Monthly Archives: August 2014

Looking for information about No. 11 S.F.T.S. Yorkton, Saskatchewan?

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Then click here.

This is where I go for information about the B.C.A.T.P.

Gil Gillis receives his wings at No. 11 SFTS Yorkton

August 16, 1941?

My contributor wrote me this message.

That’s Group Captain Howsam presenting wings to Gil Gillis. I suspect photo was taken August 16, 1941.

Taken from the Website

Course 30: June 9 – August 16, 1941
The third class of airmen to receive their wings.

Group Captain Howsam presented wings and addressed the graduates at the Saturday night ceremony in the drill hall.

He expressed his pleasure at the success of the class, told them that their real task was just beginning to confront them, wished them safe journey to England, and safe home at last.

He also quoted Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt’s, “You have a rendezvous with destiny.”

(1312024 – 107809) Charles Dugdale Harris – St. John – DFC 140 Sqn. Dieppe, Crowkerne, Somerset, England, won the Wings of Merit trophy

RAF: Air Marshal Sir Frederick Beresford ‘Freddie’ Sowrey – 26 Sqn.

RCAF: (J/7007) John William Watts – AFC 4 SFTS, Hanley, SK; +(J/7008) Robert Lawrence Sutherland – 65 Sqn., Pictou, N.S.; +(J/7009) Paris Richmond Eakins – 411 Sqn. Dieppe, Winnipeg (his brother George KIFA); (J/7010) W.H. Gieg, Lang, SK; (J/7011) Thomas Koch – 401 Sqn., Dilke, SK; +(J/7013) Douglas Spencer Aitken – 403 Sqn., Lethbridge, Alberta; (J/7015) Roy Herbert Burden, Vancouver; (J/7016) Minard

+(R/67989) Norman Richard Chap – 250 Sqn. DAF; (R/71185) Caveneau; Edward Bracken Sexsmith – 410 Sqn., Saskatoon; (J/17292) Max Andrew Perkins – 601/442 Sqns., Melfort, Sask.; Charles Tomson Glauser – 115 Sqn., Delisle, Sask.; Philip William Luchsinger – 73/33 Sqns., Kyle, Sask.; +(R/87012) Alfred George Lynds – 43 Sqn., Millerdale, SK; (J/16750) Frederick Burdette Gillis, – 403 Sqn.,Pense, SK; +(J/16130) Leslie Rowland Bond Loving – DFC 149 Sqn., Regina; (R/79731) Allan S. Porter – 412 Sqn., Regina; G.A. Wilson, Regina; E.G. Wray, Regina; (J/16848) Rex Howard Probert – DFC 416/33/92 Sqns., Moose Jaw; J.A. Roberts, Saltcoats, SK; Eric Wilson, Rapid City, MB; +(R/86290) Albert Alexander Carcary – 73 Sqn. DAF, Carman, MB; Lloyd Elliott, Winnipeg; +(R/86147) Michael Paynter Reece – 80 Sqn. DAF, Winnipeg; Edgar Luke Taylor, Dauphin, MB; Kenneth Howard Ridley, Winnipeg

Posted in from

No. 14 EFTS Portage: Probert; Carcary; Loving; Watts; George Theodore Berg (CT)

No. 15 EFTS: Burden

No. 16 EFTS Edmonton: RAF pilots

Squadron Leader Peter Leonard Bateman-Jones DFC

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Updated 5 September 2020

A comment…

No this is wrong Peter Bateman-Jones survived their war dying in 2005. I remember him well. Currently am sitting to his younger brother (my father).

Note: The information I had came from a reader. This original post is below.

Squadron Leader Bateman-Jones did not survive the war.

On March 21st, 1945, the 164th Squadron was transferred to airfield ‘B.91’ Kluis, near Nijmegen, under the command of Squadron Leader PL Bateman-Jones, who had taken over the 164th squadron in January of that year.

On 9th April, during a mission to attack German artillery positions, the enemy reached AAA S / L Bateman-Jones commanded by Typhoon ‘SW523’. With severe damage, he attempted to land the plane at airfield B.88 in Heesh, but failed to do so and died in the crash.

 

This is a drawing of the last plane he flew.

Bateman-Jones FJ-A

Artist: © Chris Thomas
Source: “2nd Tactical Air Force Volume Three From the Rhine to Victory – January 1944 to May 1945” by Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas, First published in 2006 by Classic Publications Limited ISBN (10) 1-903223-60-1, ISBN (13) 978-1-903223-60-4 

Bateman-Jones won a DFC but he never wore it. I found the information of the London Gazette.

He got it in 1947.

london gazette Bateman-Jones

1947

montage

Circa 1943

What next? – Redux

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Updated 5 September 2020

In my search for what had happened to a pilot, I wrote that Peter Bateman-Jones had died during the war.

A comment was made and this is what it said…

No this is wrong Peter Bateman-Jones survived their war dying in 2005. I remember him well. Currently am sitting to his younger brother (my father).

Note: The information I had came later from a reader.

This is the original post were I first wrote about this pilot.

Who were on this picture with Gil Gillis?

Gil Gillis in the desert with Hawker Hurricane II C from 238 Squadron

The answer is below.

Gil Gillis with other men from 238 Squadron

I got looking for ressemblance.

And I found some more clues.

Scanned-06-Backside-004

Bateman-Jones is on both pictures. He did not survive the war. He was killed flying a Hawker Typhoon with RAF 164 Squadron. Before that he was posted with RAF 56 Squadron shooting down V-1 flying bombs.

I went on a Google search like I suggested yesterday.

Finding Peter Ayerst was a piece of cake.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bateman-Jones was a little more difficult.

What next?

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This is the book where I found the information about Gil Gillis being at No. 11 SFTS, Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

aces_warriors_and_wingmen_the_firsthand_accounts_of_canada_f

He got his wings there.

Gil Gillis receives his wings at No. 11 SFTS Yorkton

I can’t be sure if this picture was taken at Yorkton, Saskastchewan in 1941 or 1942.

LAC Gillis identification

Yorkton clue

I know Gil Gillis was in the desert on June 30th, 1942.

Scanned-05-Backside

Caption - Me lost in the desert - Heck of a sand storm - 30 June 1942

How he got there the book does not say.

Gil  Gillis’s name appears just a few times in the book.

This is where this picture was taken from.

Frederick Burdette Gillis

books

Roy Marples’ name appears also.

Roy Marples

Source

What is most interesting is the fact that Gil Gillis was Wing Commander Marples’ wingman.

That says a lot about Gil Gillis.

I wonder if Wing Commander Marples is on this picture?

Gil Gillis in the desert with Hawker Hurricane II C from 238 Squadron

I know Wing Commander Marples  is not on this one.

Gil Gillis with other men from 238 Squadron

But Pete Ayerst is.

Scanned-06-Backside-004

LAC Frederick Burdette Gillis

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This is what I think is a picture taken at No. 11 SFTS Yorkton, but I could be wrong and it would have been taken instead at an Elementary Flying Training School in Saskatchewan.

LAC Gillis - First row - Fourth LAC from the left - ? No. 11 SFTS Yorkton

Gil Gillis collection via Cathy Swanson

LAC Gillis identification

Gil Gillis collection via Cathy Swanson

Frederick Burdette Gillis got his wings there.

Gil Gillis receives his wings at No. 11 SFTS Yorkton

Gil Gillis collection via Cathy Swanson

I found the information in a book.

Yorkton clue

More later as I want to keep the posts on this blog short.

Scanned-04

Gil Gillis collection via Cathy Swanson

Scanned-04-Backside

Gil Gillis collection via Cathy Swanson

More on Yorkton here…

No. 11 SFTS opened on the 10th of April, 1941 north of Yorkton as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, along with relief landing fields near Sturdee (asphalt runways) and the Rhein District (grass runways). The field operated aircraft for the training of both single and multi-engine pilots – the Harvard, Cessna Crane and Avro Anson. A total of 40 buildings were constructed for the flying school, including a full surgical hospital, one of four for all of No. 2 Training Command. Unlike most relief landing fields, no buildings were constructed at either the Sturdee or Rhein aerodromes.

BCATPYorkton.jpg

Source:

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/379/Ghosts-of-Saskatchewan.aspx

Lost logbook…

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Post No. 3

About Gil Gillis, the pilot

 

Gil Gillis when he was with RCAF 403 Squadron

RCAF No. 403 Squadron

Gil Gillis’ logbook is no where to be found, but we can still find information about his career with the RAF first and then the RCAF.

His daughter Cathy is a great help.

She sent me this e-mail last week…

I found a certificate listing awards and commendations.  Pilot Flying Badge, C.V.S.M. and  M.L., RCAF Operational Wing, Africa Star and Clasp.  Inside his  address book there are some squadron #’s.  It says for RCAF 61 OTU, 122 Squadron, 145 Squadron, A.D.U.  M.E. Cairo, 22 P.T.C., 244 Wing, 243 Wing, 238 Squadron…
 
Gil Gillis
 
I could not wait before going on a search for her father’s whereabouts in WWII with that information.
 

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