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GIBBONS, Noel Flying Officer, No.418 Squadron, J12273 Distinguished Flying Cross - Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross RCAF Personnel Awards 1939-1949
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GIBBONS, F/O Noel (J12273) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.418 Squadron - Award effective 2 March 1944 as per London Gazette dated 17 March 1944 and AFRO 766/44 dated 6 April 1944. Born in Grand Prairie, Alberta, 19 November 1920; educated at Cranbrook High School, British Columbia (1935-1938) and West Vancouver High School (1938-1939). Home in Vancouver where he instructed in Physical Education at the YMCA; enlisted there 2 October 1941 and posted to No.3 Manning Depot, Edmonton. To No.4 ITS, Edmonton, 28 October 1941; promoted LAC, 20 December 1941 and posted to No.2 AOS, Edmonton; graduated 27 March 1942 and posted on 29 March 1942 to No.8 BGS, Lethbridge; graduated 9 May 1942 and promoted Sergeant. To No.1 ANS on 10 May 1942 (graduated and commissioned 19 June 1942. Struck off strength of No.1 ANS, 14 July 1942 and posted to No.1 AOS, Malton. To “Y” Depot, Halifax, 26 October 1942; to RAF overseas, 31 October 1942. Disembarked in United Kingdom, 11 November 1942. Promoted Flying Officer, 8 December 1942. To No.1 Signal School, 22 December 1942. To No.51 OTU, 3 March 1943. To No.60 OTU, 26 May 1943. To No.418 Squadron, 14 June 1943. To No.60 OTU, 10 February 1944. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 8 June 1944. To No.418 Squadron again, 1 August 1944. Killed in action 22 October 1944 with S/L K.A. Boomer, DFC (Mosquito PZ198). Cited with F/L James Robert Feir Johnson (which see for citation). At various times, with Ross Gray and J.R.F. Johnson, he was involved in the following victories: 21 September 1944, one unidentified enemy aircraft destroyed in air plus one unidentified enemy aircraft destroyed on ground plus one unidentified enemy aircraft damaged on ground; 23/24 September 1944, one FW.190 destroyed; 27/28 September 1944, one Ju.88 destroyed; 30 September 1944, one FW.190 destroyed in air and one damaged in air plus one Bf.110 destroyed on ground and one damaged on ground plus one Do.217 damaged on ground plus one unidentified enemy aircraft damaged on ground; 2/3 October 1944, one unidentified enemy aircraft damaged; 10 October 1944, two Junkers W.34 destroyed on ground plus four Ju.87s destroyed on ground plus one W.34 and five Ju.87s damaged on ground. See also entry for R.A. Kipp with a press release that includes personal account of action of 12 December 1943 which includes generous comments about Gibbons. RCAF photo PL-33040 (ex UK-15444 dated 29 September 1944) is captioned as follows: “F/L N.J. Gibbon, DFC, veteran navigator with the City of Edmonton night intruder squadron, looks on as his pilot, F/L F.A. Johnson points to the spot that they made the 100th kill in the air to be registered by the squadron. F/L Gibbon of 2355 Marine Drive, Vancouver, was on the 13th trip of his second tour. F/L Johnson, who lived in Belleville, Ontario, was formerly a flying instructor at Uplands.” RCAF photo PL-33216 (ex UK-15278 dated 26 September 1944) shows F/L Noel Gibbons (left) with his skipper, S/L R.G. Gray “after they returned from the longest daylight Mosquito raid ever performed by an RCAF aircraft.” RCAF photo PL-33217 (ex UK-15279) is captioned as follows: “S/L R.G. Gray, pilot of a City of Edmonton Mosquito receives the congratulations of his CO, W/C A. Barker, after leading a flight of two Mosquito aircraft deep into Germany on the longest daylight sortie in RCAF history. Navigator F/L N.J. Gibbons DFC looks on.” // GIBBONS, F/L Noel (J12273) - Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross - No.418 Squadron (deceased) - Award effective 21 October 1944, as per London Gazette dated 12 February 1946 and AFRO 322/46 dated 29 March 1946. // Since the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Flight Lieutenant Gibbons has completed many sorties, penetrating deeply into Germany and enemy occupied territory. On each occasion his skilful navigation has enabled his pilot to reach and patrol the target area, often in very adverse weather, while his excellent commentaries when patrolling heavily defended enemy airfields have assisted his pilot in taking successful evasive action. In September, 1943, Flight Lieutenant Gibbons was responsible for navigating a section of aircraft through adverse weather and over difficult terrain to a target in the Munich area. At Bad Aibling he participated in the destruction of two enemy aircraft on the ground and damaged two others. As squadron navigation leader this officer has done much to maintain a high standard of navigation. // Training: At No.2 AOS he flew in Ansons (31.20 day as first navigator, 36.10 day as second navigator, 2.30 night as first navigator and 8.20 at night as second navigator). He was first in a class of 29 and was described as “Best in class. Seems to have natural ability”. Courses were DR Plotting (141/150), DR Written (180/200), Compasses and Instruments (123/150), Signals (100/100), Maps and Charts (96/100), Meteorology (79/100), Photography (75/100), and Reconnaissance (90/100). // At No.8 BGS he was in Fairey Battles (18.05 day bombing, 7.45 night bombing, 12.05 day gunnery). Average bombing error was 170 yards; average error on best exercise was 92 yards; dropped 62 bombs (high level) and 17 bombs (low level). “Average ability as Bomb Aimer.” He was deemed “weak in gunnery”, scored 0.5 in beam test, 2.81 % in Beam Relative Speed Test, 2.66 % in Under Tail Test. He fired a total of 1,755 rounds air-to-air. Placed first in a class of 27 and described as “Sets an excellent example as class leader both in appearance and applying self to work. Conscientious, above average ability. Definite leadership qualities.” // At No.1 Signal School, 26 December 1942 to 31 March 1943. Tested in Morse and Visual Signals (required 18 words per minute in Morse and Syko Speed, actually achieved 22 words per minute; needed and achieved eight words per minute in Aldis Lamp). He spent five hours in Dominie aircraft (2.30 on W/T sets in air) and 9.15 hours in Proctor aircraft (all on W/T sets in the air). Ground School courses and results were as follows: Technical (Theory), 105/150; Signals Organisation, 104/150; Out-Station Procedure, 114/150; Set Manipulation, 186/250; D/F Loop Manipulation, 92/150; Daily Inspections and Fault Finding, 105/150. Air Results were listed as follows: Air Operating, 252/300; Frequency Changing, 288/300; D/F Loop Manipulation, 148/200; D/F Procedure. 85/100; Log Keeping, 86/100. // At No.1 ANS he flew Ansons (8.15 day as first navigator, 7.45 day as second navigator, 3.35 night as first navigator, 9.45 night at second navigator). Ground training stressed Astro Navigation Plotting (114/150) and Astro Navigation Written (100/100). Placed 3rd in a class of 24. // Note: Applying for operational wings, 2 February 1944, he reported 32 sorties (105 hours 15 minutes), 17 June 1943 to 1 February 1944. // On completion of instructing at No.60 OTU, he noted he had flown 190 hours in Ansons, 50 hours in Blenheims, 215 non-operational hours in Mosquitos, and in requesting postings he listed No.418 Squadron first, Pathfinders second and Bomber Command generally, third. // Assessments: On 9 September 1942, S/L George W. Jacobs (No.1 AOS) wrote, “This man’s application for transfer to work other than instructing was recommended and forwarded in August. He is a capable navigator but unqualified instructor. Reported this unit 17 July 1942. Has never taken any interest or responsibility voluntarily in the jobs at hand. He is unsuited for this work and will never be any good as instructor but would make a practical navigator.” He was further described as “a decided misfit and will never be any good as instructor.” // Assessed as competent but without comment, 30 September 1943 (No.418 Squadron). As of 25 February 1944, W/C D.C.S. MacDonald reported he had flown 480 hours (150 in past six months) and wrote, “An extremely clean living young man with an A.1 physique. Mentally above average with good common sense. An A.1 type of officer, keen, intelligent and excellent physical example to his associates.” // On 27 October 1944, following his loss, S/L D.B. Annan wrote, “A navigator of wide experience and exceptional ability, who has had a very fine operational record on two tours of operations.” // Particulars of Death: Mosquito PZ198 was airborne from St. Dizier airfield, 1500 hours for a Day Ranger to southern Germany. Subsequently reported by the enemy to have been shot down at 4.30 p.m. (1630 hours) at Brunnthal. Germany. // RCAF Press Release No.6812 dated 30 September 1944 from F/O Ron Gadsby, transcribed by Huguette Mondor Oates, reads: // WITH THE CITY OF EDMONTON SQUADRON: -- In a blazing attack on a German airfield in the Stuttgart area, Flight Lieutenant F.A. Johnson, pilot, of Belleville, Ontario, of the City of Edmonton Night Intruder Squadron, downed the 100th aircraft to be destroyed in the air by the hard-hitting squadron during 1944. His navigator was Flight Lieutenant N.J. Gibbon DFC of Vancouver (2355 Marine Drive). // Streaking across Europe at tree-top height, in weather that allowed but the poorest visibility, their Mosquito aircraft arrived over the Stuttgart area to take the Germans completely by surprise. So low did they fly that the German detector instruments were unable to plot them and they arrived at their target without interference. // “The navigation was bang-on,” said F/L Johnson as he paid tribute to F/L Gibbons. “We arrived over the target area at the time we figured and stooged around looking for Jerry but business didn’t seem to be good. The cloud was almost on the deck and we stooged around for 35 minutes before we spotted a kite and they obviously didn’t suspect we were in the district because this fellow came in with his navigation lights on. He flew around with us tailing him for five minutes as he broke into the circuit. Finally when we were about 100 yards behind him, I let blast with everything I had. Both his motors caught fire and he exploded before he hit the deck. It was a three second burst but that was enough. // “When he exploded,” said F/L Gibbons, “the whole sky was lighted like day. Johnny pulled up in a hurry and we passed through the top of the debris as he disintegrated. There wasn’t a piece of his aircraft big enough to hurt us though.” // Following their initial success, the fighting duo stayed over the target area for another 35 minutes before starting for home but they could find nothing else to shoot at. They both agreed that the aircraft destroyed was a Junkers 88 and, as it exploded, they saw eight or nine similar craft on the ground but none would come up to challenge them. // F/L Gibbon is one of the veterans of the City of Edmonton squadron. He has completed one tour of operations and this most recent sortie was the 13th on his second tour. He claims no superstitions about the number “thirteen”. F/L Johnson’s home is in Belleville, Ontario and, before coming to England, was an instructor at the Service Flying Training School at Uplands. His wife resides in Belleville, Ontario.