal Air Force (RAF), the unit was re-assigned to No. 6 Group RCAF on January 1, 1943.

Prior to that time, RCAF squadrons had been attached to RAF groups. The newly created No. 6 Group consisted entirely of RCAF units and operated as a distinct Canadian unit under RAF command. No. 6 Group initially consisted of eight squadrons, later expanding to 14, all of which flew heavy bombers.

As the group’s formation required some personnel readjustments, William was transferred to 426 (RCAF) Squadron on January 3, 1943. Formed at Dishforth, Thirsk, England, in mid-October 1942, 426 Squadron officially became operational one week after William’s arrival. The unit’s Vickers Wellington bombers carried out their first bombing raid from its base at Uxbridge, England, on the night of January 14/15, dropping a mixture of high explosive and incendiary bombs on a German U-boat base at Lorient, France.

More than a month passed before William Jr. flew his first mission. On the night of February 19, he was part of a six-man crew that departed at 5:53 pm aboard a Wellington III bomber for a raid on the German port of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. One of the 11 participating aircraft failed to return. The following day, William’s crew participated in a mine-laying operation, described as “gardening” in air force parlance. The squadron’s Operations Records Book commented on the mission:

“[E]ight crews were selected, most of which had very little operational experience. They took off at 17.30 hours [and] cross[ed] the North Sea without incident and laid mines in enemy waters off the Frisian Islands. All a/c [aircraft] returned to base and reported good visibility in the gardening area.”

On the night of February 28, William’s crew logged its second bombing raid, an attack on the U-boat base at St. Nazaire, France. One of the nine participating aircraft was forced to return to base when its rear gun turret became inoperative. The remaining planes executed the mission and returned safely, although fuel shortages forced three bombers to land at other airfields.

After two days’ rest, William Jr. and his mates participated in a March 3 bombing raid on Hamburg, Germany. A total of 12 aircraft took part in the mission. While three were forced to return to base for various reasons, the remaining planes completed the attack amidst heavy anti-aircraft fire and safely returned to base. As the unit had suffered considerable losses in recent missions, its log stated that the successful return of all crews “gave [a] tremendous boost to Squadron morale.”

The following day, the Squadron “was given a stand-down from operations,” allowing personnel to cary out “routine training and maintenance.” On March 5, 1943, No. 6 Group “requested 12 A/C [aircraft[ for the night’s bombing operations on Essen [Germany].” The planes departed at dusk, in the company of a dozen aircraft from 425 Squadron. “Port engine trouble” forced one of 426’s planes to return to base, but the remaining bombers continued across the Netherlands toward the night’s target.

William Jr.’s crew was among the 426 personnel selected for the mission. As the aircraft dropped a mixture of incendiary and high explosive bombs on the city, “a great many searchlights and a lot of heavy flak were encountered.” The resulting explosions produced fires so large that “the glow… could be seen from the Dutch coast more than 130 miles away.”

By night’s end, 22 aircraft had safely returned to the squadrons’ airfields. Wellington III BK 401, Pilot Officer Clarence Randolph Trask, Meadow Lake, SK, at the controls, failed to return to 426’s Dishforth base. On board the aircraft were navigator Pilot Officer Chelmsford Edward Chapman, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve; air gunner/bomber Sgt. William John Ross Davies, Sherbrooke, NS; wireless operator/air gunner Sgt. Norman Fraser Paterson, City View, ON; air gunner Sgt. Robert Earl Williams, Cynthiana, Kentucky; and wireless operator/air gunner Sgt. George Walen, Saskatoon SK.

In a letter dated March 10, 1943, Wing Commander S. Crooks, 426 Squadron, informed Eva that her son was officially listed as “missing” following the March 5 air raid:

“He was flying with his regular crew who were all good men and who had operated together several times previously. They took off at 5:10 pm and set course for the target. Nothing further has been heard from any members of the crew…. The loss of your son was sustained with regret by the Squadron as a whole and especially by his many friends here. He was very popular with his fellow Sergeants and with his own crew. He was a fine chap and an excellent Air Bomber and we all had complete confidence in his ability. I can say personally that he set a fine example to all ranks in every way and his loss is being felt very keenly.”

As official policy dictated, six months later, a telegram dated October 11, 1943, informed Dr. and Mrs. J. William Davies that their son was, for official purposes, “presumed dead 5 March 1943… after air operations (overseas).” In late February 1944, military authorities dispatched a Memorial Bar to Eva. Eight months later, a letter to William Sr., dated October 18, 1944, informed him of his son’s posthumous promotion to the rank of Flight Sergeant “with effect” from November 9, 1942.

After the conclusion of hostilities, Royal Air Force teams were dispatched to the continent, in the hope of locating hundreds of missing airmen. While the graves of many were located in cemeteries across Europe, there was no trace of Wellington III BK 401. A letter to Dr. Davies, dated April 4, 1952, informed him of an investigative team’s disappointing results:

“Their efforts to locate your son’s grave have been unsuccessful. Under the circumstances, therefore, it must be regretfully accepted and officially reported that he does not have a ‘known’ grave and will be commemorated on a memorial to be erected at Runnymede, England.”

Flight Sergeant William John Ross Davies’ name and those of his crew mates are inscribed on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial, Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England. The monument contains the names of more than 20,000 men and women from British and Commonwealth air forces who lost their lives during air operations over Europe and have no known graves.

Flight Sergeant Harold Stanton MacPherson—Perished at Sea March 2/3, 1943

 Harold Stanton MacPherson was born at Halifax, NS, on August 1, 1921, the third and youngest child of John Charles and Margaret “Maggie” Belle (Ferguson) MacPherson. John was a native of Boylston, Guysborough County, the son of Charles and Mary Jane (McKay) MacPherson, while Maggie was born at Intervale, Guysborough County, the daughter of Donald and Mary Ferguson.

Flight Sergeant Harold Stanton MacPherson

 

 

John and Maggie’s oldest child—a daughter, Florence Louise “Flo”—was born at Boylston, Guysborough County, on April 15, 1896. Flo married Fred McChesney, a native of Afton, Antigonish County, at St. James United Church, Antigonish, on March 29, 1930. The couple established residence at Afton, where they raised a family of four children—one son and three daughters. Flo passed away in 1992.

Harold’s older brother, Wesley Whitfield, was born at Intervale, Guysborough County, on May 15, 1897. Wesley enlisted with the 193rd Battalion at Guysborough on April 1, 1916, and spent the spring and summer months training with the unit at Guysborough and Aldershot. When a thorough medical examination in September 1916 uncovered respiratory issues related to a 1914 case of pleurisy, Wesley was discharged as “medically unfit” on October 20, 1916.

Wesley eventually relocated to Oxford Junction, where he worked as a lineman. On September 14, 1926, he married Jennie Evelyn Lowerison, a native of West Sackville, NB, in a ceremony held at Holy Trinity Church, Dorchester, NB. The couple settled in New Brunswick, where they raised a family of three sons and one daughter. Wesley passed away at Fredericton Junction, NB, in 1977.

Sometime after Harold’s birth, the MacPherson family settled at Afton Station, where John operated a farm. Harold attended the local Afton school from Grade 1 to 11, moving on to complete Grade 12 at Morrison School during the 1937 - 1938 school year. In September 1938, he enrolled in the teacher training program at Provincial Normal College, Truro.

Upon graduating from Normal College, Harold obtained a teaching position at Hadleyville, Guysborough County, for the 1939-40 school year. He was employed at Afton school from September to December 1940, and accepted a position at Meadowville, Pictou County, from January to June 1941. At the end of the school year, Harold submitted his resignation, as he applied to enlist with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

On July 29, 1941, Harold completed a pre-enlistment RCAF interview at Halifax, NS. One month shy of his twentieth birthday, he was five feet and 11 inches tall and weighed 151 pounds at the time. The interviewer described Harold’s approach as “confident” and “easy,” his responses as “quick” and “deliberate,” and his manner as “alert” and “confident.” He received an “excellent” rating and was initially recommended for “pilot.”

The following day, Harold formally attested for service with the RCAF. One week later, he was “taken on strength” at Toronto, ON, with the initial rank of “AC2” [Aircraftman 2nd Class]. On August 21, he reported to Trenton RCAF Base, where he completed basic training and was selected for the “air observer” stream.

In late September, Harold commenced the first of several training programs at No. 5 Initial Training School (ITS), Belleville, ON. According to a Report on Pupil Air Observer, dated December 17, 1941, he achieved a grade of 86 % and ranked 30th in a class of 150 cadets. Four days later, Harold was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC) and assigned to No. 9 Air Observers’ School, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, where he commenced specialist training for his assigned trade.

Over the following three months, Harold logged more than 80 hours in an Anson aircraft, the majority of the time as a navigator. He achieved an overall grade of 70.1 % and placed 18th in a class of 25. While his navigational work was rated “average,” his armament skills warranted an “above average” ranking and a recommendation for service as “air observer.”

On April 12, 1942, Harold reported to No. 6 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mountain View, ON, for the next phase of training. During a six-week course, he logged approximately 28 hours in Anson and Bolingbroke aircraft, during which time he received experience in bombing and gunnery duties. While his bombing skills were rated “average,” his air gunnery performance was “very satisfactory.” Harold completed the course with a mark of 72.9 % and a rank of fifth in a class of 26 cadets.

Harold received his Air Observer’s Badge and was promoted to the rank of “T[emporary]/Sergeant” on May 23, 1942. Two days later, he commenced the final stage of training at No. 19 Air Navigation School, Rivers, MB. Over the next five weeks, he underwent Advanced Air Observers’ Training in an Anson aircraft, logging more than 90 hours as 1st and 2nd Navigator in day-time and night-time conditions, along with an additional 26 hours of flight training in bombing and gunnery. While “carelessness” and “minor inaccuracies” negatively impacted his performance, instructors noted that Harold “can do excellent work when he applies himself.”

His performance in all three courses—air observer, bombing and gunnery, and air navigation—earned Harold an overall grade of 69.9%. While acknowledging his intelligence, instructors mentioned that Harold was prone to inaccuracy and lack of effort at times. Nevertheless, his performance warranted a passing grade and a pending overseas assignment.

Meanwhile, Harold received a two-week pre-embarkation leave on July 4, after which he reported to No. 1 Y Depot, Halifax. On July 23, he was formally “taken on strength” by No. 31 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Debert, the final stage of his training in Canada. Formed in May 1941, No. 31 OTU’s crews conducted general reconnaissance operations over the western Atlantic Ocean in Lockheed Hudson and Avro Anson aircraft.

Harold spent two months with the Debert unit, after which he proceeded overseas. On October 10, 1942, he reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, UK. One month later, Harold was assigned to No. 22 OTU, Wellesbourne Mountford, UK. Part of No. 6 Group Bomber Command, the unit specialized in training night bomber crews aboard Vickers Wellington aircraft.

Harold logged three months with No. 22 OTU, during which time he was promoted to the rank of “T[emporary]/Sergeant.” He officially completed his training on February 12, 1943, comments on his evaluation indicating a distinct improvement in both performance and effort: “Slightly above the average. Keen and conscientious. Consistently good bombing results.” Overall, his supervisors rated Harold “an above average bomb aimer.”

On February 25, 1943, Harold was assigned to No. 427 (RCAF) Squadron, RAF. Known as the “Lion Squadron,” a reference to its crest’s lion imposed upon a maple leaf. The unit, formed at Croft, Yorkshire, UK, on November 7 1942, was the eighth RCAF bomber unit and 25th RCAF squadron established at that point in the war.

On the night of March 2/3, 1943, Harold took part in his first active mission with No. 427 Squadron—“three [Wellington] aircraft…detailed for…mine-laying” near the Frisian Islands, along the northwestern coast of the Netherlands. Two of the aircraft completed the operation and safely returned to base. The third, piloted by Sgt. Leo M. Lymburner, Fonthill, ON, “did not return from this operation.” Harold was the “bomb aimer” on the six-man crew, all of whom were reported missing.

On March 6, 1943, Canadian officials wrote to Maggie Belle MacPherson, informing her that “your son was a member of the crew of an aircraft which failed to return to its base after air operations on the night of March 2nd and the early morning of March 3, 1942.” A subsequent letter from Wing Commander D. H. Burnside, No. 427 Squadron, dated March 15, indicated that the plane had departed at approximately six o’clock “and we have heard nothing from it or any member of the crew since take-off.” WIng Commander Burnside continued:

“We lost one of our best crews when this aircraft did not return for it had already been mapped out for a great future with this Squadron. Your son was very popular with this Squadron and fast becoming an ace Bomb Aimer. He is greatly missed in the Sergeant’s Mess, and his loss is regretted by all.”

An April 15, 1943 news item in The Casket informed local readers that Sgt. Observer Harold Stanton MacPherson was officially reported missing following an operational flight. “In a recent letter home[,] he told his parents that one of his [recent training] crew members was Joe Beaton, with whom he had gone to school at Nova Scotia [Normal College].”

Throughout the summer months, Harold’s family received no further word on his fate. Finally, on October 25, 1943, a telegram from Canadian authorities informed Maggie that T/Sgt. H. S. MacPherson and his crew mates, previously reported “missing” after air operations overseas, were now “presumed dead” as of March 3, 1943. In mid-February 1944, Maggie received “the Memorial Cross[,] a posthumous decoration to Sgt. Observer H. S. MacPherson.”

On October 27, 1944, T. K. MacDougall, RCAF Records Officer, wrote to John C. MacPherson, informing him that “your son, Harold Stanton MacPherson, has been promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant with effect from November 23, 1942.” Almost five years passed before military authorities received any further news concerning the crew of Harold’s aircraft.

A “missing crew report,” dated March 12, 1949, provided an update on the crew of Wellington X3390, which crashed at sea on March 2/3, 1943: “Information on file shows one body of this crew washed ashore and buried at Cuxhaven now identified by Canadian Flashes and German docs. [sic—documents]” as Sgt. H. R. Millson, the navigator aboard Harold’s aircraft. The remainder of the crew was “assumed lost at sea.”

A letter from Wing Commander W. R. Gunn, RCAF Casualties Officer, dated September 20, 1949, informed Harold’s father of this development, adding:

“Nothing is known of the aircraft or any other member of the crew, and in view of the fact that they were engaged in a mine-laying operation, it can be accepted that the aircraft was lost at sea, and with the exception of Flight Sergeant Millson, your son and the remaining members of the crew have been registered as not having a ‘known’ grave.”

Two months prior to Wing Commander Gunn’s letter, Maggie had received a set of “operational wings and Certificate in recognition of the gallant services rendered by your son.”

Flight Sergeant Harold Stanton MacPherson’s name is engraved on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial, officially opened at Englefield Green, Surrey, UK, On October 17, 1953, in memory of 20,456 British and Commonwealth air personnel lost during Second World War operations, all of whom have no known final resting place.

Flight Sergeant MacPherson's photo obtained from Betty M. (Kinney) Pettipas' book on Tracadie and area veterans, “We Remember Those Who Served, 1914 – 2002.”

Private Howard Leslie "Ted" Pye—Died of Illness January 24, 1943

 Howard Leslie “Ted” Pye was born in Liscomb, Guysborough County, on December 8, 1913, the fourth of Leonard Whitman and Ida Alexandra “Lexie” (Hartling) Pye’s seven children. His nickname apparently derived from a pyjama or play suit known as a “teddy” that Ted wore as a child.

Pte. Howard Leslie "Ted" Pye

Ted had deep historical connections to the Liscomb area on both sides of his family. His mother Lexie was the grand-daughter of John Frederick Hartling, a descendant of “Foreign Protestant” settlers who came to Nova Scotia in the aftermath of the Acadian Expulsion (1755). It is believed that the family surname derived from the German “Hirtle.” John Frederick, known locally as “Fritz,” was born around 1816 and eventually settled in Spanish Ship Bay, where he married Sophia Walters and raised a family of nine children.

One of Fritz and Sophia’s six sons, Jacob, born in 1859, married Caroline “Carrie” Crooks. Jacob became Spanish Ship Bay’s first postmaster, a position he held from 1897 until his resignation in April 1931. Among his other endeavours, Jacob and his brother John operated a small water-powered mill in Bay Brook, producing laths and lumber for local construction. He and Carrie raised a family of five children in Spanish Ship Bay. Ida Alexandra “Lexie”—Ted’s mother—was their second child and eldest daughter.

On his father’s side, Ted had deep connections to Pye’s Head, the body of land that lies between Spanish Ship Bay and the eastern portions of Liscomb Harbour. Ted was a direct descendant of Thomas Pye Sr. and his wife, Bessie Aubold (Hawbolt). Born in Exeter, southwest England, around 1758, Thomas Sr. immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1773 and settled in Marie Joseph, Guysborough County, around 1789. In subsequent years, he and his sons submitted petitions for land grants in the Ecum Secum, Marie Joseph and Liscomb areas. In 1818, the applicants received grants that totalled 1,200 acres, divided into several parcels.

Two of Thomas Sr.’s sons, Charles and Leonard Pye, received a grant of 200 acres on Liscomb Harbour that included the major portion of the Pye’s Head peninsula. The brothers formally divided the land in 1822 and established family residences on the location, which provided easy access to the ocean and featured several sites suitable for the construction of wharves.

When Charles passed away in 1853, his land was purchased by Eben Jacob Locke, husband of Leonard Pye’s daughter Mary Jennet. Eben later sold most of the property to Mary Jennet’s brother, William Henry Pye.

Leonard Pye was active at sea for over 30 years. In May 1825, he registered the Lunenburg-built schooner Sally in his name and personally operated the vessel. After the Sally was lost at sea in December 1827, Leonard purchased and operated the 36-ton schooner Mary Jane, which he registered in November 1836.

By June 1844, Leonard was master of the British Queen, a two-masted, 54-ton schooner that he had built in Liscomb. The vessel was owned and operated by James and John Henry McNab, two Halifax merchants. Leonard purchased the ship from the McNab brothers in April 1849. By that time, he was active in coastal trade routes established between Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador, where he traded goods with the native population, in exchange for fish.

Leonard’s son, William Henry, sailed with his father and later became a coastal trader himself. According to family lore, he went to sea at age eight and took charge of the British Queen at age 14. William Henry received navigation instruction from a Mr. McDaniel, a Sherbrooke resident, and successfully completed the examinations for his Master Mariner’s certificate in Halifax.

Leonard passed away in the spring of 1852 at age 55. William Henry, administrator of his estate, equitably divided his father’s assets among family members. In subsequent years, William Henry purchased his mother’s share and as much of his sisters’ properties as he could acquire. The year prior to his father’s death, he had married Jane Eliza Davis, a resident of Ecum Secum West, and the couple built a home on a section of Pye’s Head overlooking Liscomb Harbour.

In 1857, William Henry served as a coastal pilot aboard the Gulnare, a surveying vessel hired by the Royal Navy to map the Nova Scotia coastline for the British Admiralty. A flat rock near the family home served as a survey reference point and still bears the appropriate carved markings.

William Henry continued to operate the British Queen, and later purchased another merchant schooner, the Agility, built in Port Medway in 1858. Family lore claims that the vessel operated as a blockade runner during the American Civil War, slipping through the North’s naval blockade to deliver British goods to Southern Confederate ports.

In May 1874, William Henry sold the Agility and the following year acquired the newly constructed A. M. Payne, named for a prominent Halifax merchant. He operated the new vessel for eight years. After selling the ship to a Shelburne County mariner, he “came ashore.” In his retirement years, William Henry operated the local customs house at times, and opened a store that provided the local community with basic goods.

In August 1910, William Henry deeded all of his property to his son Leonard Whitman Pye, who eventually dismantled his father’s Cape Cod house and built a new residence on the same foundation. Leonard had married Ida Alexandra “Lexie” Hartling, a Spanish Ship Bay native, in 1908 and the couple raised a family of seven children—daughters Alma Kathleen, Amy Rebecca, Leone Ida, Caroline Davidson, and Margaret Jane, and sons Stuart Allison and Howard Leslie “Ted.”

Leonard pursued a livelihood at sea for several years. Like his father, he operated the customs house and maintained a sustenance farm on Pye’s Head. He also left home for seasonal work, managing a lobster factory at Malagash in the spring and supervising apple harvesting in the Annapolis Valley in the autumn. The family briefly moved to Halifax in the early 1920s, but finding suitable accommodations for a large household was a challenge and they soon returned to Pye’s Head.

Leonard’s sons Allison (DOB July 18, 1910) and Ted were determined to go to sea. As the family no longer operated its own vessels, 17-year-old Allison made his first voyage to the West Indies aboard the schooner Esthonia in 1928, likely accompanied by 14-year-old Ted. The vessel, under the command of Howard Hartling—a relative of their mother’s—departed from Halifax on March 27 and safely returned to Nova Scotia after a five-month voyage.

Ted later sailed to the Turks Islands aboard the vessel Cape LaHave, only to become stranded when the vessel ran aground and was lost. Although news of the wreck soon reached the family, Ted’s whereabouts remained a mystery for some time. His youngest sibling, Margaret, recalled that he “just came walking down the road” one day.

Allison continued to work at sea, completing a total of four voyages on the Esthonia in 1928 and 1929. He made another schooner voyage to the Turks Islands aboard the James E. Newsome. While sailing vessels experienced a modest resurgence during the Great Depression, due in part to lower operating costs and fuel shortages, their use declined as the decade passed and steamships assumed the bulk of the Caribbean routes.

Allison made the transition to the new technology, joining the crew of the Lady Somers, one of Canadian National Steamships Company’s famous “Lady Boats,” for two voyages in 1930. He also served aboard its sister ships, the Lady Nelson and the Lady Rodney, from 1935 to 1939, logging a total of 23 voyages. In 1939, he gave up going to sea as “there was no future in it.” The timing of his decision proved fortuitous—during the Second World War, three of the four Lady Boats fell victim to German U-boats.

Allison completed the accounting program at the Maritime Business College and found work in Halifax. During the Second World War, he enlisted for service with the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as an accounts clerks with 11 Technical Service Unit, Montreal. Upon returning to civilian life, he worked for the Colonial Fertilizer Company in Windsor, NS. When Canada Packers purchased the company in the 1960s, he returned to Halifax, where he worked as an accountant.

Stuart Allison Pye in RCAF uniform

 Meanwhile, the episode aboard the Cape LaHave persuaded Ted to abandon seafaring in favour of safer pursuits ashore. He remained at home for a period of time, briefly returning to school before going to work with his father on Pye’s Head. Leonard owned a small boat that they used for lobster fishing.

After Leonard’s death in 1935, Ted may have worked in the Halifax dockyards for a while. He eventually returned to Pye's Head, although the exact date is unknown. Ted did some farming, maintaining a vegetable garden and tending livestock, particularly a large ox named Babe that he used for ploughing and hauling. At the time of his enlistment, Ted gave his address as Liscomb and listed his occupation as fisherman.

On June 26, 1941, Ted answered the call to military service, enlisting with the Canadian Active Service Force at Antigonish, NS. One week later, he reported to No. 61 Basic Training Centre, New Glasgow. On August 19, he completed his initial training and was assigned to the Vocational Wing, No. 6 District Depot, Halifax. Over the next three months, he took a trades course and was certified as “a qualified oxyacetylene welder” on November 25.

In early February 1942, Ted was transferred to the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Training Centre (RCOTC), Barriefield, Kingston, ON, for the next stage of his military service. On March 28, he was assigned to the Canadian Army Training School, Hamilton, and in mid-June returned to RCOTC Barriefield, where he remained throughout the summer.

On September 1, 1942, Ted received permission to marry Miss Elizabeth Violet “Lizzie” Knight “on or after 1 - 11 - 42.” Ted had known Lizzie for some time. She was born in Halifax, but her mother, Elizabeth Ethel Morris, was from West Liscomb. Lizzie met Ted while she was visiting her grandmother, Bertha Elizabeth (Berrigan) Morris. His sisters recalled Ted rowing across the harbour to meet her at the Morris family home.

While Lizzie and Ted’s marriage was initially scheduled for November, events moved more rapidly than anticipated. Ted officially qualified as “Welder Group ‘B’ Grade I” on September 19, and four days later received 10 days’ leave. A note in his service file, dated September 24, 1942, states:

“Having been granted permission to marry on or after 24/9/42, was married on the 24/9/42 to Miss Elizabeth Violet Knight [at Halifax]. New address - 206 Grafton St., Halifax, NS.”

Lizzie and Ted

Upon returning to duty on October 1, Ted was officially “struck off strength” by the Canadian Ordnance Corps Training Centre and awaited orders to proceed overseas. He departed Halifax in late October and disembarked in the United Kingdom on November 5, 1942.

As with all arrivals, Ted was assigned to the Canadian Ordnance Reinforcement Unit. The Corps was responsible for procuring all material items required by the Canadian Army, such as weapons, clothing and mechanical transport. Until 1944, its personnel also maintained and repaired Army equipment.

On November 25, Ted was assigned to the newly created 1 Canadian Ordnance Beach Detachment (COBD), whose personnel would assist infantry units in beach landings as part of an invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Their mission involved establishing assembly areas for men and vehicles arriving on shore and overseeing their movement inland. The unit was also responsible for creating storage areas for fuel, ammunition, rations and other supplies as they came ashore. As infantry units proceeded inland, the unit would supervise the evacuation of the dead and wounded, prisoners of war, and salvaged equipment.

Well before Ted’s arrival in the United Kingdom, Canadian units had transitioned from defensive roles to training for an invasion of the European continent. Personnel rehearsed scrambling from naval vessels into landing craft and making their way ashore. These exercises began in England but later shifted to Scotland, where sandy beaches and mountainous terrain provided ideal staging grounds for large-scale operations that preceded the Allied landings at Dieppe (August 1942), Sicily (July 1943) and Normandy (June 1944).

On December 7, 1942, Ted was attached “for all purposes” to the 11th Base Ordnance Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). He probably spent the month training with British soldiers who shared their expertise with the inexperienced Canadians. The first indication of Ted’s involvement in practical training occurred on January 10, 1943, when he was sent with his unit to CTC [Combined Training Centre] Castle Toward, Scotland. Built in 1820 to replace a medieval structure that was the home of Clan Lamont, the castle is located in the Argyll and Bute district of Scotland, on the shores of the Upper Firth of Clyde, approximately 70 kilometres west of Glasgow.

During the war, the British military requisitioned the castle and its grounds and awarded it the Royal Navy commission of HMS Brontosaurus. Personnel stationed at the location learned how to operate a variety of landing craft, and rehearsed the loading and unloading of men, tanks and armoured vehicles. British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Rear Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten were among the prominent figures who visited the location during the war.

British and Commonwealth soldiers trained in landing operations staged on the Isle of Bute, to the west of Castle Toward. The men were billeted in private homes in Rothesay, the island’s largest town. After the war, residents fondly remembered the Canadians, particularly their unusual accents and generosity in sharing chewing gum, chocolate bars and sports cards from their cigarette packages with local children.

On January 22, 1943, Ted was admitted to Rothesay Memorial Hospital, Scotland, where he was diagnosed with a cerebral haemorrhage. His service file does not describe its cause. A later document stated that he had suffered a “heart attack during combined operations on training.” Unfortunately, there are no medical documents in his service file to provide further details.

Two days later, perhaps due to worsening health, military authorities decided to transfer Ted to a military hospital on the outskirts of Glasgow. An “Extract from an Entry in a Registry of Deaths” for the District of Buchanan, County Sterling, Scotland, states that Ted died at 5:22 pm January 24, 1943, “in an ambulance on a journey between Rothesay and Military Hospital, Buchanan.” The entry identifies the cause of death as septicaemia, a conclusion repeated in several other official documents.

That same day, military authorities sent a telegram to Ted’s wife Lizzie, informing her: “Regret deeply F88060 Private Howard Leslie Pye officially reported died twenty-fourth January 1943 as result of cerebral haemorrhage.” Ted’s remains were transported to Surrey, UK, where he was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey, on February 2, 1943.

Details on the Pye and Hartling genealogies was obtained from Ruth Legge’s detailed work, “Shreds and Nooks of Land—A History of Liscomb, Spanish Ship Bay and Geggogin, Guysborough County.” Special thanks to Ted’s nephew and nieces who helped assemble his story. Don Hatton and Muriel Elliott, Pye’s Head, NS, and Margaret Pye Arnaudin, St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, provided details on Ted and Allison Pye’s personal lives. Denise McMurtry, Carp, Ottawa, ON, shared a photograph of Ted in uniform and a picture of Ted with his wife Lizzie. Margaret Pye Arnaudin provided a photograph of her father, Stuart Allison, in uniform.