This was my grandfather, a bomber pilot during WWII. He watched his brother-in-law get shot down, as they flew in the same squadron. He spoke little about the war, but did say he did not agree with the incendiary bomb raids and also that if he was asked to serve again, he would proudly do it in a heartbeat. He started his 1st mission on D-Day.
The Airforce Association of Canada has some nice bios if you are looking for family members' information. I like how they commented about my grandpas calm demeanor - which he had to the day he died.
http://rcafassociation.ca/awards.php...mem=&type=rcaf
LEHTI, F/O Henry Walderman (J23735) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.166 Squadron - Award effective 1 December 1944 as per London Gazette dated 8 December 1944 and AFRO 337/45 dated 23 February 1945. Born 13 August 1912 in Coleman, Alberta of Finnish parents (he spoke the language). Educated in Coleman (1918-1919), Langley Public School in British Columbia (1919-1921), Prairie Public School, Nanimo (1921-25), Nanaimo High School (1925-1928) and Normal Business School (1928-1929). Employed by Royal Bank, Nanaimo as cllerk and ledger keeper, 1929-1931; commercial fisherman in Gulf of Georgia, owning his own boat (1931-1935) and a rigger with Lake Logging, Rounds, British Columbia, 1936-1941. He gave his home as Nanaimo, British Columbia. Enlisted Vancouver, 23 January 1942. To No.3 Manning Depot, Edmonton, 9 March 1942. To No.4 ITS, Edmonton, 7 June 1942; training interrupted for surgery; graduated and promoted LAC, 9 October 1942; to No.2 BGS, Mossbank, 25 October 1942; graduated 23 December 1942 and posted on 27 December 1942 to No.5 AOS, Winnipeg; graduated and commissioned 12 February 1943. To Mountain View, 21 February 1943. To No.8 BGS, Lethbridge, to instruct, 9 March 1943. To ?Y? Depot, Halifax, 3 August 1943. Promoted Flying Officer, 12 August 1943. Embarked from Halifax, 26 August 1943. Disembarked in Britain, 1 September 1943. To No.3 PRC, Bournemouth, 2 September 1943. To No.2 (Observer) AFU, 2 November 1943. To No.81 OTU, 21 December 1943. To No.30 OTU, 31 December 1943. To No.11 Base, 31 March 1944. To No.166 Squadron, 10 May 1944. To No.1656 Conversion Unit, 13 September 1944. Attached to No.1 AA School, Manby, 14 October to 11 November 1944. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 12 February 1945. Repatriated via Greenwood, 31 July 1945. Retired 4 October 1945. Died in Kamloops, British Columbia, 7 June 1984 as per British Columbia Vital Statistics. Presented with DFC, 6 May 1950. No citation other than \"..in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations against the enemy.\" Public Records Office Air 2/8882 has recommendation dated 5 September 1944 when he had flown 30 sorties (168 hours), 6 June to 29 August 1944.
6 June 1944 - Acheres
7 June 1944 - Versailles
10 June 1944 - Acheres
13 June 1944 - Gelsenkirchen
14 June 1944 - Le Havre
16 June 1944 - Sterkrade Holten
22 June 1944 - Mimoyecques
23 June 1944 - Saintes
24 June 1944 - Flers
27 June 1944 - Chateau Bernapre
29 June 1944 - Domleger
30 June 1944 - Oisemont
1 July 1944 - Domleger
4 July 1944 - Orlean
5 July 1944 - Dijon
7 July 1944 - Caen
20 July 1944 - Wizernes
24 July 1944 - Stuttgart
25 July 1944 - Stuttgart
30 July 1944 - Cahagnes
2 August 1944 - Le Havre
4 August 1944 - Pauillac
7 August 1944 - Fontenay le Marmion
11 August 1944 - Duvai
12 August 1944 - Brunswick
14 August 1944 - GARDENING
16 August 1944 - GARDENING
25 August 1944 - Russelsheim
26 August 1944 - GARDENING
29 August 1944 - Stettin
This Canadian Air Bomber, in his 30 sorties on targets in Germany and occupied territory, has consistently displayed courage of a high order and is outstanding in his determination to inflict the greatest damage possible on the target given to him. He has a great sense of crew discipline and has shown himself to be a very gallant member of a good crew. Of calm and quiet disposition, he nevertheless has courage to the extreme and has shown complete disregard for his personal safety. For his unfailing sense of devotion to duty, his courage and coolness under fire, he is recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Notes: Application for Operational Wing dated 12 September 1944 stated he had flown 30 sorties but gave start date as 18 May 1944 and end date as 31 August 1944.
On repatriation he filled out a form stating (18 July 1945) he had flown 176 hours 30 minutes on operations and 176 hours 55 minutes non-operational. Flying overseas had been on Ansons (38.40), Wellington (79.20), Halifax (21.00) and Lancaster (214.05). He had attended a Bombing Leader Course.
Training: Course at No.2 BGS was 26 October to 23 December 1942. Flew bombing training in Anson aircraft (32.40 day, 6.10 night) while gunnery flying was in Bolingbroke (4.25 day) and Battle aircraft (1.40 day). In high level bombing dropped 51 bombs by day, 18 by night; in low level bombing, dropped 22 bombs by dat, and in high level grouping dropped 18 bombs. In gunnery tests fired 600 rounds in Beam Test (nine percent hits), Beam Relative Speed Test fired 600 rounds (ten percent hits) and Under Tail Test fired 600 rounds (seven percent hits). Spent six hours 55 minutes in turrets. Ground tests in bombing, written (231/250), bombing, oral (207/250), Proficiency as Bomb Aimer (264/400 - scored affected by adverse flying conditions), Gunnery, written (84/100), Gunnery, oral (81/100), Proficiency as Air Gunner (170/200), Aircraft Recognition (50/50) and Signals (48/50). Described as ?above average? and ?academically an excellent student.? Also described as ?A leader, a worker, and a student of good calibre.? Placed first in a class of 26.
Course at No.5 AOS was 28 December 1942 to 12 February 1943. Flew in Anson aircraft (18.55 day, 14.30 by night). Marked in Navigation, air work (88/100), Bombing, Air Work (61/100), Photography, air work (85/100), Elements of Navigation (46/50), Signals, practical (75/75), Photography (40/50), Reconnaissance (49/50), and Aircraft Recognition (75/75). Under ?Navigation? described as ?Quiet, methodical, neat. Excellent worker. By far the outstanding student in the class.? Under ?Armament? described as ?Excellent results in Aircraft Recognition. Bombing results should have been better.? Overall he was assessed as ?Quiet. Outstanding student. Neat, keen. Recommended as an Instructor.? Placed first in a class of 30.
Course for Bombing Instructors, Mountain View was 22 February to 6 March 1943. He finished fifth in a class of 15. ?Has a good knowledge of his work and showed prospects of becoming a good assistant instructor. With further experience and some assisstance he should prove satisfactory for practical work.?
Course at No.2 (Observer) AFU, 2 November to 11 December 1943 was on Anson aircraft (2.45 day bombing, 14.20 day combined exercises, 21.35 night combined exercises). Dropped 12 bombs at medium level. Simulated eight day raids with photography and ten night raids with infra-red.
Course at No.30 OTU, 10 January to 19 March 1944 involved Wellington III and X aircraft (8.25 daylight local bombing, 4.40 daylight local gunnery, 10.20 daylight cross-country exercises, 12 hours five minutes other daylight flying; 9.10 night local bombing, 27.45 night cross country flying and seven hours five minutes other night flying. It was noted on 24 March 1944 under the heading of ?Operational Cross-Country Exercises? that he had flown two such daylight exercises (one abortive, ?above average at map reading?) and seven night exercises, but that hhe had not carried out a Bullseye exercise. The form listed a variety of exercises - Dual Medium Level (one exercise, eight bombs), Applied Medium Level (two exercises, 14 bombs), one Stick (two bombs), ten Simulation by Photography, two night Dual High Level Bombing (14 bombs), two night Medium Level Grouping (14 bombs), nine night Stick Exrecises (18 bombs) and four Simulations by infra-red. In Gunnery he went through one Air-to-Air by day (500 rounds), one Air-to-Air, self town (200 rounds), five daylight air-to-sea (1,300 rounds), and six nigt air-to-sea (1,500 rounds).