John Todd "Johnny" Caine

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R.C.A.F. CARRIES HEAVY BOMB LOADS TO HUN

Ottawa, Feb. 4, 1944 - (CP) - R.C.A.F. bombers participating in the three hammer-blow raids on Berlin during the past week carried a bomb weight far heavier than the whole German Air Force ever dropped on Britain in a single night, the R.C.A.F. reported today in its weekly summary of overseas operations.
On the first of the three raids, F/S S. H. Campbell of Drumheller, Alta., rear gunner in the "Goose" bomber squadron, shot down a rocket-firing Messerschmitt 110 night fighter.
We were just on the rim of the target area when the fighter started to attack us," said Campbell. "He was 440 yards away and silhouetted against the red glow of the flames below coming through the clouds. I told the skipper to bank to starboard and as the fighter followed us on the curve of pursuit, I gave him a long burst, scoring a hit on the starboard rocket.
"The enemy nightfighter broke off the combat, but attacked again coming up underneath and, as Campbell fired again, he saw it flip over on its back in flames and a few seconds later explode on the ground below.
An R.C.A.F. Mosquito squadron "went to town" one day of the week when four of its pilots knocked down seven enemy aircraft within eight minutes.
Wing Cmdr. C. D. S. Macdonald of Vancouver, commanding officer of the squadron, accounted for a Heinkel 111 and a Heinkel 177 and Flt. Lt. C. Scherf, an Australian pilot in the squadron whose navigator is F/O L. Brown of Winnipeg got a Force-Wulf 200. F/L J. Johnson of Omemee, and F/O J. Caine of Edmonton reported four Junkers destroyed.

Mustangs Score Again
After six weeks of silence the R.C.A.F. Mustang squadron under S/L C. H. (Smokey) Stover of Sarnia, also bounced back into the news by shooting down four enemy aircraft in one day. The kills were shared by F/L J. T. Seaman, Lewisville, N.B., and F/O R. O. Brown of Daysland, Alta.; F/L Gordon Wonnacott of South Edmonton and F/L George Burroughs of Toronto.
Their first two victims were unidentified, but the second pair, bagged by Burroughs and Wonnacott were Messerschmitt 109's. One of the unidentified aircraft "just blew up in mid-air," said Burroughs, the successful pilot. Meanwhile, the other three Canadian pilots attacked a second Nazi aircraft and aided in its destruction
In Coastal Command a heavily-armed minesweeper was sunk off the Norwegian coast by R.C.A.F. Beaufighters led by W/C C. A. Willis of Vancouver. A medium-sized merchant ship was also left on fire and an escort vessel raked with cannon fire. The Canadians saw the minesweeper blow up after their attack.
From Italy came the news that the mounting score of the City of Windsor Spitfire Squadron went up another notch when it destroyed a Focke-Wolf and damaged another while protecting British invasion craft off the Nettuno beachhead.
The City of Windsor unit has bagged more Huns than any other squadron in the desert air force over the beachhead. In seven days, since the landing began, it has destroyed four enemy machines with two more probably destroyed and four damaged. It has lost one pilot, although some have made several forced landings.

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Canadian Planes Surprise Germans

London, March 13, 1944 — (BUP) — Two R.C.A.F. Mosquito bombers which took part in an attack on the Nazi airfields at Clermont and Ferrand in France Sunday left one Junkers 52 and one Junkers 86 burning on the ground, the Air Ministry disclosed today.
"We caught the Huns flat-footed," said FO. J. Caine, of Edmonton, Alta. We gave each of them two short bursts and they seemed to break into flames immediately. We had to pull up sharply to get over the flames from one of them."
The Mosquitoes made a round trip of about 1,000 miles.

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CAINE, F/O John Todd (J22379) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.418 Squadron
Award effective 22 March 1944 as per London Gazette dated 4 April 1944
AFRO 921/44 dated 28 April 1944.

This officer has completed many sorties during which he has shot down four enemy aircraft, two of them at night. He has also destroyed two more on the ground. He has displayed exceptional devotion to duty and his successes are an excellent tribute to his skill and determination.

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D.F.C. Awarded Prairie Airmen

Ottawa, April 5, 1944. An R.C.A.F. intruder squadron pilot who has shot down four enemy planes and is credited with destroying two others on the ground, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Air force headquarters said last night he is Flight-Lieut. J. T. Caine, of Edmonton. Caine scored two of his victories at night and two in the daytime, while flying with the famed Mosquito Squadron commanded by Wing-Cmdr. D. C. Macdonald, of Vancouver. (W/C Donald Charles Stirling Macdonald (C1634) was actually living in Washington State – jf)
Squadron-Ldr. L. M. Cameron of Roland, Man. fighter pilot, who has been engaged in escorting bomber forces on long-range missions, also has been awarded the D.F.C. Last month, during an escort job, his formation of fighters shot down “several” enemy aircraft.

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Canadians Bag 7 Hun Planes

An R.C.A.F. Fighter Base in England, April 14, 1944 (CP) — Sqdn. Ldr. R. Kipp of Kamloops, B.C., and FO. J. Caine, Edmonton, kept up the blazing hot pace of the City of Edmonton Mosquito squadron today, destroying four enemy aircraft in the air and leaving three others aflame on the ground in patrol of more than 1,000 miles to Copenhagen and back. In addition two German aircraft were damaged on the ground.
The Canadian aces sighted the first three enemy planes just above the waters of the Kattegat with the fourth some distance ahead. Kipp tore into three — all Ju52 transports — while Caine raced ahead to take care of the straggler.
The Canadians then found five planes on the Kastrupe airfield and Kipp set two Do217s afire while Cain fired a He111.
For good measure they damaged a Do217 and a Ju52 between them.

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AIRMEN WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE

Toronto, May 1, 1944 — (CP) — FO. J. R. F. Johnson, D.F.C., a member of the City of Edmonton Squadron, said in an interview here last night that airmen overseas "are very worried about the future."
One of several R.C.A.F. personnel to arrive here over the weekend from overseas, he was a pilot of one of two Canadian night fighter planes that downed five German aircraft over enemy territory last January 27. FO. Johnson characterized the battle as a "piece of cake."
He gave great credit to his navigator, James Gibbins, of Vancouver, and FO. Johnny Caine, D.F.C., of Edmonton, and PO. E. W. Boale, who were in the other plane on the operation.
He added flyers overseas "know that a whole lot of us have no specialized skill, nothing to fall back on except flying, and we all can't fly after the war." Because of this, he said, the men are also thinking ahead politically and economically also.
Also returning were WO. T. W. McNeillie, Toronto, who served as a wireless air-gunner in an Australian squadron in Africa, and FO. S. H. Balkwill, .D.F.M., Toronto, who was decorated for "skill and courage" in attacking enemy shipping in Africa.

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CANADIAN AIRMEN HAD A GREAT WEEK, SUMMARY SHOWS

Ottawa, May 6, 1944 — (CP)— Aircraft of the R.C.A.F. bomber group pounded targets in three countries in the last week, while Spitfire and Typhoon fighter-bombers made slashing attacks on pinpoint targets and Canadian airmen participated in combined air-sea operations against enemy naval units, the R.C.A.F. said last night in its weekly summary of overseas operations.
News of the famed City of Edmonton Intruder Squadron took the limelight during the week, with Sqdn. Ldr. Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C., and his navigator, FO. P. Huletsky, of Montreal, blasting four of Germany's front-line aircraft out of the sky during an offensive patrol deep into the heart of the Reich Wednesday, establishing a new mark for the number of aircraft destroyed in a single night's patrol.
Canadian-built Lancaster heavy bombers made their initial operational appearance during the week. Wednesday other aircraft of the R.C.A.F. bomber group pounded Friedrichshafen in Germany and railway yards at Montzen, Belgium, and Aulmoye, France.
Aulmoye, was the principal R.C.A.F. target for the night, and attracted Canadian-built Lancasters. Halifaxes mined enemy waters meantime and an R.C.A.F. Mosquito about to attack an aircraft as it prepared to land at Crois Demetz airfield in France saw the enemy pilot lose control of his aircraft, ground-loop and burst into flames.
Two R.C.A.F. Spitfires on patrol over northern France Monday attacked a transport flying close to the ground, and saw it crash aflame.

Last Trip Scherf
Sqdn. Ldr. Kipp Brought down four FW190's the next night. Flt. Lt. D. A. MacFadyen, Toronto, and his navigator, FO. J. Wright, of Rosthern. Sask. destroyed a B1 Heinkel glider tug and damaged a grounded unidentified aircraft.
An Australian pilot, Sqdn.-Ldr. Charles Scherf, D.F.C., now known as "Last Trip" Scherf, came back to the City of Edmonton Squadron for another "last trip," and shot down a JU88 north of Berlin, with FO. W. Stewart, of Toronto, as his navigator.
FO. John Caine, of Edmonton, on the same patrol with Scherf, shot down a troop carrier and then, with Scherf, shot up and seriously damaged at least nine other aircraft on ground and water.
Lancasters and Halifaxes smashed at railway yards at St. Chislain, in Belgium. A beached enemy destroyer, driven ashore by the Canadian Tribal-class destroyer Haida Saturday after an engagement off the French coast last Saturday in which her sister ship H.M.C.S. Athabaskan was sunk, was bombed by R.C.A.F. and other pilots.
Lancasters of the Canadian bomber group participated in an attack on Montdidier, France, on Wednesday.

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VIGOROUS ROLE FOR CANADIANS IN AIR WEEK

By GEORGE KITCHEN, Ottawa, May 12, 1944 - (CP) - Canadian fighters and heavy bombers had a big part in the Allied pre-invasion aerial blows at Europe during the last week, the R.C.A.F. reported today in its weekly summary.
R.C.A.F. heavy bombers smashed at important targets in France and Belgium four nights, making up a large part of the Allied force on three of those raids. Every night Canadian Halifaxes carried out mining operations in enemy waters.
On the fighter front, Canadian Spitfires escorted Mitchells and Bostons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force which attacked railway yards at Cambrai last Friday, while other Spitfires took part in supporting sweeps. The fighters destroyed four FW190's in combat during these operations and three more enemy aircraft were shot down Sunday.

FW 190's Shot Down
Two FW190's were shot down Sunday by Canadian fighters supporting United States 8th Air Force heavy bombers which attacked targets in the Berlin area and in the Munster-Osnabruck area. A third enemy fighter, an Me109, was destroyed near Laon in France while squadrons were escorting American Havocs which attacked railway yards in France.
On Monday Spitfires shot down an Me110 in the air and damaged several Ju88s on the ground during a patrol in the Cambrai area of Northern France, and then added two more enemy fighters to their score while on offensive patrols.
R.C.A.F. Typhoon bombers pounded communications inside France Sunday without opposition from flak or fighters.
The City of Edmonton Squadron was on the job again Tuesday night. They got a FWI90 and a Ju290 in the air, set fire to two enemy flying boats, a Blohm & Voss and a Do18 at their moorings and damaged other Do18s.

All-Canadian Attack
An all-Canadian attack was made on railway yards in Ghent, Belgium, early Thursday. Flak gave little trouble, but several aircraft were molested by night fighters. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Canadian heavies pounded military targets in France and Belgium.
F/L Russell Orr of 206 Livingstone Ave., Toronto, Spitfire pilot, got credit for destroying two FW190's in five seconds during a sweep over France. F/L J. D. Lindsey of Arnprior, Ont., got his first kill when he shot down an Me109 near Laon, France, and also damaged a FW190. Another damaged was credited to F/L J. Hodgson of Calgary.

Shoots Down Messerschmitt
F/O Paul G. Johnson of Bethel, Conn., of the R.C.A.F. Red Indian Squadron, accounted for a Messerschmitt and damaged one Ju88. F/L Hank Zary of New York, a fellow-American in the R.C.A.F. and F/L Frank Clarke of Montreal damaged two others. F/O R. W. Murray of Ottawa shot up a flak tower over the Cambrai area, in France.
F/L Johnnie Caine, D.F.C., of Edmonton, with P/O Earl Boal as his navigator, attacked two enemy flying boats mooring at Ribnitz. They saw both aircraft burst into flames and explode.
F/O D. E. Roberts, Saskatoon, another City of Edmonton pilot, and his navigator, F/O A. D. McLaren, Toronto, got their first kill by destroying a FW190 in the shadow of the Alps and F/O Herbert Jones of Salmon Arm, B.C., Pilot, and F/L A. Eckert, Seaforth, Ont., navigator, destroyed a Ju290 in the air.

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Australian Spends Day Off Bagging 5 Huns, Damaging 2

With a Canadian Fighter Wing Somewhere in Britain, May 16, 1944 (CP) — Sqdn. Ldr. Charlie Scherf, who officially is on ground duty, made another "last trip" with the City of Edmonton Mosquito Squadron today, destroying five Nazi planes and damaging two on a foray deep into Germany's Baltic seaboard.
The young Australian flier who completed his tour of duly with this R.C.A.F. squadron two months ago has been going on operations every time he gets a day off and promising each trip will be his last. Around the squadron they call him "Last-Trip" Scherf. With Flt. Lt. Colin Finlayson, Victoria, B.C., as his observer, Scherf flew to the neighborhood of Kubitzer Bay and Stettin late in the day to bag a Focke-Wolf 190, a Heinkel 177, a Junkers 86 and two, unidentified planes. Scherf also damaged an HE-111 and a Dornier 118 flying boat.
The enemy planes were downed and damaged in 15 minutes of the most furious action of Scherf's flying career. The five kills raised the squadron's score to 54 planes destroyed in the air, and maintained it's reputation for setting the hottest pace of any squadron or the Air Defense of Great Britain, of which the City of Edmonton fliers form a part. The squadron altogether has destroyed 118 enemy planes, including those caught on the ground.
Scherf and Finlayson returned to base with their Mosquito damaged by flak and with 15 holes in the wing, which Scherf said were caused by running into a flock of birds on the homeward flight.
"We caught an HE-111 in the air over the Baltic first and put him down," said the Australian. "A little later we ran into a whole collection of German aircraft and destroyed four in five minutes. It was incredible...''
The last time Scherf took a flying holiday, he shared in the destruction of two planes in the air and the burning of nine on the ground with FO. J. Caine of Edmonton. On another previous trip, he destroyed two enemy planes and left three burning. On both these trips, FO. W. Stewart, 386 Broadview Ave., Toronto, was Scherf's navigator.

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CAINE, F/O John Todd (J22379) - Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross - No.418 Squadron
Award effective 2 June 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 1444/44 dated 7 July 1944.

This officer continues to display the finest qualities of skill and determination. In a sortie in March 1944, he shot down two enemy aircraft whilst in another operation in April 1944 he shot down two Junkers 52s and damaged a Heinkel 111 on the ground. Since then, Flying Officer Caine has destroyed another enemy aircraft. This officer is a fearless and relentless fighter and has been responsible for the destruction of nine enemy aircraft in the air and four damaged on the ground.

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ACTION IN AIR BRINGS REWARD

Ottawa, June 3, 1944 - (BUP) - Award of the bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross to Flying Officer J. T. Caine, D.F.C, of Edmonton, Alta., was announced today by Royal Canadian Air Force headquarters. At the same time 37 other decorations, 36 of them D.F.C.s for Canadian airmen, and 10 D.F.C.s to British airmen who trained in Canada, were announced.
Winners of the D.F.C. include :
S/L H. D. Cleveland, Vancouver (reported missing May 16 after operations over Germany, later reported interned in Sweden).
F/O T. Huletsly, Rosemount, Quebec.

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CANUCK FLIERS SELECTED AREA FOR INVASION

Ottawa, June 16, 1944 (CP) — Canadian airmen, carrying the war to Occupied Europe in growing strength since Dunkerque, long ago selected the area between Havre and Cherbourg for invasion, said one of them here today.
Tall, dark and handsome, F/O Johnny Caine, who wears a D.F.C. and Bar and who carries in his pocket the chipped glass of one of his victims, said the invasion coast was a logical spot, as "the only opposition we met in that area has been about four guns and some rifles."
Johnny, who is the leading scorer of the crack City of Edmonton Mosquito Squadron with nine planes in the air and eight on the ground destroyed and five damaged, arrived here today with a small group of R.C.A.F. personnel. He will go on leave to his Edmonton home after passing through the repatriation depot and then be posted to a Canadian station as an instructor.
The Canadian ace, who boarded a ship in Britain the day before the invasion, said: "We felt so cheesed (disappointed) when we had to leave all that excitement behind."
Johnny said the invasion area was known to be weak and it was used by his daylight Rangers Squadron as an easy entry into Europe.

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Beurling Ranks Fourth Among European Aces

By FRED BACKHOUSE
London, July 15, 1945 (CP) — Group Captain J. E. (Johnny) Johnson, English-born, former leader of a crack Canadian Spitfire wing, has been officially recognized as "ace of aces" among Allied fighter pilots who fought over Europe.
Final scoring records, compiled by The Canadian Press from figures supplied by the RAF, RCAF, and United States 8th and 9th Air Forces, put this peace-time accountant from the Leicestershire town of Loughborough at the top of the list with 38 German planes destroyed.
Group Capt. Johnson, who so closely identified himself with his otherwise all-Canadian squadron that he wore "Canada" on his shoulder, has often given much of the credit for his success to the Canadians who flew with him. "It's all a combination play" he said. "Many of his men, themselves became aces."
Of the first 16 places supplied by the air forces, fourth is held by a Canadian — Flt. Lt. George (Buzz) Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM and Bar, of Verdun, Que. — and 11 by RAF pilots. For the record, only those with more than 24 "kills" were offered by the three services as their top men.
Official final scores are: Group Capt. J. E. Johnson (RAF), 38; Group Capt. A. G. Malan (RAF); Sqdn. Ldr. P. Finucane (RAF), 32; Flt. Lt. G. Beurling (RCAF), 31; Wing Cmdr. Stanford Tuck (RAF), 30; Wing Cmdr. J. R. D. Braham (RAF), 29; an anonymous Polish sergeant [Czech pilot Josef Frantisek] (RAF), 28; Wing Cmdr. F. R. Carey (RAF), 28; Lt. Col. F. S. Gabreski (U.S. 8th), 28.
Maj. G. E. Preddy (U.S. 8th), Wing Cmdr. C. Caldwell (RAF), 27½; Capt. R. Johnson (U.S. 8th), Flt. Lt. Mungo Park (RAF); Sqdn. Ldr. J. H. Lacey (RAF), 27; Flt. Lt. E. S. Lock (RAF), 25; Lt.-Col. J. C. Meyer (U.S. 8th), 24½. [some of these numbers have been modified since the war – jf]
RCAF .fighter pilots in the European war with scores of 15 or more German planes destroyed number six according to overseas headquarters in London. In addition, there were two equally high-scoring Canadians in the RAF, both of whom were killed in that service before they could transfer to the RCAF.
After Beurling they are:
Sqdn. Ldr. H. W. McLeod, DSO, DFC and Bar, of Regina, 22; Flt. Lt. J. T. Caine, DFC, and Bar, of Toronto, 20 (5 -jf); Wing Cmdr. Mark H. Brown, DFC and Bar (RAF), of Glenboro, Man., 18; FO. W. L. McKnight, DF.C. and Bar (RAF), of Calgary, 16½; Wing Cmdr. R. W. McNair, DSO, DFC & two bars, of North Battleford, 16; Wing Cmdr. L. V. Chadburn, DSO and Bar, DFC, of Aurora, Ont., 15; Flt. Lt. Don C. Laubman, DFC and Bar, of Edmonton, 15.
The late Wing -Cmdr. Brown is officially credited by the RAF with "at least 18" aircraft destroyed. His score may well have been higher, but uncertainty exists because the records of No. 1 Squadron, RAF, of which he was then commanding officer, were destroyed during the retreat at the time of the collapse of France.

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CAINE, F/L John Todd (J22379) - Second Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross - 406 Sq.
Award effective 9 October 1945 as per London Gazette dated 19 October 1945 and
AFRO 1822/45 dated 7 December 1945. Award presented 29 November 1947.

Flight Lieutenant Caine has completed many operational sorties since the award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross. In May 1944, whilst on a patrol in the Barth area, he inflicted much damage on the enemy's lines of communication and destroyed several enemy seaplanes at anchor. In April 1945, while over southeast Germany he destroyed one enemy aircraft and damaged a further two. Despite the fact that on this sortie Flight Lieutenant Caine's aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire which damaged the flying control, a successful return to base was made. His indomitable fearlessness and skill have merited the highest praise. Since his previous award he has destroyed a further eleven enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to at least twenty enemy aircraft destroyed.

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TORONTO AIRMAN THRICE DECORATED

Ottawa, Oct. 24, 1945 (CP) — The Air Force announced today the names of two Canadian pilots decorated a third time for their gallantry in the second Great War. They are:
Sqdn. Ldr. D. A. MacFadyen, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. A. MacFadyen of 29 Chestnut Park Rd., Toronto, who received a DSO to add to the two DFCs he already holds and Flt. Lt. John Todd Caine, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Caine of South Edmonton, Alta., one of Canada's leading fighter pilots with 20 planes to his credit, who now has won the DFC three times. He will arrive back in Canada on the Queen Elizabeth when she docks at Halifax Oct. 26.
Sqdn. Ldr. MacFadyen's citation said he has destroyed 13 aircraft and damaged 17. In the last weeks of the war he destroyed two planes in one day. He had shown "outstanding keenness, efficiency, courage and determination."
Flt. Lt. Caine's citation said he had destroyed 11 aircraft since the award of the first bar to the DFC. He is a man of "indomitable fearlessness and skill."
In one day in April, 1945, he destroyed one plane and damaged two over Germany and brought home his plane despite damage by anti-aircraft fire.

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Victories Include :

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