Le logbook du Flight Sergeant Jacques « Coco » Morin contient ses souvenirs de guerre qu’il avait enfouis dans le fond de sa mémoire depuis la fin de la guerre.
Voici la suite de ce que contient son précieux logbook.
No. 22, O.T.U. Startford-on-Avon.
Intéressant. Jacques Morin est rendu en Angleterre.
Il vole sur Wellington, probablement sur un Mk III.
Wellington III
Le No. 22 O.T.U. c’est ça.
No 22 Operational Training Unit
Formed at Wellesbourne Mountford on 14 April 1941 within No 6 Group. Equipped with Wellingtons, it trained night bomber crews for the rest of the war. On 11 May 1942 it was transferred to No 91 Group and in July was raised to 1 ¼ OTU status. Reverting to normal OTU status in February 1943 it concentrated on training RCAF crews, being expanded to 1½ OTU status when ‘B’ Flight of No 23 OTU was absorbed, until disbanding 24 July 1945
Codes used: –
DD Apr 1941 – Jul 1945
LT Apr 1941 – Jul 1945
XN xxx 1941 – Jul 1945
OX xxx 1943 – xxx xxxx
On est le 20 septembre 1944.
C’est le Flying Officer Jarman qui est aux commandes du Wellington LT-Y.
Il y avait des dangers qui guettaient ces aviateurs. Il faut lire entre les lignes du logbook.
La preuve ceci… que j’ai trouvé en faisant une recherche sur le No. 22 O. T. U. (Operational Training Unit).
On est le 14 février 1944.
Mission: Training
Date: 14th February 1944 (Monday)
Unit: No.22 OTU
Type: Wellington III
Serial: HZ110
Code: Unknown
Base: R..A.F. Wellesbourne Mountford, Warwickshire
Location: Snitterfield, Warwickshire
Pilot: Sgt. Robert William Shields R/166344 R.C.A.F. Age 28. Killed (1)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Michael Joseph Craig R/12025 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: WO1 Arthur Henry Goodman R/60369 R.C.A.F. Age 25. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Tony John Karaim R/210272 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed (2)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Although based at R..A.F. Wellesbourne Mountford from where they took off, Sgt. Shields and crew were using the nearby satellite airfield at Snitterfield to practice night circuits and landings. During the flight the weather turned against them, and, as they approached to land in the poor visibility, the Wellington undershot the runway, hit the ground and caught fire.
Sgt. Shields had logged just six hours solo night flying and was making his fifth attempt at landing at 22:26 hours when the accident occurred.
This loss was typical of the many O.T.U. accidents, mostly over the British Isles that took the lives of over 3,700 aircrew participating in training flights alone. Many more inexperienced O.T.U. crews were to die due to enemy action, accidents while on patrols or other tasks and exercises. Such was the urgent need to replace lost crews from the Bomber Command squadrons that training requirements were cut to the bare bones in an effort to graduate aircrew to operational status in the shortest possible time. The price paid by so many young men from Britain, the Commonwealth and other countries was dear.
Ce passage est particulièrement révélateur…
This loss was typical of the many O.T.U. accidents, mostly over the British Isles that took the lives of over 3,700 aircrew participating in training flights alone. Many more inexperienced O.T.U. crews were to die due to enemy action, accidents while on patrols or other tasks and exercises. Such was the urgent need to replace lost crews from the Bomber Command squadrons that training requirements were cut to the bare bones in an effort to graduate aircrew to operational status in the shortest possible time. The price paid by so many young men from Britain, the Commonwealth and other countries was dear.
Cette perte était typique de beaucoup d’accidents dans les O.T.U. surtout dans le ciel des Îles britanniques. 3700 aviateurs perdirent la vie lors de vols d’entraînement. Beaucoup plus d’aviateurs inexpérimentés perdront la vie durant les missions, lors d’accidents, durant les patrouillees ou autres tâches et exercices. On avait un tel besoin de remplacer les équipages perdues dans les escadrilles du Bomber Command que les exigences de l’entraînement furent réduites au strict minimum. On voulait ainsi réduire le temps d’attente entre la graduation et les opérations. Le prix à payer par tant de jeunes hommes en provenance de l’Angleterre, du Commonwealth et des autres pays fut considérable.
Quatre jeunes Canadiens ne reviendront jamais au Canada.
Pilot: Sgt. Robert William Shields R/166344 R.C.A.F. Age 28. Killed (1)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Michael Joseph Craig R/12025 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: WO1 Arthur Henry Goodman R/60369 R.C.A.F. Age 25. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Tony John Karaim R/210272 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed (2)
Page suivante…
Surprise. On est le 23 octobre 1944. 22 jours sans voler!
J’ai dû oublier de numériser une page.
Je devrais aller revoir monsieur Morin.
On remarque que le Sergent Marcoux agit comme pilote, sans doute Eudore Marcoux. Le seul moyen de le savoir serait de voir le logbook d’Eudore Marcoux.
On remarque aussi que l’entraînement se fait toujours sur Wellington, probablement sur des Mk III.
On se revoit pour la suite…
RCAF 425 Alouettes 
Reblogged this on Souvenirs de guerre.