Operation: Operation Jubilee - Dieppe

Date: 19th August 1942 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 401 Squadron (motto: Mors celerrima hostibus - 'Very swift death for the enemy') .126 Wing, 83 Group, Second Tactical Air Force

Type: Spitfire IX

Serial: BS107 (1)

Code: YO-C

Base: RAF Biggin Hill / RAF Lympne

Location: English Channel off Dieppe

Pilot: Sgt. Leo Joseph Armstrong R/83422 RCAF Age 19. PoW No: 26804 CampL 344 Stalag Lamsdorf

REASON FOR LOSS:

Although based at RAF Biggin Hill, the Squadron moved to RAF Lympne in preparation for the operation on Dieppe on the 14th August.

Second sortie of the day with weather described as heavy ground haze, smoke over Dieppe with 7/10 cloud at 10.000 ft. Taking off at 13:25 hrs with the brief to patrol over Dieppe at 20.000 ft with freedom of action.

Blue Section

1. P/O. George Bremner Murray J/15476 Spitfire BS157 (DFC. W/Cdr - survived the war)
2. P/O. Harold Andrew Westhaver J/15058 Spitfire BR623 (F/O. killed 15th February 1943)
3. Fl/Sgt. Edward Lester Gimbel J/15890 Spitfire BS176 (DFC, F/O. survived the war)
4. Fl/Sgt. Andrew Lloyd Sinclair J/17656 Spitfire BS180 (DFC. Sq/Ldr. survived the war)

Ref Section

Sq/Ldr. Keith Louis Bate Hodson C/807 Spitfire BS172 (DFC. W/Cdr. survived the war)
P/O. Thomas Kar Ibbotson J/9238 Spitfire BS104 (F/Lt. killed 31st August 1943)

Yellow Section

1. Fl/Lt. James Whitham J/15281 Spitfire BR628 (DFC. F/Lt. killed 26th August 1942)
2. Fl/Sgt. Morton Haist Buckley R/66343 Spitfire BS157 (Fl/Sgt. killed 19th August 1942)
3. Sgt. Leo Joseph Armstrong R/83422 Spitfire BS107 (USAAF W/O. survived the war)
4. P/O. Robert Dunham Reesor J/16023 Spitfire BS177 BS177 (P/0. killed 02nd October 1942)

Yellow 4 Sgt. Armstrong's Spitfire was hit and he went into spin. Pilot baled out and was seen to get into dinghy. Yellow 3 Fl/Sgt. Reesor came down low and circled Sgt. Armstrong when he appeared to be uninjured as he waved. He was in the water about 8 miles off the coast at Dieppe. Germans picked him up becoming a PoW.

Those that survived from the squadron returned to base, some taking part in a further similar sortie later on the same day.

Over this day the squadron lost 3 pilots killed, 2 PoW, (one was later repatriated) 2 others injured.

The squadron flew its third and final sortie late that afternoon, but encountered no enemy aircraft. In two brief periods of combat, three of their squadron mates had gone missing and, although one would return to the unit and another was “safe” with the Germans, squadron personnel did not know this at the time. Despite their sorrow at lost friends and comrades, members of the RCAF squadron took pride in their part in successfully keeping the Luftwaffe at bay during the assault and withdrawal.

The day after Dieppe, 401 Squadron was again in the air once again flying as escort for American bombers.

Leo Armstrong was liberated and returned safely to the UK on the 10th May 1945.

(1) BS107 Delivered new to 401 (F) Squadron, RCAF on 27 July 1942, coded 'YO-C'.

Above L-R: Sgt. Leo Joseph Armstrong (PoW), Sgt. William Fergusonm (KIA), George Patterson (KIA) and Sgt. George Patterson (PoW). Taken on the 08th August 1942 just a couple of weeks before Operation Jubilee - Dieppe

Burial details:

Pilot survived the war :

W/O. Leo Joseph Armstrong. Born on the 05th January 1914 in Plainview, Nebraska, USA. Leo served as senior class president, graduating from Plainview High School in 1933. He served in WWII with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Spitfire pilot from January of 1941 to October of 1945, stationed in England. After his discharge as a W/0. from service, he came to California, where he was employed by Standard Oil for more than 30 years.

Leo passed away on Friday the 25th June 2009. Leo is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jean; children David Hughes and wife, Tina ; Barbara Hughes; Greg Armstrong and wife, Deborah; grandchildren David Hughes; Devon Gonzales and husband, Cody; and great grandson Dylan Gonzales. He is also survived by his siblings Betty Brunkhorst, Lester Armstrong and Eveadale Bartling

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of these pilots with thanks to Francoise Dutil, the National Archives Kew, ,AIR-27-1772-15/16,, Government of Canada WW2 Service Records, Paradie RCAF Archives.

Other sources as quoted below:

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