PL - James Paul Erly KIA

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Erly, James Paul DFC (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1941-August-22

Canada

Birth Date: 1920 (age 21)

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Decorations: DFC

Distinguished Service Cross

Service
RCAF

Unit
106 Sqn- Squadron

Rank

Pilot Officer

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Observer

Service Numbers
J/3264

Born in Toronto, 1916, home there. Private, Canadian Grenadier Guards before joining RCAF, 1934. Trained at No.1 ITS, No.1 AOS, No. 1 BGS; graduated from No.1 ANSI 23 December 1940. Arrived at No.16 OTU, 16 February 1941; posted from No.16 OTU to No.106 Squadron, 3 May 1941; first appears in unit ORB, 4 May 1941. Killed in action, 22 August 1941 (Hampden AE220); buried in Germany. 106 Squadron (Pro Libertate). Hampden aircraft AE 220 failed to return from a trip to Mannheim, Germany. P/O. A.F. McGruer (RNZAF) Sgt.'s A.L. Rawlinson RAF) and M. Goddard (RAF) were also killed.- ERLY, P/O James Paul (J3264) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.106 Squadron - Award effective 2 September 1941 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 1292/41 dated 7 November 1941. Cited among 51 decorated (five DSOs, 26 DFCs, 20 DFMs) with the following joint citation: In July 1941, large scale attacks were made on German warships at Brest and La Pallice (including the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prince Eugene ). A smaller attack was made on Cherbourg. The operations were carried out in daylight and extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire and fighter opposition were encountered by all aircraft when approaching the targets, which at Brest were protected by a balloon barrage. The aircrews engaged succeeded, nevertheless, in securing direct hits on their objectives and in inflicting very severe damage in the target area. During the combats with enemy fighters, 21 hostile aircraft were destroyed and others were severely damaged. The precise timing of the attack by the various formations of aircraft and their correct approach and accurate bombing of the objective in the face of such powerful opposition demanded great skill and high courage. The great success of these operations was largely due to the bravery, determination and resource displayed by the following officers and airmen, who participated in various capacities as leaders and members of the aircraft crews. Detail provided by H. Halliday, Orleans, Ontario.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Home

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Toronto, Ontario

Burial
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Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Coll grave 2 B 5-8

Handley Page Hampden

(RCAF Photo via Chris Charland)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Handley Page Hampden (Serial No. P5428), of No. 32 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Patricia Bay, British Columbia, in the torpedo-bomber training role between May 1942 and February 1944.

Handley Page developed a modern stressed-skin mid-wing monoplane, powered by Bristol Pegasus radial air cooled engines, with its first flight in 1936. It had the most advanced wings available at the time, giving it a remarkably low landing speed of 73 mph for an aircraft of its size, with a top speed of 265 mph. The Hampden had a short, narrow but tall main fuselage with a very slender tail unit. This configuration led to the nicknames "Flying Panhandle" and "Flying Suitcase". At the end of the war, no complete or partial Hampden aircraft were retained for museum display.

The Hampden served in the early stages of the war, bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and in the first 1000-bomber raid on Cologne. In Canada, Hampdens were built by six companies that formed Associated Aircraft. There were three in Ontario and three in Quebec, hence they were identified as the Ontario Group and Quebec Group. They supplied all the the components to the two assembly plants. The Ontario Group's assembly plant was at the Malton Airport, while the Quebec group's assembly plant was at the St. Hubert Airport. Canadian Museum of Flight and Harold A Skaarup web page

YouTube Handley Page Hampden in Flight

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Hampden Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrek Publications Hampden - Kestrel Publications

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF On Strength (96), Canadian Aircraft Losses (242)

last update: 2022-01-13 21:37:22

Hampden I AE220

With 106 Sqn. Shot down by flak near Plankstadt

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