Born in New Westminster, 1925. Was in Army and Air Cadets before enlisting, Vancouver, 21 January 1943. Trained at No.3 BGS (graduated 12 November 1943). Killed in action with No.166 Squadron, 26/27 August 1944 (Lancaster LM694); buried in Denmark.
166 Squadron (Tenacity). Lancaster aircraft LM 694 lost during a night mine-laying operation in Danzig Bay, Poland. Flying Officer J.B. Russell, FS J. Schafer, FL. F.J. Dee (RAF), Sergeant W.A. Holt (RAF), Flying Officer G.W. Palmer (RAF), and Pilot Officer J. White (RAF) were also killed. These three Canadian and four British airmen are buried together in the same collective grave.
Addendum: - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.166 Squadron (missing) - Award effective 3 October 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 2637/44 dated 8 December 1944. The citation reads - "This airman has participated in many sorties as a rear gunner. He has displayed the greatest keenness and has proved himself to be a most dependable member of aircraft crew. One night in August 1944, Sergeant Fitzgerald participated in a mine-laying mission. Shortly after leaving the target area, this gunner sighted a Junkers 88. He opened fire and his first burst struck the enemy aircraft which went into a steep dive with both engines on fire. One more than one occasion his vigilance and good shooting have contributed materially to the safe return of his aircraft." Detail provided by H. Halliday, Orleans, Ontario.
Cenotaph at Calvary Cemetery, Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin, USASec A1 Row 4
Fitzgerald, John Ernest (Flight Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1944-August-27
Birth Date: 1925-January-27
Born:
Parents: Son of John Ernest and Effie Viola Fitzgerald, of New Westminster, British Columbia.
Spouse:
Home: New Westminster, British Columbia
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
166 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity
Base
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Position
Air Gunner
Service Numbers
R/215210
Target
Gardening (Danzig)
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Lancaster LM694
Unit Desciption
166 (B) Sqn Tenacity (Huddersfield's Own)
No 166 Squadron RAF was originally formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk on June 13, 1918, designed as a heavy bomber unit, to fly the Handley Page V/1500 aircraft. The squadron was never fully mobilized because the Armistice intervened. The squadron was re-formed in November 1936 as a heavy bomber unit, flying Handley Page Heyfords, later equipping with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire from November 1936 to January 1937, when it moved to Leconfield, Yorkshire. The squadron became part of an air observer's school on June 7, 1938, and then became a 1 Group pool squadron in May 1939. From September 1939 it was based at Abingdon, Berkshire until April 1940. In that month the squadron merged with no. 97 Squadron to form No. 10 OTU.
In January 1943 the squadron was re-formed at Kirmington, Yorkshire (53.578,-0.344, now Humberside Airport), from flights of Nos. 150 and 170 squadrons, when parts of these squadrons were posted to the Middle East. It was again bomber squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons in No. 1 Group of Bomber Command. It remained at Kirmington until the end of WWII, later re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. In the period 27/28 January 1943 and 25 April 1945, it dropped 27,287 tons of bombs and laid 333 tons of mines. The squadron won "at least" 2 DSOs, 2 CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the course of WWII. The squadron was disbanded on November 18, 1945.