SKINNER, F/L Frederick Weber (J17092) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.420 Squadron - Award effective 5 July 1945 as per London Gazette dated 17 July 1945 and AFRO 1558/45 dated 5 October 1945. Born 7 July 1919 in Morris, Manitoba; educated there; home there (grocery store clerk and manager); Winnipeg Light Infantry (Machine Gun), 13 August 1940 to 17 March 1941; enlisted in RCAF, Winnipeg, 16 April 1941 and posted to No.2A Manning Dept. To No.37 SFTS (guard), 9 June 1941. To No.4 ITS, 15 July 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 27 August 1941 when posted to No.3 Manning Depot. To No.2 WS, 15 September 1941; to No.5 BGS, 31 January 1942; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 2 March 1942). To “Y” Depot, 10 March 1942. To RAF overseas, 31 March 1942. Disembarked in Britain, 14 April 1942. To No.1 Wing, RAF Madley, 8 May 1942. To No.22 OTU, 16 June 1942. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 2 September 1942. To No.218 Conversion Flight, 8 September 1942. To No.115 Squadron, 13 September 1942. Promoted WO2, 2 March 1943. Commissioned 10 March 1943. To No.26 OTU, 10 June 1943. Promoted Flying Officer, 10 September 1943. To No.82 OTU, 29 February 1944. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 15 June 1944. To No.86 OTU, 16 June 1944. Embarked from Britain for leave in Canada, 25 July 1944. Returned to Britain, 25 September 1944. To No.31 Base, 10 October 1944. Attached to No.1657 Conversion Unit, 10 October 1944 to 6 November 1944. This appears to have overlapped attendance at No.14 Radio School, St. Athan, 26 October to 29 November 1944 (Signals Leader Course). To No.76 Base, 6 November 1944. Attached Battle School, Dalton, 6 December 1944 to 7 January 1945. To No.420 Squadron, 7 January 1945. Repatriated 23 July 1945. To No.5 Release Centre, 5 September 1945. Retired 25 September 1945. Award presented 11 June 1949. Died 25 December 1995 in Carman or Elm Creek, Manitoba as per Royal Canadian Legion “Last Post” website. No citation other than "in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations against the enemy". See DHist file 181.009 D.1746 (PAC RG.24 Vol.20608); recommended 3 March 1945 when he was Squadron Signals Leader and was on his second tour. First tour (27 sorties) had been 30 September 1942 to 27 May 1943 and had included a low-level raid on Milan (16 April 1943). Second tour had so far run 30 December 1944 to 14 March 1945 (11 sorties), and both totalled 214 hours 30 minutes: Flight Lieutenant Skinner completed his first tour on Wellingtons, Stirlings and early Lancasters in 1942 to such difficult targets as Essen, Duisburg, Aachen, Osnabruck, Kiel, Genoa, Turin, Stuttgart and Berlin. He then did a non-operational tour as instructor and then returned to a second tour, attacking such targets as Cologne, Ludwigshaven, Essen and Hamburg. In addition to operating, Flight Lieutenant Skinner has been Signals Leader and has done a particularly fine administrative and organizing job in developing a section that is an asset to the squadron in the excellent training given to the crews, and in inspiring leadership with which they are maintained. The sortie list was as follows: 30 September 1942 - Gardening, Frisian Islands (3.45) 3 October 1942 - Aachen (6.00) 6 October 1942 - Osnabruck (4.45) 9 October 1942 - Gardening, Frisian Islands (4.10) 13 October 1942 - Kiel (6.55) 23 October 1942 - Genoa (8.25) 4 November 1942 - Gardening, La Rochelle (5.30) 6 November 1942 - Gardening, La Rochelle (7.00) 18 November 1942 -Turin (7.15) 22 November 1942 -Stuttgart (7.10) 28 November 1942 -Turin (9.00) 22 March 1943 - St. Nazaire (3.40, recalled) 26 March 1943 - Duisburg (3.20) 27 March 1943 - Berlin (6.25) 29 March 1943 - Berlin (7.05, completed, returned on three engines) 2 April 1943 - Gardening, La Rochelle (5.00) 3 April 1943 - Essen (3.20) 11 April 1943 - Gardening, Bordeaux area (6.00) 16 April 1943 - Pilsen (8.00) 18 April 1943 - Spezia (2.00, duty not carried out) 26 April 1943 - Duisburg (3.15) 28 April 1943 - Gardening, Kiel Bay (6.15) 4 May 1943 - Dortmund (4.10) 12 May 1943 - Duisburg (3.00) 13 May 1943 - Bochum (4.00) 25 May 1943 - Dortmund (3.40) 27 May 1943 - Essen (3.30) * * * * * 30 December 1944 - Cologne (6.25) 2 January 1945 - Ludwingshave (7.10) 17 February 1945 - Wessel (6.30) 21 February 1945 - Worms (7.25) 23 February 1945 - Essen (6.10) 24 February 1945 - Kamen (6.30) 27 February 1945 - Mainz (7.00) 2 March 1945 - Cologne (6.10) 8 March 1945 - Hamburg (5.50) 12 March 1945 - Dortmund (6.15) 14 March 1945 - Zweibrucken (6.50) Notes: His application for the Aircrew Europe Star suggests his first sortie was 26 September 1942. On repatriation form dated 4 July 1945 he stated he had flown 41 sorties (230 hours 35 minutes), the last on 23 April 1945. He had also flown 207 hours 45 minutes non-operational. Types experienced were Halifax (79.15), De Havilland Dominie (4.30), Proctor (6.20), Anson (21.50), Wellington IC (67.40), Wellington III (97.30), Wellington X (56.15), Stirling (26.35), Lancaster II (74.15) and Lancaster X (4.10). Training: Interviewed in Winnipeg, 26 April 1941. “Nice clean type of applicant, should make good aircrew.” Course at No.2 Wireless School was 15 September 1941 to 1 February 1942. Flew one hour 15 minutes in Flying Classroom as First Operator, four hours 25 minutes in Flying Classroom on Listening Watch, seven hours 20 minutes in two-seat aircraft as Sole Operator, Ground courses in Theory (42/50), Radio Equipment (164/250), Morse (175/200), Procedure (182/200), Signals Organization (135/150), Armament (90/100), Drill and PT (32/50). Placed 12th in a class of 94. Qualified to wear Wireless Operator Badge, 1 February 1942. Course at No.5 BGS was 2 February to 2 March 1942. Battle aircraft (six hours 35 minutes). Fired 300 rounds on ground, 400 rounds air-to-ground and 1,400 rounds air-to-air. Registered 1.5 percent hits in Beam Test, eight percent hits in Beam Relative Speed Test and six percent hits in Under Tail Test. Scored 80 percent on written test, 71 percent on practical and oral exam. Rated 170/250 in “Ability as Firer.” Placed ninth in a class of 34. “A very keen, intelligent student. Knowledge of gunnery subjects above average.” No.14 Radio School, St. Athan, 26 October to 29 November 1944 (Signals Leader Course). Graded on Leadership (72/100), Written exam on organization, technical knowledge, navigation (68/100), Instructional Technique (38/50), Practical ability (38/50). “A steady worker, sound and defendable. A trifle reserved.” Selected Assessments: “An average officer who has just finished a good operational tour” (W/C F.F. Rainsford, No.115 Squadron 19 June 1943 when he had flown 313 hours 35 minutes (95.30 in previous six months) “An outstandingly keen officer, most reliable.” (S/l W.F. Nash, No.26 OTU, 28 February 1944 when he had flown 325 hours 25 minutes (15 hours in previous six months). Endorsed the same day by W/C C.A. Alldis - “This officer is above average and shows great promise.” “Good instructor. Smart officer.” (S/L J.H. Temperley, No.86 OTU, 15 July 1944) “An above average Wireless Air Gunner with high grade technical ability, backed by the operational experience of one and a half tours with Bomber Command, who has ability to impart knowledge.” Drafted when he was Squadron Signals Leader with 425 hours flying. “Flight Lieutenant Skinner is above average as a gentlemanly officer whose ideals and character have a marked effect on the personnel under him.” (W/C F.S. McCarthy, 15 April 1945, endorsed on 20 April 1945 by G/C Lecompte).

SKINNER, F/O William Archibald (J87369) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.103 Squadron - Award effective 2 March 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 625/45 dated 13 April 1945. Born 27 November 1919 in Muskoka, Ontario; home in Bracebridge, Ontario (farmer); enlisted in North Bay, 26 May 1942 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To No.8 SFTS, 23 July 1942 (guard). To No.3 ITS, 12 September 1942; graduated and promoted LAC, 7 November 1942 but not posted to No.13 EFTS until 5 December 1942; may have graduated 5 February 1943 but not posted to No.2 SFTS until 20 February 1943; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 11 June 1943. To “Y” Depot, 15 June 1943. To RAF overseas, 24 June 1943. Commissioned 22 June 1944. Repatriated 13 August 1945. To No.4 Release Centre, 21 August 1945. Retired 3 October 1945. Award presented in Toronto, 30 November 1949. // This officer was pilot and captain of an aircraft detailed to attack Munich. On the outward flight trouble developed in the port inner engine. The oil and coolant temperatures rose and flames issued from the exhaust manifold. The propeller had to be feathered. This did not deter Flying Officer Skinner from continuing to the target which, despite fighter interference and opposition from the ground defences, was attacked successfully. The weather was bad but Flying Officer Skinner flew the aircraft back to base. His determination was typical of that which he has shown throughout his tour of operational duty. // RCAF Press Release 8326 dated 22 January 1945 from “C.N.E. (whatever that is) reads: // WITH CANADIANS FLYING IN THE RAF: - Flying Officer W.A. Skinner of Bracebridge, Ontario, flew his Lancaster bomber nearly 1,000 miles on three engines to complete successfully his 27th sortie. Although he had a total of over 151 hours operational flying, the long flight to Munich and back, which he made that night, seemed to him the longest he had ever had to face. It appeared all the more drawn out because of engine trouble. The trip was smooth until he was 250 miles from the target. There were strong tail winds and thick, icy clouds. Then, F/O Skinner’s instruments began giving warning. His oil and coolant temperatures rose rapidly and he had to feather one engine because flames were issuing from the exhaust manifold. There were alternative and nearer targets to bomb but Skinner pressed on to the main target. On reaching Munich, fighters were active, searchlights were focused on the cloud base, and ground defences were putting up a heavy barrage; but the bombing was carried out coolly and methodically. Then, the Canadian pilot headed his Lancaster home. The winds had to be fought all the way but the engines performed well and the operation was completed on time. He had flown nearly 1,000 miles with the port-inner engine out of action. // F/O Skinner is 25 and was commissioned in June last year. He has flown Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Lancasters, and has almost completed his tour. His father is Samuel Skinner of Bracebridge, Ontario.

DAVID BEATTY EVANS SGT(AG) R92454. From Ladner, British Columbia. Killed Jan 30/43 age 26. #16 Operational Training Unit. Wellington aircraft #X 3980 crashed and burned at Kidderminster, England. P/O Farla (RAF) and two other airmen, not Canadians, were also killed. Sergeant Air Gunner Skinner is buried in the Bridgnorth Cemetery, Shropshire, England.

LLOYD NEWTON P/O(N) J9163//R76168. From Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Killed in Action May 15/42 age 20. #407 Demon Squadron (To Hold On High). Hudson aircraft lost. Please see Scott L.O. for casualty list and flight detail. Pilot Officer Navigator Skinner has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey, England.