Operation: Dive bombing, Germany

Date: 7th October 1944 (Saturday)

Unit No: 440 (City of Ottawa) Squadron, RCAF, 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: MN641

Code: I8:J

Base: ALG B.78 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Location: Bislicher Wald, Germany

Pilot: Sqn Ldr. William Harry ‘Bill’ Pentland DFC J3204 RCAF Age 27. KiA

Above Sqn Ldr. Pentland from his Service Record

REASON FOR LOSS

On the 7th October 1944 at 14:30 hrs Sqn Ldr. Pentland DFC, the Officer Commanding of 440 Sqn, took off from B.78 Eindhoven leading eight Typhoons on a dive bombing mission in Germany.

Fg Off. Joseph George Ernest Savard J20430, RCAF flying Typhoon Ib PD473 described the circumstances of the loss of Sqn Ldr. Pentland DFC:

‘On the afternoon of Oct.7, I was No.2 in Red Section which S/L Pentland was leading on an operational sortie to a rail line near Praest, Germany. I followed S/L Pentland in a dive bombing attack on the target. He strafed a rail car on the way down and dropped his bombs. As he was pulling out of his dive his aircraft exploded and parts of his aircraft hit my aircraft causing slight damage. I did not see him bale out. I returned to base and reported the incident’.

Investigations determined that the wreckage fell into the Bislicher Wald near the Wesel-Emmerich railway line at 14:50 hrs.

His body was recovered and initially buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Bislich, Germany.

On the 26th July 1944 shortly after 08:00 hrs nine Typhoons of 440 Sqn were airborne each armed with two 1000lb bombs. Typhoon IB MN708 I8:B, flown by Sqn Ldr. Pentland, soon showed signs of engine trouble and he headed for B-17 Carpiquet airfield in France. With bombs still under the wings and undercarriage not yet locked down, the engine quit entirely, forcing Sqn Ldr. Pentland to make a 200 mph belly landing. One bomb fell off and exploded, blowing off the aircraft’s tail, but Sqn Ldr. Pentland was able to climb from the wreck uninjured.

Burial details:

Above: grave marker for Sqn Ldr. William Harry Pentland DFC (Courtesy of Fred-FindAGrave)

Sqn Ldr. William Harry Pentland DFC. Rheinberg War Cemetery 7.C.6. Inscription: 'SURVIVED BY A.W. PENTLAND, PATRICIA & F/LT. R.T. PENTLAND, CALGARY, CANADA'. Born on the 4th May 1917 at Lake Saskatoon, Alberta. Son of Augustus William and Mary Agnes (née Watts) Pentland, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Lake Pentland, Alberta, was named in memory Sqn Ldr. William Harry Pentland DFC by the Geographic Board of Canada.

The DFC was awarded to Acting Sqn Ldr. Pentland, serving with 440 Sqn. London Gazette 19th September 1944.

Citation: ‘This officer has completed many sorties on his second tour of operational duty. In air operations over the Normandy area he has led the squadron on many sorties during which bridges, enemy strong points, troop concentrations and mechanical transport have been determinedly attacked. Throughout these operations, Squadron Leader Pentland has displayed great skill, courage and resolution’.

His brother Flt Lt. Robert Temple 'Bob' Pentland served with 403 (Wolf) Sqn, RCAF.

On the 20th December 1943 the Sqn mounted two Ramrod 375 operations from 127 (RCAF) Airfield at RAF Kenley, Surrey.

On the first sweep Fg Off. Pentland flying Spitfire IX MA832 KH:? claimed a Fw190 damaged.

On the second sweep he was flying Spitfire IX MA241 KH:? which had an engine failure on return to base. Fg Off. Pentland was seriously injured in the forced landing on the edge of the airfield when his aircraft hit a tree. He suffered a spinal injury which left him partially paralysed and wheelchair bound.

Tragically Robert died at the Colonel Belcher Hospital in Calgary on Friday 12th February 1954, aged just 34.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to these pilots and their family.

Other sources as quoted below:

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