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DARING ATTACKS HIGHLY PRAISED
London, March 22, 1944 — (CP Cable) — The
feat of four R.C.A.F. flyers who ventured 400 miles into enemy-occupied
territory to shoot down three enemy aircraft and damage 17 others on the
ground was signalized to-day by a special communiqué issued by
Air Marshal L. S. Breadner, commander-in-chief of the R.C.A.F. overseas.
The quartet, who flew in two Mosquito planes of the City of Edmonton squadron,
consisted of Flight-Lieut. D. MacFadyen, of
Toronto; Flight-Lieut. J. Luma, of Helena, Mont; F.O. C. Finlayson, Victoria,
and F.O. J. Wright, of Rosthern, Sask.
There have been few previous occasions when such a small force was the
basis of a full-fledged communiqué.
The three planes destroyed were shot down over the Haguenau airfield,
about 250 miles east of Paris, and the Luxeuil airfield, 200 miles southeast
of Paris.
The intruders also damaged at least five gliders on the ground.
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Born in Helena Montana 27 August 1922
joined RCAF in July 1941
Got wings in May of 1942
To England in early 1943
Trained at 60 OTU (Night Fighters)
Tranfsfered to USAAF when US entered war, but
remained with 418 sq. for Night Fighting experience
[and for lack of USAAF Night Fighter squadrons]
his Navigator was Colin Findlayson
[who also flew with Charlie Scherf] |
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TWO CANADIANS SET HIGH MARK FELLING PLANES
Ottawa, March 24, 1944 — (CP) — Two pilots
flying with the R.C.A.F.'s City Of Edmonton Intruder Squadron, F/L D.
MacFadyen of 29 Chestnut Park Rd., Toronto,
and Lieut. J. Luma of Helena, Mont., destroyed three German aircraft in
the air and left 17 more either flaming or damaged on the ground during
an attack deep in Occupied France last Tuesday.
The R.C.A.F. said tonight in its weekend summary of operations that the
mark set by MacFadyen and Luma is believed to establish a new record for
enemy aircraft bagged by two United Nations crews in a single sortie.
During the week, the R.C.A.F. was active over Germany, Occupied France,
Burma, the Anzio Beachhead and Cassino fronts in Italy. Other Canadian
pilots accounted for five enemy aircraft.
Frankfurt was hammered Wednesday and Saturday by Lancasters and Halifaxes
of the R.C.A.F. bomber group, and Halifax squadrons attacked strategic
railway installations in Amiens Thursday.
The operation by transport aircraft and the 3rd Tactical Air Force in
North Burma, which placed Allied troops some 200 miles beyond the Japanese,
was participated in by Canadians from all parts of the Dominion.
City of Windsor Squadron
During the bombing of Casino, four pilots of the R.C.A.F.'s City of Windsor
Spitfire Squadron broke up a formation of 20 ME-109's which was about
to attack one of the Allied bomber formations northwest of the disputed
town.
An R.C.A.F. pilot brought down an ME-109 near Rome. Hits were scored on
enemy shipping off the Norwegian and French coasts by Beaufighters of
a Canadian squadron and R.C.A.F. Albacores of the R.A.F. Coastal Command.
In the Wednesday attack on Frankfurt, the Canadian bomber group struck
in full force, and F/L Don Paterson of Lynwood, Calgary, said he saw five
large fires.
"Fires were visible 150 miles from Frankfurt," said F/S Harry
Grayson of London, Ont., a flight engineer. For W/C W. H. Swetman, D.F.C.,
of Kapuskasing, Ont., leader of the Thunderbird Squadron, it was his 53rd
sortie over enemy territory.
Street "With Lights On."
Of Saturday's blow at Frankfurt, F/O L. D. Proctor of Biggar, Sask. said,
"It looked like Portage Ave. Winnipeg, “with the lights on."
Halifax squadrons of the R.C.A.F. group paid a return visit to Annens
last Thursday to bomb railway objectives, and F/O Jack Barlow of Ottawa,
bomb aimer with the Moose Squadron, said it was "the best precision
bombing I've seen in a long time—you could even see the bomb bursts
going right through the target indicators."
For this raid the Canadian bomber group provided nearly half the force,
and many other Canadians flew with R.A.F. formations.
Over Burmese Hills
In the Southeast Asia war theatre Canadians flew night after night over
Burmese hills carrying Gurkha and Indian troops, mules, jeeps and a great
quantity of supplies.
Shortly after the landing behind the Japanese rear F/L Bob Day
of Vancouver shot down a bomb-carrying Zero.
On the Anzio Beachhead F/L Bruce Ingalls of
Danville, Que., destroyed an enemy fighter near Rome Sunday, and Tuesday
P/O S. B. (Red) Ruppert of Winnipeg and F/O J. S. Christie of Montreal
and London, Eng., pilot and observer respectively, accounted for a JU-88
bomber during a raid on London.
S/L D. J. Williams of Vancouver, Beaufighter
pilot of an R.C.A.F. night fighter squadron, destroyed a Heinkel 177 southwest
of Guernsey, in the English Channel, Sunday. His navigator was P/O C.
J. Kirkpatrick of Hamilton.
R.C.A.F. Spitfire squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force provided escort
for American heavy bombers returning from attacks on industrial targets
in Germany.
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Victories Include :
21 January 1944
13 Febuary 1944
06 March 1944
21 March 1944
-
|
one Me 210
one He 177
one FW 190
one Ju 52
one Ju 34
two unk. e/a
"many" |
destroyed (F/O A. J. Eckert as Nav)
destroyed
destroyed
destroyed &
destroyed plus
destroyed OTG plus
damaged OTG |
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"First Sting" by Roy Grinnel - The night of
21/22 January 1944, 1st Lt. James 'Lou' Luma (USAAF) scores the first
of five victories with 418 Squadron RCAF. Luma encountered an Me 410 twenty
miles S.W. of Wunstorf : "We did a quick orbit to port, coming behind
him and chasing him for about 15-20 miles. We were on his tail and gave
him a 2-3 second burst of cannon and m.g. from about 250-100 yards. Strikes
on the fuselage were followed by a ball of fire which enabled us to indentify
E/A as a 410. A large piece broke off to the left and he went down."
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READ MORE :
Ken
Arnold's excellent page on LUMA
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--- Canadian Aces ---
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