Operation: Dive Bombing, Germany

Date: 29th September 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 438 (Wild Cat) Squadron, RCAF, 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: PD479

Code: F3:Q

Base: ALG B.78 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Location: 9¾ km (6 mls) east of Nijmegen

Pilot: Fg Off. John Edgar Cornelison J27764 RCAF Age 24. MiA

Above: R98014 Sgt. John Edgar Cornelison from his service record

REASON FOR LOSS

At 09:50 hrs on the 29th September 1944 a flight of four aircraft from the Squadron, with Fg Off. Cornelison as the Flight Leader, took off from B.78 at Eindhoven on the third of seven dive bombing attacks against enemy railways.

After the bombing attack the flight of four were engaged by 30 plus Bf109s of II./JG27 and in the ensuing dogfights Fg Off. Cornelison’ Typhoon was shot down. A Typhoon was claimed by Jahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Cadet - Cpl) Hans Utz from 7./JG27, SW of Bocholt , 9¾ km (6 mls) east of Nijmegen, at 1.500 m. at 11:17 hrs. (The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) (German Air Force High Command) fighter claims for the Reich, West & Südfront: August - December 1944, Issue 1).

It is believed that Fg Off. Cornelison destroyed one of the attacking German fighters but no official credit could be given.

On the 14th October 1946 No. 2 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (MREU) instigated an investigation into a crash site of an aircraft in the community of Leuth-Kekerdom in the Netherlands.

The investigation determined that a Typhoon that had crashed between the British and German lines on the 29th September 1944. After having been searched by the Germans and all possessions had been robbed by them, the remains of the pilot were buried without any form of ceremony on the scene of the crash in an isolated grave on the north side of Botsestraat in front of a stretch of water at Kekerdom.

It was determined that the pilot was Fg Off. Cornelison and local information claimed that the body was removed by the Canadian Graves Registration Unit (CGRU) to a Canadian Military Cemetery which was presumed to be at Groesbeek. The MREU report cites that the whereabouts of his grave was unknown.

A Graves Concentration Report confirms that Fg Off. Cornelison was originally buried in an isolated grave at Leuth-Kekerdom and then reported to have been concentrated at the Groesbeek Canadian Cemetery on the 12th March 1946 in Grave 24.D.14. However, the CWGC website documents that Grave 24.D.14 was allocated to Plt Off. Richard Eric Chambers J90578 RCAF.

Burial details:

Above Runneymede Memorial Panel 291 (Addenda), (Courtesy of Clive at WW2Talk)

Fg Off. John Edgar Cornelison. Runnymede Memorial Panel 291 (Addenda). Born on the 7th April 1920 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Son of Dr. Edgar Herbert and Myrtle (née Wick) Cornelison of Louisville, Kentucky. Husband to Mary Margaret (née Towle) Cornelison of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

The above photograph of an initial grave marker for Fg Off. Cornelison is from his Service Record.

The two other graves in the photograph are confirmed to be, on the left, Sgt. George K. Bull A29034 who is buried in Grave 24.E.14 and next to him is Pte. J. Allan Sanderson B124031 who is buried in Grave 7.C.12. Both are in the Groesbeek Canadian Cemetery.

Clearly this discrepancy has not been resolved since Fg Off. Cornelison’s name has been added to the Runnymede Memorial.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to this pilot and his family.

Other sources as quoted below:

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