John Maxwell "Max" Portz

_________________________________________________

Youthful Flyers Are Disappointed
“Couldn't Do Anything"
Say Canucks After Eight Hours in Air

With the R.C.A.F. Somewhere in England, Aug. 21, 1942 - (CP) Cables - Two airmen sprawled on the grass of this Canadian fighter station, loose-limbed from relaxing after the day's terrific activity against Nazi flyers and protested, "Shucks, we didn't do anything."
They were wiry-haired P/O Gordy Mather, of Ottawa, and P/O Maxwell Portz, of Weyburn, Sask.
"I didn't even fire my guns once," said Mather.
"I was 'jumped' once and that's all that happened to me," chimed in Portz.
Even though these two youngsters — Mather is 23 and Portz 27 — "didn't do anything" they spent as much time in the air Wednesday over Dieppe and the English Channel as the average business man spends behind his desk in a day.
They couldn't "do anything," said these two young members of the "Canadian" squadron once commanded by the legless W/C Douglas Bader, because it wasn't their job to shoot down Jerries.
They were in one squadron whose job was to provide aerial cover. They were in what is called "low cover" and had to keep their positions and resist temptations to dart off on the tail of the diving, twisting Focke-Wulfs which attempted to smash the commander convoy.
They didn't even see much of what was going on at Dieppe because they had to keep one eye on the convoy of Canadians and the other on stray FW-190s.

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

PORTZ, F/L John Maxwell (J15613) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.411 Sq.
Award effective 13 January 1945 as per London Gazette dated 23 January 1945 &
AFRO 471/45 dated 16 March 1945.

This officer has completed a very large number of operational sorties during the North African campaign and the invasion of the continent. He has taken part in numerous attacks against ground targets and in fighter bombing sorties. In addition to many enemy vehicles, Flight Lieutenant Portz has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and damaged others. He has always displayed commendable courage and enthusiasm.

NOTE: Public Records Office Air 2/9043 has recommendation dated 4 November 1944 when he had flown 244 sorties (335 operational hours).

Flight Lieutenant John Maxwell Portz has carried out a great number of operational sorties throughout the North African campaign and on the Continent during which he has shown continued keenness and outstanding enthusiasm. Since starting his second tour of operations he has led a section with competence against ground targets and in dive-bombing sorties. He has numerous ground targets to his credit, has destroyed three enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of another, has probably destroyed an additional one and has damaged four more.

_________________________________________________

John Portz, Dick Audet and Gord Lapp of 411 Squadron - October 1944

RCAF AWARDS

Ottawa, Jan. 22, 1945 - (CP) - Air Force Headquarters announced tonight the award of one Distinguished Service Order and 15 Distinguished Flying Crosses to members of the RCAF serving overseas. The recipients include :

D.S.O.
S/L O.C. Kallio, DFC, of Ironwood, Mich.
D.F.C.
W/C L.H. Randall, Bristol, N.B.;
F/L D.W. Banting, Fort San, Sask.;
F/L R.E. Coffey, Greenview, Ill.;
F/L H.A. Crawford of Edmonton;
F/L H.A. Dean, Vero Beach, Fla,;
F/L J.E. Hogg of Dartmouth, N.S.;
F/L H.R. Hunter of Strathcona, P.E.I.;
F/L G.F. Mercer of 77 Church St., St. Marys;
F/L L.W. Metcalfe of 50 Scott St., St. Thomas;
F/L J.M. Portz, Weyburn, Sask.;
F/O G.P.A. Bodard, Lethbridge, Alta.;
F/O C.L. Burgess of Fredericton;
F/O A.R. Lehman of 307 Niagara St., Welland;
P/O A.D. Fraser of Winnipeg &
F/O J.P. Jessee of Vancouver.

_________________________________________________

Victories Include :

_________________________________________________

--- Canadian Aces ---

_______________________________________________