Harry Elmore "Junior" Fenwick

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Four Bombers Downed By F/O. Aikman, Toronto

By Ross MUNRO at an R.A.F. Fighter Base on the Tunisian Front,
Jan. 15, 1943 - (CP) - Flying with R.A.F. fighter squadrons, Canadian pilots in this forward airdrome are in action virtually every day as Allied air forces step up their offensive in Tunisia. .
The Canadians are operating with British, Australian and New Zealand airmen, taking part in air battles over Northern Tunisia and sometimes right over Bizerte and Tunis. They are making daylight sweeps along the enemy lines and having fierce dustups with Axis bombers and fighters they intercept.
Top Canadian pilot of this base is F/O. Alan F. Aikman of Toronto, credited with destroying four bombers. Aikman and F. Allan Turnbull of Prince Albert, Sask., were in the first squadron landing at Maison Blanche airdrome in Algiers Nov. 11. Turnbull is credited with the destruction of one bomber. Both men were with a squadron when it occupied a forward airdrome several hours ahead of British troops advancing along the coastal road in the first phase of the Northwest African campaign.

Take Over Airdrome
"We dropped down on the airdrome like a bunch of Commandos and took the place over," Aikman said. "You should have seen the amazement of the British colonel when he rushed up with his troops and found Spits lined up on the field."
On the last lap of the long drive to the front I arrived at this airdrome just as the Spits were coming in from a sweep over Bizerte and the Canadians were among the first pilots I saw.
The Canadians here include PO (Junior) Fenwick, D.F.C., of Toronto, who has shot down three of the enemy, PO. Howard McMinniman of Fredericton, N.B., and PO. Eldon McKinley of Calgary, who has been ferrying aircraft to North Africa and has just been transferred to the Fighter Command. There are even some Canadians in the ground crews, including LAC. Syd Roberts of Brantford, Ont., and LAC. Les Liverman, of Westmount, Que.
I have seldom seen pilots as much on top of the world as those at this base. They have good planes and, although the airdrome is sometimes a mass of mud and the weather is frequently frightful, they get their kites into the air and find they can put up a great effort on this front.
"A New Zealand pilot in our squadron shot dawn four Italian bombers in one patrol," Turnbull said. "He popped them off like Sergeant York (a United States sniper in the first Great War) and returned to base with 40 rounds of cannon shells still unused."

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FURTHER R.C.A.F. AWARDS MADE
Late Sgt. Donald Moss Posthumously Honored

Ottawa, Feb, 11, 1943 - (CP) - Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Pilot Officer Harry Elmore Fenwick of Sioux Lookout, Ont., and posthumous award of the Distinguished Flying Medal to Sgt. .Donald Moss, whose parents live at 261 Keewatin Avenue, Toronto, was announced today at R.C.A.F. headquarters.
The citation for PO. Fenwick, whose father, Harry Fenwick, lives at Sioux Lookout, reads: "PO. Fenwick has participated in a very large number of sorties. He has always displayed great determination to achieve success and has destroyed four enemy aircraft."
Sgt. Moss' citation: "This airman has completed many sorties, including low flying attacks on enemy shipping. On one occasion, in spite of heavy opposing fire, he attacked a merchant from mast height. On another occasion whilst pressing home a determined attach on an enemy vessel, his aircraft sustained much damage. Despite this he skillfully flew it to base, where he affected a masterly landing.
"Throughout his operational career this airman has displayed great initiative, courage and dash."

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FENWICK, P/O Harry Elmore (J15790) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.81 Squadron
Award effective 10 February 1943 as per London Gazette dated 16 February 1943 and
AFRO 410/43 dated 12 March 1943.

Pilot Officer Fenwick has participated in a very large number of sorties. He has always displayed great determination to achieve success and has destroyed four enemy aircraft.

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Local Flyer, Bill Olmsted, One of Canadians
Who Are Doing a Good job in Tunisia
Increasing Number From Canada Seeing Action on Desert Front

(By Ross Munro, Canadian Press War Correspondent)
With the RAF in North Africa, Feb. 25 – (CP Cable) – An increasing number of Canadian fighter pilots are in action on the Tunisian front and squadron leader Jimmy Walker of Edmonton, now commands a Spitfire squadron, the first Canadian-led RAF squadron in North Africa.
Walker has just been awarded a bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation reads: “This officer has destroyed four enemy aircraft and damaged four others since his arrival in North Africa. His untiring efforts and leadership merit the highest praise. His example has been an inspiration to other pilots in his wing and has contributed greatly to the wing success in the air.”
Flying with Walker at different times during the campaign have been several other Canadians who have been knocking off enemy aircraft.

Toronto Man Promoted
Alan Aikman, of Toronto, has been promoted from the rank of flying officer to that of flight lieutenant and he now is leading a flight of Spitfires. Aikman flew No. 2 to the famous Irishman, Paddy Finucane, and was with him the day he was shot down off the French coast by anti-aircraft fire. The Torontonian has a score of five enemy planes destroyed in North Africa. Recently he shot down a Focke-Wulf 190 in an air fight over the Mediterranean. The German plane crashed on the shore.
Aikman said Spitfires have been doing a large number of sweeps recently to harry the Germans on the northern sector of the front. "The Jerries don't seem to want to mix it up with us," he said, "Sometimes we get a dozen or 15 in the sky but they sheer off when we get in at them. So life is a little dull at times these days."
Another high-scoring Canadian is P.O. Harry (Junior) Fenwick, of Leamington, Ont., who has destroyed five of the enemy and damaged five more, besides having a probable to his credit. He wears the ribbon of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Flying in the same squadron as Fenwick are six other Canadians: Sgt. Louis Hamilin, Sgt. Donald Rathwell, and P.O. Calvin (Pep) Peppler, all of Winnipeg; Flt.-Sgt. Douglas Husband, of Toronto; F.O. Bill Olmsted, of Hamilton, Ont., and Sgt. John Olsen, of Kirkland Lake, Ont.
With another squadron that flies on sweeps with Fenwick and his crowd are P.O. Jim Woodill, of Halifax, Flt.-Lieut. Glen Lynes, of Montreal, who has just been promoted from the rank of pilot officer and leading a flight like Aikman; P.O. C. F. Sorensen, a Dane from Kingston, and P.O. Howard McMinniman, of Fredericton.
Flying with still another R.A.F. squadron that included a half-dozen Canadians is F.O. R. W. Robertson, of Sydney, N.S., who has been through a couple of recent scraps over Tunisia. On a dawn patrol he ran into seven Nazi fighters and engaged them immediately. He took on three at first and headed straight at them. At less than 100 yards he squirted lead at one and saw it break away and dive for the ground, riddled with bullets. Troops on the ground saw it crash and Robertson got the credit for destroying it.
He was not finished, though. He chased after the rest and damaged two before returning to his base in time for breakfast. Robertson flies a Spitfire with the name Bluenose painted on its nose. He has done almost 150 operational hours as a fighter pilot. .
A great friend of a large number of Canadian pilots out here is Flt-Sgt. Tony Jonsson, the only Icelander in the R.A.F., who was recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. His score is three destroyed, one probable and one damaged.

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Tunisia Victors - R.C.A.F. Men Among Aces Topping List

By FLT. LT. LES POWELL, R.C.A.F.
Algiers, May 29, 1943 - (CP) - Royal Canadian Air Force personnel played a big part in the aerial domination achieved by the Allies during the closing stages of the Battle of Tunisia, for they were—as they are everywhere—plentifully sprinkled among R.A.F. squadrons, and even a United States Army Air Force Mitchell squadron.
They flew Spitfires, Hurricanes Bostons, Beaufighters, Wellingtons, and Hudsons.
Two of the highest scoring fighter pilots in the campaign were Canadians, both leaders of Spitfire squadrons. They are Sqdn. Ldrs Jimmy Walker, D.F.C. and Bar, of Edmonton, and George Hill, D.F.C. of Pictou N.S. They destroyed a score of enemy aircraft between them, plus innumerable probable and damaged, and brilliantly lead their units during the final decisive phase of the battle.
Not far away was another Canadian fighter ace, Flt. Lt. Fred Alan (Butch) Aikman, D.F.C., of Toronto, while a short distance away, - “cross the waddi and turn left at the second eucalyptus" - was a squadron with five Dominion fliers, including another D.F.C., PO. Harry (Junior) Fenwick of Leamington, Ont.

Listowel Flier a Leader
In addition to carrying out fighter sweeps and ground strafing, these fighter boys acted as protection for bombers, Flying Fortresses, Mitchells and Bostons. They liked especially to escort a particular squadron of Bostons, for the leader, Wing Cmdr. Jimmy Thompson, D.F.C., is a Canadian hailing from Listowel, Ont. whose men include many Canadians.
Providing convoy protection through the Mediterranean was tremendously important work, and there, too, were found Canadians. Flt Lt. Ted Bishop of Ottawa leads a flight which includes some of his countrymen. Another Hurricane squadron near by included FO. John (Slim) Wilson of Saint John, N.B.
One of the most successful preludes to victory was the bombing of the docks and harbors of Tunis and Bizerte, which stopped supplies for the Axis. Giant Flying "Forts" for the U.S.A.A.C. went over in daytime, while Wellingtons took over by night. Here again one found R.C.A.F. personnel serving.
There were F. M. (Bill) Rublee, 20-year-old Wimpey pilot from Allan, Sask., a veteran of raids on important Tunisian ports who first learned to fly a Waco 10 he and a pal bought, four years ago back home, and Sgt. Jay Lepine, a wireless operator-air gunner from Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Que. There is also Bill Webb, a pilot officer from Windsor, Ont., and the squadron's Navigation officer, Flt. Lt. O. H. Morgan, of Kamloops, B.C. is a veteran of more than a score of trips over enemy targets.

The Mediterranean Fight
Keeping the Mediterranean clear of submarines is the job of Hudsons of Coastal Command and only recently there was a victory over a large Axis submarine by a crew which included Sgt. Rod Blair, a wireless operator-air gunner from Moose Creek, Ont. Other Canadians with the squadron include Sgt. Doug Berlis and his all-Toronto crew of Sgts. W. L. Allen and W. J. McKeague.
Not only in the air but also on the ground did Canadians serve in North Africa. There are LACs, Roy Corney, Ridgeway, Ont., and Alan Harris of Ottawa, radio mechanics with the fighter squadron commanded by Walker, Cpl. Clary Brown, Mount Forest, Ont., and many others, all doing important jobs — jobs which helped to drive the Axis out of North Africa, except for 100,000 or so we are keeping as "guests."
Now the Canadians are sitting around wondering what's to happen next and hoping that it will happen soon. They are all eager to get on with the job, finish it up completely and get back to Canada.

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Decorated Fliers Tell Thrilling Air Stories

Ottawa, Aug. 24, 1943 - (CP) - Four modest young fliers who won decorations for fighting the enemy from the Frisian Islands to North Africa were among a group of Air Force personnel who arrived at the R.C.A.F. repatriation depot here today after overseas service.
They were FO. L.E. Philpotts of Saint John, N.B., who flew from bases in Britain and Malta; Flt. Lieut. Harry D. MacDonald of Toronto, who has shot down eight enemy aircraft flying from British bases; and PO. Harry E. Fenwick of Leamington, Ont., who entered Tunis with the victorious Allied armies, all with the Distinguished Flying Cross, and Sgt. A. A. Mellin of Duncan, B.C., who won the Distinguished Flying Medal for good work in bringing a damaged aircraft back from a mining operation at the Frisian Islands.
"Tunis was wild with joy," said Fenwick, speaking of the day the troops entered, "The people were out in force in the streets. They gave us a great reception."

Girls Were Lovely
He said he and some friends rode into the city in a jeep to see what was going on. They were greeted by pretty girls, who asked them to their homes for parties.
"And they were lovely," he said.
The three officers are all fighter pilots, although Philpotts was on "special task" work when stationed at Malta. Between them they have 17.5 enemy aircraft destroyed to their credit.
Sgt. Mellin is a navigator and on his second operational flight in a bomber received a bullet wound in the leg. The flight engineer and rear gunner were killed and he took on the job of flight engineer while other surviving members of the crew were busy putting out fire which had broken out from gunfire by an enemy night fighter.
MacDonald has eight enemy aircraft to his credit and commanded a flight in the famed Canadian "Wolf" Squadron. He came through two tours of operation without a wound and after a month's leave hopes to go back to operation and to the Welsh girl he married in England.
Once, his whole flight, with the exception of himself, was shot down over France.
He is credited with damaging three locomotives in train-busting operations.
Fenwick served eight months in North Africa and was all through the operation as his squadron landed with the British 1st Army and worked with it and the 8th Army until the fall of Tunis. His bag is 5½ certain destroyed, 3½ probable and 7 damaged.
His worst experience was when he shot down his second German and he was forced down himself.
"I got separated from my squadron and ended up with another squadron which turned out to be Jerries," he said. "There were 12 of them and they played around with me for a while. They shot me down, but I got one of them."
He made a crash landing in a mountainous area of enemy territory where, fortunately, there was little activity and made his way to a British Army advance post. That was the second time he was shot down and on the first occasion he had a "few wounds."
In nine months of special task work from Malta, Philpotts had many brushes with the enemy. He was working over enemy territory most of the time and in all has 140 operations over it to his credit, including one week’s operations over Sicily at the start of the campaign there.
Previously, while serving in Fighter Command from Britain he shot down two enemy aircraft and was shot down himself.

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Air Force Casualties

Ottawa, July 6, 1944 — The Department of National Defense for Air today issued casualty list No. 328 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, showing next of kin of those named from Ontario include:
FENWICK. Harry Elmore. D.F.C. FO. Harry Fenwick (father), Sioux Lookout. Ont.

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