CANUCK AIRMEN HAVE BAGGED SCORES OF GERMAN ROBOMBS
City of Edmonton Squadron Alone Has 79 1/2 to
Credit — Bannock Leads
Ottawa, Oct. 5.— (CP)— The R.C.A.F. City of Edmonton
Mosquito Intruder Squadron helped defend Britain against robot bomb attacks
and had a score of 79 1/2, an air force release said last night. They
got the "half" for a bomb they, shattered but didn't stop, and
it crashed in open country. Top scorer in the squadron is Sqdn-Ldr. Russel
Bannock, D.F.C., of 490 Strathmore boulevard, Toronto, who has "killed"
18 1/2.
Wonder Shooting
Before the squadron took up its "doodle-bug hunting," Bannock
had destroyed four enemy aircraft and scored a "probable" during
intruder patrols.
Fellow-pilots told of Bannock's wonder shooting. He got four in one night,
which is the record for an individual member of the squadron.
A number of crews of the squadron are credited with flying-bomb kills
since they were put on the work the night of June 14, when the Nazis first
began to use their secret weapon.
Flt. Lt. S. H. R. Cotterill, D.F.C., of 5 Claxton boulevard, Toronto,
has shot down four bombs.
Like Great half-Moon
"We used to stooge around," he said, "just out from the
launching area in France. We were the first-line night fighter patrol.
Sometimes we could see the actual launchings—a launching looks like
a great half-moon of brilliant explosion. Then, when the thing came up,
and it could be spotted by the steady glow from the rear end, we dived
down vertically on them at full throttle.
Several kites would line up on one bomb, and if the first one missed,
then the others would go down for a try. After our dive on the thing we
would level out and let go with a quick burst, and then if you were too
close you'd be thrown all over the sky by the explosion, or flying debris
would damage the machine. Sometimes, from a distance, we weren't always
sure whether there was a doodlebug or not, so we used to line up the light
with a star, and then, if it moved, in we went."
Sqdn. Ldr. R. G. Gray, of Edmonton has "killed" two flying bombs.
New Technique
"We had to develop an entirely new technique to fight them,"
he said. "There was certainly nothing in our flying training to give
us a hint. For the first couple of nights the most we knew was that Jerry
had a new secret weapon, and we had to go get it. We didn't know if the
things would blow up in the air and whip us. Some did blow up, of course,
and we had to fly through the debris.
"The flash of the explosion blinded us, and afterward we had to grope
our way, guiding the crate by the feel of the controls. As the days went
by we began to know what the flying bombs would do, and we began to develop
a habit of closing one eye as we shot for a 'kill,' so that when the flash
had disappeared - if we were lucky enough to hit the thing - we had one
eye serviceable for the darkness. Knocking down the doodlebugs was harder
work than going after enemy aircraft."
He said that some of the flying-bombs showed signs of having been tampered
with by French underground agents. One he was attacking suddenly wobbled,
veered around, then came flying toward him. He let it go by to crash on
the German fortified coast.
Flt. Lt C. J. Evans, of Brantford, got three bombs on the night of June
24. After shooting one down he tackled another in mid-Channel. He ran
in close and fired and the bomb blew up, blinding him by the blast and
debris, knocking out one of his engines. Then, soon after he had regained
control of his stricken machine and his sight, he spotted a third bomb
and swung in to shoot it down.
Best Feat of All
His squadron comrades reckoned it to be the best feat of any night, for
they said it was a difficult enough business shooting down a doodlebug
with two good engines. They figured getting a "kill" with only
one engine was almost an impossibility.
The squadron only lost one aircraft during the battle. Several machines
returned severely damaged by blast or flying debris and some came back
with their paint work entirely stripped off by the blast.
It has not been possible yet to total all the kills for which Canadian
airmen have been responsible. Many Canadian airmen were flying during
the battle with R.A.F. squadrons, and it is likely that a high proportion
of the 1.000 and more flying-bombs brought down from the air fell to the
guns of men from the Dominion.
__________________________________________________
Born in Edmonton, 1 November 1919.
Enlisted in Vancouver, 9 September 1939.
Trained at Vancouver Flying Club (posted there 27 Sept 1939),
Station Trenton (posted there 5 November 1939) and
Camp Borden (posted there 10 December 1939;
wings on 20 February 1940 [march 23rd?]). To
No.112 Squadron, Ottawa, 22 April 1940; to
No.1 Wireless School, 10 July 1940; to
Central Flying School, Trenton, 10 August 1940.
Retained in Canada as instructor until October 1943
(Trenton to 17 June 1942;
No.3 Flying Instructor School, 28 Aug 1942 to 11 Oct 1943).
No.36 OTU, Greenwood (posted there 12 Nov '43)
Sent overseas in January 1944.
Arrived in UK, 24 February 1944.
Attended No.60 OTU (11 April 1944 to June 1944).
With No.418 Squadron, 10 June 1944 until
posted to No.406 Squadron, 20 November 1944.
Returned to Canada, 10 August 1945.
Later attended RAF Staff College, 1945-46,
but chose to be released from RCAF, 10 May 1946.
Later test pilot and executive with de Havilland (Canada).
For additional details see H.A. Halliday, The Tumbling Sky.
For personal recollections see Fall 1982 issue of -
Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society.
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___________________________________________________
BANNOCK, S/L Russell (C1086) - Distinguished Flying Cross
- No.418 Squadron
Award effective 3 October 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 2637/44 dated 8 December 1944.
This officer has completed numerous sorties including
several attacks on enemy airfields on which he has caused much disruption.
He is a highly efficient flight commander and has showed much skill and
initiative in the planning and execution of his missions. His successes
include the destruction of many flying bombs, three of which he destroyed
in one patrol.
__________________________________________________
Canadian Takes Over Crack Air Squadron
London, Oct. 28.-(CP Cable)- Wing Cmdr. Russell
Bannock, DFC., Toronto and Edmonton Mosquito fighter pilot, who was top-scorer
in his squadron's fight against robot bombs, has been appointed commanding
officer of the City of Edmonton squadron, the R.C.A.F. announced to-day.
__________________________________________________
Aerial victories are as follows:
14/15 June 1944, one Bf.110 destroyed, Avord;
19/20 June 1944, one V-1 destroyed;
3/4 July 1944, three V-1s destroyed;
6/7 July 1944, four V-1s destroyed;
7/8 July 1944, two V-1s destroyed;
18 July 1944, one unidentified e/a destroyed and
- one damaged;
19/20 July 1944, two V-1s destroyed;
23/24 July 1944, two V-1s destroyed;
26/27 July 1944, one V-1 destroyed;
4/5 August 1944, two V-1s destroyed;
12/13 August 1944, one V-1 destroyed;
30 August 1944, one Ju.88 destroyed OTG and
- one Bf.110 destroyed OTG
12/13 Sept. 1944, one unid. twin-engined e/a destroyed
27 September 1944, two Bf.108s destroyed;
24/25 December 1944, one Ju.88 destroyed;
5 January 1945, one He.111 destroyed and
- one unidentified e/a damaged;
21/22 March 1945, one unidentified e/a damaged;
4/5 April 1945, one unidentified e/a destroyed
plus
- one FW.190
damaged;
23/24 April 1945, one Ju.88 destroyed. |
__________________________________________________
BANNOCK, S/L Russell, DFC (C1086) - Bar to DFC - No.418 Squadron
Award effective 9 January 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 471/45 dated 16 March 1945.
This officer has displayed outstanding ability, great
determination and devotion to duty. Within recent months he has completed
a number of sorties against airfields, some of them far into enemy territory.
His sterling qualities were well evidenced one night in September 1944
during an attack on an enemy airfield. Over the target Squadron Leader
Bannock shot down two enemy aircraft. In the second of the fights his
own aircraft was damaged by flying debris. One engine failed but he flew
his aircraft several hundred miles back to base where he effected a safe
landing.
Bannock & Bruce's Mosquito "Hairless Joe"
showing aircraft and V-1 kills, and nose art
Photos
PL-24137 - head and shoulders, no ribbons (not shown)
PL-31295 - with F/O R. Bruce (both wearing flight gear) &
Mossie
PL-33041 - with navigator Bob Bruce & their Mosquito
PL-43732 - portrait, wearing his DFC and Bar ribbons
PL-33532 - nose of "Hairless Joe" FBVI HR 147 (TH-Z)
of 418 Sq |
______________________________________________
BANNOCK, W/C Russell, DFC (C1086) - Distinguished Service
Order - No.406 Squadron
Award effective 8 August 1945 as per London Gazette of 17 August 1945
and
AFRO 1507/45 dated 28 September 1945.
As squadron commander, Wing Commander Bannock has proved
to be an outstanding success. Since the award of the Distinguished Flying
Cross he has destroyed a further seven enemy aircraft bringing his total
victories to at least eleven enemy aircraft destroyed and others damaged.
He has also destroyed nineteen flying bombs by night. In addition he has
caused considerable disruption to the enemy's lines of communication.
Under this officer's inspiring leadership his squadron has obtained a
fine record of successes and reached a high standard of operational efficiency.
______________________________________________
Canadian Aces
--- Other Canadian Fighter
Pilots ---
--- Canadian Air Gunners ---
______________________________________________
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