Cunningham, John Maynell (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-July-18

Pilot Officer John Maynell Cunningham RAF

Birth Date: 1924

Born:

Parents: John Mager Cinningham & Elsie Cunningham

Spouse:

Home: Derby, England (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAF

Unit

429 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Fortunae Nihil Nothing to chance

Base

RAF Leeming

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Flight Engineer

Service Numbers

182544

Target
Google MapCaen France

Took off from Leeming at 03:31 in Halifax Mk III (Sqn code AL-F Bomber Command) on an operation to Caen France to attack a strong point ahead of the Allied advance.

Aircraft hit by bombs dropped by hali above it, removing the starboard tail plane and rudder, seriously affecting the controllability of the aircraft. It crashed in the target area.

Killed includes Cunningham: Flying Officer Ronald Gordon Ellis RCAF J/28202 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France, Plot VI. Row E. Grave 16. Pilot Officer William Leaman Gillespie RCAF J/90090 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Plot VI. Row E. Grave 12.

POWs: Flying Officer Joseph Jean Chrysostome Philippe Brunet RCAF J/23357 POW Stalag Luft 1 Barth, Western Pomerania, POW # 5167. F/Lt George William Gardiner RCAF J/9557 Stalag Luft 1 Barth, Western Pomerania, POW # 5068. Warrant Officer Class 1 Frederick Alexander McNiffe RCAF R/93099 Stalag Luft 7, Bankau, Silesia; POW # 468.

Evader: Sergeant E W McGregor RCAF R/197908 Evader.

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.III LW127

Bombing Caen France 1944-July-18 to 1944-July-18

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Leeming

Took off from Leeming at 03:31 in Halifax Mk III (Sqn code: AL-F Bomber Command) in support of Operation Goodwood.

Aircraft lost half its tailplane to bombs dropped from a Hali above. It later crashed in the target area.

Killed: Pilot Officer John Meynell Cunningham RAF KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VII. E. 16. Flying Officer Ronald Gordon Ellis RCAF J/28202 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VI. E. 16. Pilot Officer William Leaman Gillespie RCAF J/90090 KIA Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian Cemetery Grave VI. E. 12.

POWs including McNiffe: Flying Officer Joseph Jean Chrysostome Philippe Brunet RCAF J/23357 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang. F/Lt George William Gardiner RCAF J/9557 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang. Evader: Sergeant E W McGregor RCAF R/197908 Evader.

In Enemy Hands - Canadian Prisoners of War 1939-45

Unit Desciption

429 (B) Sqn Fortunae Nihil ("Bison")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington III, X, Halifax II, V, III, Lancaster I, III)

No 429 Squadron was the 10th bomber unit and 27th squadron formed by the RCAF overseas in WWII. It was formed in November 1942 at East Moor, Yorkshire, UK as part of No 4 Group of RAF Bomber Command. On April 1, 1943 it became part of No 6 (RCAF) Group at No 62 (RCAF) Base, still remaining at East Moor until August 1943, when it moved to Leeming, Yorkshire as part of no 63 (RCAF) Base: it remained at Leeming until its disbandment in May 1946. It undertook strategic and tactical bombing operations. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, it remained in England and transferred to No 1 Group, where it was engaged in transporting troops from Italy (Operation DODGE).

The squadron, with squadron code AL, flew Vickers Wellington Mks III and X until August 1943, when it re-equipped with Handley-Page Halifax Mk II, which it flew between August 1943 and January 1944, and Mk V between November 1943 and March 1944. These were superseded by Halifax Mk III aircraft in March 1944. In March 1945, the squadron re-equipped with Lancaster Mk I and III. In summary of its activities, it flew 3221 sorties, including airlifting 1055 PoWs back to England, for the loss of 71 aircraft. 9356 tons of bombs were dropped. The squadron was awarded45 DFCs and 2 Bars to DFC, 1 AFC, 1 CGM and 7 DFMs. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943-45, Baltic 1943-45, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1943-44, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943-44. Wikipedia,Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 429 Squadron 1942-46

MAP 1: 429 Squadron Bases 1942-46 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

429 Squadron History Summary 1942-46

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Buffalo, Hercules, Globemaster)

The squadron was reactivated at St. Hubert, Quebec on 21 August 1967 as a Tactical Transport Unit. It flew de Havilland CC-15 Buffalo aircraft for the Canadian Forces Mobile Command and was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces on 1 February 1968. In August 1981 it was renamed 429 Transport Squadron and moved to CFB Winnipeg . The final move was in 1990 to 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario . The squadron was disbanded in 2005.

Two years later in August 2007, 429 Squadron was again re-activated, this time operating the CC-177 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft. It used these new aircraft in support of Canada's operations in Afghanistan.