Vinet, Joseph Parker (Flight Lieutenant)

Prisoner of War 1944-07-23

Male Head

Birth Date: 1940-June-20

Born:

Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

190 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Ex Tenebris Through darkness

Base

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Position

Flight Lieutenant

Service Numbers

J/14646
PoW: 7360

Home
Google MapWinnipeg, Manitoba

Operation 'Rupert', 1944-07-22&23, took off from RAF Fairford in Gloucester, in a Special Operations Executive mission to drop specialist troops along with weapons and supplies to assist the French Resistance to back up the Allied Landings at Normandy. Along with the seven man crew, nine specialists were carried.

Because of atrocious weather conditions over France only five of the ten aircraft involved completed the drop. The other five were lost to the effects of weather, including this aircraft. The crew became lost and dropped below the cloud to try and identify their position. The aircraft ran into a hill 2km west of the village of Craffigny-Chemin 4km south-east of Bougmont and caught fire at 02:20 hours.

The crew:Pilot Flying Officer Leonard Alfred Arthur Kilgour 42412 RNZAF age 24 KilledSergeant Albert William Swindell 1102656 RAFVR age 24 KilledFlying Officer Joseph Parker Vinet J14646 RCAF age 24 POW Stalag Luft IVFlight Sergeant Henry Lester Guy 571772 RAF age 20 KilledFlying Officer Blake Gordon Foy J13833 RCAF age 21 KilledFlight Sergeant Andrew Paul Bell R189575 RCAF age 20 Evaded capture. Bell was killed 1945-03-20 serving with 620Sqn RAF.Pilot Officer Frank Copeland 161569 RAFVR age 29 KIA

The SpecialistsCapt. Felix John Stewart Symes 172271 2nd SAS Regt. ACC (Hampshire Regiment) age 27 KIALt. Ian Maxwell Grant 180710 2nd SAS Regt. ACC age 24 KIASergeant Douglas Hays McKay 319314 2nd SAS Regt. AAC age 26 KilledPte. Leonard William Curtis 6035725 2nd SAS Regt. ACC age 22 KilledPte. James William Beattie Reilly 2758399 2nd SAS Regt, ACC age 25 KilledPte. James Simpson 6977054 2nd SAS Regt. ACC age 30 KilledPte. Rex Boreham 2nd SAS Regt. ACC age 29 POW held captive, working in a salt mine as a POW.Sig. Wilfred Leach 2580790 Royal Corps of Signals Attd. GHQ Liaison Regt. RAC age 21 KilledSig. Lachlan Taylor 2385791 Royal Corps of Signals. Attd. GHQ Liaison Regt. RAG age 21 Killed

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Short Stirling

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page (L. Faux Photos)
In June 1944, this Short S.29 Stirling B Mk. IV (Serial No. LK589), coded V3, RAF, was flown across the Atlantic as part of a navigation training exercise and did a tour of bases in Eastern Canada. It is shown here at Malton, Ontario. It was flown back to the UK after a two-week visit.

The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The Stirling was designed during the late 1930s by Short Brothers to conform with the requirements laid out in Air Ministry Specification B.12/36. Prior to this, the RAF had been primarily interested in developing increasingly capable twin-engined bombers but had been persuaded to investigate a prospective four-engined bomber as a result of promising foreign developments in the field. Out of the submissions made to the specification Supermarine proposed the Type 317, which was viewed as the favourite, whereas Short's submission, named the S.29, was selected as an alternative. When the preferred Type 317 had to be abandoned, the S.29, which later received the name Stirling, proceeded to production.In early 1941 the Stirling entered squadron service. During its use as a bomber pilots praised the type for its ability to out-turn enemy night fighters and its favourable handling characteristics whereas the altitude ceiling was often a subject of criticism. The Stirling had a relatively brief operational career as a bomber before being relegated to second line duties from late 1943. This was due to the increasing availability of the more capable Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster, which took over the strategic bombing of Germany. Decisions by the Air Ministry on certain performance requirements (most significantly to restrict the wingspan of the aircraft to 100 feet) had played a role in limiting the Stirling's performance; the 100ft limit also affected earlier models of the Halifax (MkI & MkII) though the Lancaster never adhered to it.

During its later service, the Stirling was used for mining German ports; new and converted aircraft also flew as glider tugs and supply aircraft during the Allied invasion of Europe during 1944"“1945. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the type was rapidly withdrawn from RAF service, having been replaced in the transport role by the Avro York, a derivative of the Lancaster that had previously displaced it from the bomber role. A handful of ex-military Stirlings were rebuilt for the civil market.Wikipedia

Wikipedia Wikipedia Short Stirling

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page