Updated 27 April 2022 with this comment…
Calvin Warren Dahl died April 2, 1943; his death date is incorrectly noted as August 2, 1943.
It’s easy to get lost when you start searching for information on how to put a date on photos.
This one was easy.
Lloyd Stanley Lafoy is the second on the left in the first row.
Lloyd Stanley Lafoy survived the war, but he did not know that when he wrote 32 names who later trained as air gunners at No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School in Paulson, Manitoba.
How many survived?
There was one name on the list that I already knew had not survived the war…
(1) Bartlett, J.L.A. (2) Godin, J.J.R.T. (3) Campbell, D.E. (4) Procter, C. H. (5) Arnold, W. H. (6) Lanegraff, W. E. (7) Melancon, J. H. J. (8) Pearce, G. S. (9) Taylor, G. A. (10) Annis, L. D. (11) McDonald, G. M. (12) Thompson, L. H.
Centre row (1) Madof, W. D. (2) McLeod, R. K. (3) Dahl, C. W. (4) Kelly, J. F. (5) Patten, G. W. (6) Leone, N. (7) Castling, D. H. (8) Johnson, E. W. (9) Lake, J. W. (10) Labow, J. I.
Front row (1) Niven, C. M. (2) Lafoy, L. S. (3) Bush, R. H. (4) Balfour, A. . (5) Duncan, D. W. (6) Lambert, K. A, (7) Walsh, W. D. (8) Payne, T. A. (9) McHay, J. A., Carrigan
This is Nuncie Leone.
This photo was in Jacques Morin’s scrapbook when I met him in 2011. I thought it was Jacques “Coco” Morin pictured in the rear turret of a Lancaster.
“Coco” was a rear gunner with 425 Alouette Squadron and I never thought of asking him if he was on that photo.
One year later I realised it was not him when I learned what had happened to Nuncie.
Nuncie Leone is well-remembered on the Internet.
Nuncie Leone was born on 25th March 1918 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Adam and Madelene (nee Bonifarzi) Leone. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 31st October 1939 for ground duties and he initially served as a member of the RCAF Service Police and in guard duties. He re-mustered as aircrew in early 1942 and after basic training in Canada he was awarded his Air Gunner’s badge on 26th September 1942. With that part of his training complete he left for service overseas a few weeks later and on arrival in the UK he trained at 22 OTU on 2nd February 1943 and then to 429 Squadron on 19th April 1943. 429 Squadron began converting to four-engined aircraft in August 1943 and he was posted to 1659 HCU for this conversion training. He was then posted to 405 Squadron on 30th August 1943.
…
On 3rd July 1943 this 429 Squadron aircraft was undertaking a mine laying operational flight to lay mines around Brest harbour. The pilot later gave a newspaper interview in which he stated this flight was to have been a routine one but they were coned by eight searchlights when they were flying at only 1,000 feet as they prepared to release their mines. Flak guns opened up on the Wellington but the pilot avoided being hit and they returned to base. On landing at East Moor at 02.45hrs the starboard main tyre burst resulting in the undercarriage collapsing and the aircraft coming to rest on its belly with damage to the engines and propellers.
Source
RUHR EXPRESS CREW VETERANS OF AERIAL WAR
Skilled Men Flew First Canadian-Built Lancaster
With the R.C.A.F. Somewhere in England, 9 Dec. 1943 —(CP)—A wealth of flying experience, born of extensive training in Canada and brought to maturity in battle, was behind the crew entrusted with the first operational flight to Berlin of the “Ruhr Express,” first Canadian-built Lancaster bomber.
The “Express” roared non-stop to the shattered and smoking Nazi capital on the night of November 26, foreshadowing the possible advent of the time when a whole fleet of Canadian-built heavy bombers might be in the air over Germany.
This is the crew:
Pilot: P/O Harold Arthur Floren, 21, of Weyburn, Sask., who had 17 operational trips in his log book before this Berlin attack. He joined the R.C.A.F. direct from school.
Bombardier: F/O William Astbury, 20, of Portage la Prairie, 16 trips. He used to work in his father’s machine shop.
Navigator: F/L William Thatcher, 28, of Hamilton, Ont., 19 trips. Thatcher was an inspector for the British Supply Board before going to war.
Wireless operator: F/O Jerry Souaillard, 21, of Montreal, 28 trips. He, too, left school for the air force.
Flight engineer: Sgt. Elwood Houlding, 21, of Saskatoon, seven, trips. He joined the R.C.A.F. from school as a fitter and remustered to aircrew after crossing to Britain.
Rear-gunner: F/Sgt. Nick Leone, 25, of Toronto, 17 trips. He, like Houlding, became air crew after joining the air force for ground work.
Mid-upper gunner: F/Sgt. Lloyd Annis, 20, of Barrie, Ont., 10 trips. He left the farm for the air.
Floren, Astbury and Leone have always been part of the same crew and made 10 sorties with an R.C.A.F. Wellington bomber squadron before joining the famed “Pathfinders,” from whom the entire crew for the “Express” was picked.
“It’s not always the tough targets of the Ruhr that provide the excitement,” said Floren. “Nor is it always the bombing raids. What we thought would be a quiet trip to Brest harbour, mine-laying, gave us plenty to think about.”
They were coned by eight searchlights when only 1,000 feet in the air and the flak guns tore open the sky around them. Floren got the ship home and landed without mishap despite the bursting of one tire.
They described the Berlin trip in the “Express” as a “successful sortie,” the language of brave men inured to the danger in the night skies over Germany.
Nuncie “Nick” Leone (R/53024)
Son of Adam and Madeline Leone, of Toronto, Ontario. Enlisted as ground crew then remustered to aircrew. The 1st operational tail gunner of the Ruhr Express (KB700), the 1st Canadian Built Lancaster to enter service in WW2. It was initially assigned to 405 Squadron where Nick Flew two sorties with KB700 but then it was sent to 419 Sq. Unfortunately, KB700 was lost after its 49th Sortie, it was to have been flown back to Canada, after its 50th
sortie, for public display. Leone & his crew were killed, 17 January 1944 in
Lancaster JA974 while on a Mission to Brunswick. He is buried at the Hanover War Cemetery, grave 5 C 10.
Source
This is a colorised photo I did of P/O Harold Arthur Floren, Nuncie’s pilot.
P/O Harold Arthur Floren
P/O Harold Arthur Floren did not survive the war also.
Which brings me to how I made contact with Lucky Red’s grandson on Facebook last week and got more than 100 photos.
This is my Grandfather, Lloyd “Lucky Red” Stanley Lafoy, he was a member of the 425 Alouette and later the Thunderbird Squadrons. He was a tail gunner. He passed away last year but left me many photos which I will upload once I have scanned them all. He survived 35 missions, which is how he earned his nickname, crashing once in England upon return from a mission over Germany. He wrote the story down before passing but it needs some editing. It is quite a tale.
He wore a scarf every mission as well given to him by an English lass who he found living in Florida via Facebook when he was 95. His pilot wouldn’t take off unless he had the scarf, sending him back to the barracks once to get it. The third photo I found through Pierre Lagacé
years ago of him shaking hands with the Prime Minister before their mission. We showed him this photo several years ago which he got quite a kick out of. Needless to say he didn’t talk a lot about the war until he got older but he had a sister and 3 brothers who all served in various ways.
Footnote
Here are some of Lucky Red’s photos that I am almost sure were taken at Paulson, Manitoba.
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan 