_________________________________________________ Borden Class Told Not to Fly Dangerously
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Born 21 may 1920 Postwar with No.410 Squadron; For more on Canadian Sabre pilots in Korea see H.A. Halliday, "In Korean Skies", Roundel, December 1963 and January 1964. I was told the nickname "Trottle" came from how he said the word "Throttle" |
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(By HAROLD FAIR.) London, May 21, 1941 – (CP) —
A contingent of young sergeant pilots from Canada's training fields, including
Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Americans, stretched the stiffness
out of their sea legs today after joining the throngs of Canadian fliers
who preceded them here.
Size of this latest contingent of Commonwealth Air Training Plan graduates
was not made public. It was merely said they were all sergeant pilots.
During the crossing by convoy from an Eastern Canadian port, they sighted
no Nazi submarines nor aircraft. But they had a spell of bad weather and
looked down grimly into the water at one drifting piece of ship wreckage
that reminded them of Hitler's undersea warfare.
Among the Canadians were Howard Clark of Toronto, Raymond Goudreau of
Quebec City, Omer Levesque of Mont Joli, Que.; D. Chapman of Vancouver,
J. J. Doyle of Glace Bay, N.S.; H. R. McDonald of Edmonton, Bill Munn
of Regina, J. F. Lambert of Winnipeg, George McClusky of Kirkland Lake,
N. J. Ogilvie of Ottawa and Sid Ganon of Montreal.
Adjutant of the voyage was stocky Bert Johnson of Windsor, Ont., who joined
Royal Canadian Air Force headquarters in England as official photographer.
Among the Australians who received final training in Canada was Peter
Kingsford-Smith, nephew of the late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, famous
trans pacific flier. Four United States youths were in the group. They
were Harry Garvin of New York City, Edwin Davis of East Orange, N.J.;
James Walker of Corpus Christi, Tex., and J. B. Spangler of Bethlehem,
Pa. "They can leave us here as long as they want and you can't say
too much for English hospitality," said Howard Clark. Looking wistfully
into the sky as a flight of R.A.F. bombers roared over, he remarked: "Boy,
look at that formation. I'd sure like to be with them." Goudreau
and Levesque said England was "swell." Goudreau added, smiling:
"They ask us to speak French just to see what it sounds like."
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London, May 22, 1941 — (CP Cable) — The latest
group of Royal Canadian Air Force flyers — all sergeant pilots —
has reached Great Britain safely, it was announced yesterday.
Over the broad expanse of a famous Royal Air Force reception depot, the
scores of young Canadians, latest graduates of the Commonwealth air training
plan, roamed happily, regaining their land legs.
The convoy that brought them from Canada sighted neither Nazi submarines
nor aircraft during the crossing. Only highlight commented on by the flyers
was a spell of bad weather.
They saw evidence of Germany's sea warfare when they passed a piece of
wreckage.
"They can leave us here as long as they want and you can't say too
much for English hospitality," said Howard Clark, of Toronto. Looking
wistfully into the sky as a flight of R.A.F. bombers roared over, he remarked:
"Boy, look at that formation. I'd sure like to be with them."
England "Swell"
Raymond Goudreau, of Quebec City, and Omer Levesque, of Mont Joli, Que.,
said England was "swell." Goudreau added smiling: "They
ask us to speak French just to see what it sounds like."
The flyers crowded around Flying Officer Bert Johnson, former Windsor
Daily Star photographer, when they saw him with his camera. Adjutant on
the voyage, Johnson joined R.C.A.F. headquarters in England as official
photographer.
The arrivals included D. Chapman, Vancouver; H. R. McDonald, Edmonton;
Bill Munn, Regina; J. F. Lambert, Winnipeg; George McClusky, Kirkland
Lake; N. J. Ogilvie, Ottawa; Sid Gannon, Montreal, and J. J. Doyle, Glace
Bay, N.S.
Peter Kingsford-Smith, nephew of the late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith,
famous Australian flyer, was among a contingent of Australian and New
Zealand pilots who accompanied the Canadians.
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(By DOUGLAS AMARON)
London, Nov. 23, 1941 - (CP) - Canadian fighter pilots, who celebrated
the arrival of Air Vice-Marshal Harold Edwards in Britain by shooting
down four German planes over Northern France, were visited today by the
new air officer commanding the R.C.A.F. in Britain and his predecessor,
Air Commodore L. F. Stevenson.
Less than twenty-four hours after he stepped from a plane which brought
him from Canada, Vice-Marshal Edwards went to the Canadians station and
heard first-hand accounts of the engagements of the previous day, which
are considered by air authorities to be one of the finest performances
of the war in the particular type of operation in which the Canadians
were engaged.
The Canadians, who also were credited with one probably destroyed and
four seriously damaged enemy aircraft, were the toast of the station,
and received an informal message of congratulations from Sir Archibald
Sinclair, Secretary of State for Air, and a formal message from Air Vice-Marshal
Trafford Leigh - Mallory, under whose command the squadron operates.
"Congratulations on a splendid showing. Well done, Canadians!"
said Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory's message, read to all the squadron's
personnel.
Like an excited crowd of youngsters who have just won a football game,
the Canadians talked shop most of the day, telling and retelling about
their combats with what was estimated to be a force of at least sixty
German fighters.
Get First Huns
Attention centered on Pilot Officer Ian Ormston of Montreal, Pilot Officer
Don Blakeslee of Fairport Harbor, Ohio; Sergeant
Omer Levesque of Mont Joli, Que., and Sergeant Don Morrison of Toronto,
each of whom shot down his first plane of the war.
It was a particularly satisfying day for Blakeslee, Levesque and Morrison.
Levesque, in addition to his confirmed victory, came to grips with a second
Nazi and last saw him breaking up in mid-air, while Blakeslee and Morrison
also both inflicted serious damage on a second German plane.
The squadron's commanding officer, Squadron Leader Norman Johnstone of
Winnipeg and Regina, and Sergeant Jeff Northcott of Minnedosa, Man., were given credit for the other damaged German aircraft.
"Those boys made a mighty good show of it," said Johnstone,
beaming with fatherly pride. "The odds were considerably against
them, both in numbers and in consideration of the sweep that took us over
enemy territory. It was the first real flight for a majority of them,
and they pitched right into battle with plenty of courage and no end of
ability."
Ormston, who, with Flight-Lieutenant E. L. Neal of Quebec City and Blakeslee and Morrison dived into a group of Messerschmitt
109's and new Focke-Wulf 190's, literally blew his Messerschmitt out of
the air.
Levesque, who said that "once in action I forgot the perils because
things were happening too fast," forced the pilot of the first plane
he attacked to bail out and shot part of the wing off the second.
“He Simply Exploded”
Blakeslee, who enlisted at Windsor, Ont., said he spotted the Messerschmitts
at 15,000 feet and dived on them at 6,000. "All we did was dive and
a one-second burst got my man," he said. "He simply exploded."
Morrison, who earlier in his first week with the squadron, scored a probable,
spotted three Germans on the tail of Neal's plane.
"I came up from below and knocked off one," Morrison said. "He
apparently didn't know I was there. Later I nearly joined three Focke-Wolf
190's which I thought were Spitfires. I took a crack at the last one and
when last seen he was pouring out black smoke."
The Canadian fighter squadron co-operated with an English squadron whose
members bagged another two enemy craft.
A veteran RAF wing commander with a personal score of eighteen confirmed
victories led the combined English-Canadian squadrons operating from the
fighter command's top-storing station. The six planes destroyed brought
the station's total of aircraft shot down since the start of the war to
nearly 900.
"We saw fifteen Messerschmitts about two miles below us climbing
hard," the wing commander said in describing the action. "Leaving
the British squadron on top, I sent down several sections of the Canadians
to attack. I stayed with the others, keeping a look-out in case assistance
was wanted.
"It wasn't. Those boys just sailed into the German fighters and they
were a grand sight to watch, whooping down and mixing it with the Hun
Chased Into France
"After the fight had been going on for some time our pilots started
to chase the Messerschmitts deeper into France, and, as I didn't want
them to get too widely scattered, I told them over the radio to come back
and call it off. It was well that they did, for another bunch of Messerschmitts
had approached higher up."
The wing commander sent the English squadron after these, and one German
fighter promptly was sent smoking down to earth. Both squadrons then started
for home, running into another batch of enemy fighters on the way.
During the flight home Levesque, who transferred to the air force from
a French-Canadian army unit, got his Nazi.
"He was having a tough struggle," the wing commander said. "The
Messerschmitt he was fighting finally plunged into a wood just inside
the French coast and exploded like a bomb."
Over the coast and the Channel the squadrons met more German fighters
in ones and twos, and the commander estimated that they encountered about
sixty in all.
"Really," he said, "it was a grand afternoon for both squadrons."
J. P. Bickel, Toronto mine owner, who has held positions of importance
in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, arrived with Air Vice-Marshal
Edwards, as did Brigadier G. R. Turner, who is returning to his post at
Canadian Corps Headquarters after a visit to Canada.
Mr. Bickel was met by Sir Archibald Rowlands, Permanent Secretary of the
Aircraft Production Ministry. He said he was here "for a couple of
weeks."
Flight Lieutenant Bill Broadribb of Ottawa also accompanied Edwards.
The flight across the Atlantic was described as "cold.”
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Ottawa, Feb, 20. 1942 - (CP) - Six men were reported
killed overseas, four were listed as missing after air operations overseas
and one was reported dead from natural causes in Canada in they Royal
Canadian Air Force's 193rd casualty list of the war, issued today.
Among those listed as missing after air operations is
:
Levesque, Joseph. Auguste Omer, Flight Sergeant, 855416; missing. Mrs. J. A. Levesque (mother), Mont Joli, Que.
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Ottawa, Feb. 28, 1943 — (CP) — The Royal Canadian Air Force's 197th casualty list of the war yesterday contained names of seven men killed on active service, five in Canada and two overseas. One man who died from natural causes in Canada, two missing after air operations overseas, one overseas airman presumed dead and one reported prisoner of war also were reported in the list, along with one reported seriously ill. The list includess:
Previously reported missing, now reported prisoner of war
P.O. Joseph Auguste Levesque, of Mont Joli, Que.
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Helped dig the tunnel at Stalag Luft III for the "Great Escape" but fortunately (as it would turn out), was not selected in the draw that determined who left the prison & who stayed that night
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The following is an excerpt from DFC (US) citation, quoted in RCAF Press Release of May 1951.
Flight Lieutenant J.A.O. Levesque, RCAF, performed an act of heroic and extraordinary achievement as a member of a flight of four F-86 type aircraft on a combat air patrol south of the Sinuiju-Yalu River area, North Korea.
Flight Lieutenant Levesque's flight engaged enemy high performance jet aircraft in a battle which varied in altitude from 30,000 feet to 3,000 feet. Through aggressive and skilful maneouvering, he made repeated daring attacks upon the enemy which resulted in his personal destruction of one enemy aircraft. His brilliant evasion of other enemy aircraft added immeasurably to the success of his mission.
Flight Lieutenant Levesque's heroic and extraordinary achievement and meritorious devotion to duty has brought great credit upon himself, his comrades in arms of the United Nations, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force.
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LEVESQUE, Squadron Leader Joseph Auguste Omer (19794)
- Air Medal (US)
Awarded as per AFRO 490/51 dated 10 August 1951, "in recognition
of meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight from 17
December to 21 December 1950."
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22 Nov 1941 |
one FW190 one FW190 one Me109 two FW190s |
destroyed & (1st FW190 shot down by Allies) damaged (in Spit V - W3178, YO-Q) destroyed & destroyed - then shot down and taken prisoner |
30 Mar 1951 | one MiG | destroyed |
5 / 0 / 1+
*I have found no evidence of a FW190 being shot down by anyone before this date
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LEVESQUE, Honorary Colonel Omer WWII and Korean War Fighter Ace Veteran - On Friday, June 2, 2006 at the age of 86. Beloved husband of Irene Meija. Dear father of Paul. Brother of Lucille, Germaine and Yolande. Fondly remembered by many relatives and friends. Predeceased by his brother Mario. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, June 8th, 2006 at 11 a.m. in St. Paul Church, 61 du Couvent, Aylmer. The family will receive condolences at the Funeral Parlor, 47 Denise Friend (corner of Eardley and Parker), Aylmer, from 9:30 a.m. In memory of Omer, donations to SPCA, 659 Auguste-Mondoux, Gatineau J9H 5E1 would be appreciated.
for more information or to sign the Omer Levesque quest book click here
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Related Sites
Constable's
Levesque page |
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Omer's
Korean Sabre victory |
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--- Canadian Aces ---
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On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research (which includes info from numerous sources), newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) as well as other sources both published and private |