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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2005-05 > 1116501041


From: Kenneth Scott <>
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] How can I find Johnnie?
Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 07:10:41 -0400
References: <428BE5F6.7060107@kenscott.com> <001701c55c17$1b5ead80$2f9dfea9@LindaOffice>
In-Reply-To: <001701c55c17$1b5ead80$2f9dfea9@LindaOffice>


Thank you for several good ideas (and for correcting my spelling on the
Turnberry! -- I keep making that mistake)

I once had a discussion with Hugh Halliday (with whom I took basic
officer's training in the RCAF in 1960) on the lack of interest of
Canadian historians in the kind of service rendered by my father and
Johnnie. They were both RCAF, however they did not serve with RCAF
squadrons -- they were assigned (in my father's case out of a manning
pool in Bournemouth) to RAF squadrons. Hugh referred to them as the
'lost legions' or something like that. As I understand, it the Canadian
government's official histories are funded to promote the efforts of
those organizations which were identifiably Canadian -- rather than to
suggest that Canadian's were fed piecemeal into an imperial
organization. It makes it a little difficult to get much information on
those Canadians who were.

Turnberry, at the time of the photo was a training base for Hampden
(sp?) bomber crews, most if not all of whom went on to coastal command,
flying mostly out of northern Scotland and Iceland. My father's tour was
in Iceland.

Your references to the Canadian Military Institute in Toronto is
interesting and I will follow that up. As you say, the narrowing of the
time of death might help and the fact that he was American may make it a
bit easier -- if the name was "Johnnie"!

I am sort of hoping that someone knows of a website that deals with
finding WWII personnel, particularly those who were killed in the war
and whose families may be interested in momentos such as photographs
that have survived.

Again many thanks

Kenneth Scott
Dunedin, Florida

L. Granfield wrote:

>So Johnnie was an American serving with the RCAF? (So was John Gillespie
>Magee Jr, the teen RCAF pilot who wrote "High Flight.")
>There must be lists of the Americans who served in the RCAF. Maybe the Royal
>Canadian Military Institute in Toronto would have such a list in a book? One
>of the surnames might ring the proverbial bell with someone who knew
>Johnnie? (I guess your problem would be if "Johnnie" was a nickname and his
>real first name was something else, like Clarence. My grandfather Clarence
>was called "Bill.")
>You can pinpoint Johnnie's death to 1943-44, so that might help, too. And
>the photo is so clear--I'm wondering if you can publish the photo in a paper
>with a huge circulation. Someone might recognize Johnnie. Crazier things
>have happened and been covered by the papers. The uniform's insignia might
>help you find his squadron. An RCAF history book might list squadrons that
>were at Turnbury? (I think the spelling is Turnberry, Scotland, on the west
>coast.) I've checked the book "The Royal Canadian Air Force At War
>1939-1945" by Milberry and Halliday-Canav Books-and can't find Turnberry
>airfield, but there may have been another name on the base. (The book lists
>"British Air Stations Used by the RCAF" in the back. The counties are listed
>and the squadrons/units at each. Was Johnnie in the same squadron as your
>dad?
>
>Hope something here gives you a lead.
>
>L. Granfield, Toronto
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kenneth Scott" <>
>To: <>
>Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 9:03 PM
>Subject: [WarBrides] How can I find Johnnie?
>
>
>
>
>>One day in the latter part of January, 1943, my parents took me for a
>>walk in the town of Maidens, Scotland, near Turnbury airport where my
>>father was stationed. With us was "Johnnie" an American serving in the
>>RCAF. Johnnie had a camera and a series of photos were taken including
>>one of Johnnie holding me -- probably the first photo that was taken of
>>me at the age of about one month. You can see it at:
>>
>>http://www.kenscott.com/johnnie.gif
>>
>>About a year later when my father returned to this base he learned that
>>Johnnie had been killed on operations. Over the years we have lost
>>Johnnie's last name.
>>
>>Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we might retrieve his last
>>
>>
>name?
>
>
>>Kenneth Scott
>>Dunedin, Florida
>>
>>
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