Forgotten RCAF 404 Squadron Airmen – Roger Savard and Jeffrey Middleton

RCAF photo

Roger Savard (Front row centre) had Rog as a nickname with the 404. He was there on Black Friday. A lot of airmen died in that operation.

Source Internet

Rog survived the mission and was taken prisoner.

Bristol Beaufighter, NV292 EE-O
Pilot: Flying Officer J.R. Savard, RCAF, survived but was captured, P.O.W.
Navigator: Pilot Officer J. Middleton, RAF, 187929, Norwood Green, Yorkshire, U.K.

Flight Lieutenant Joseph Roger Savard landed on the ice with his aircraft on fire, probably after being hit by the Flak. The Beaufighter survived the crash, but rolled over on its back and trapped the crew. Norwegian civilians rushed to the plane, but had to retreat when German soldiers shot at them. Savard and Middleton were seen being pulled out of their plane by German Flak crews, but Pilot Officer Jeffrey Middleton was so badly wounded that he did not survive. Savard spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

To be continued…

RCAF photo

Footnote (source https://wartimes.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?t=588)

Re: R.C.A.F. No. 404 Squadron

Post by georgetanksherman » Fri Sep 14, 2018 3:31 pm

No. 404 Squadron, “Black Friday”, February 9, 1945
On 9 February 1945 the largest air-battle in WW 2 Norway was fought over this fiord. Nearly fifty British and Commonwealth anti-shipping aircraft from RAF Dallachy were engaged by twelve Fw-190’s from the Luftwaffe base at Herdla. In the ensuing battle nine Beaufighters and one Mustang were downed. The Germany convoy carrying iron ore was largely untouched. Six of the lost Beau’s were from RCAF 404 Squadron. Mentioned below.

Bristol Beaufighter, NV292 EE-O
Pilot: F/O J.R. Savard, RCAF, survived but captured, P.O.W.
Navigator: P/O. J Middleton, RAF, 187929, Norwood Green, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

F/O JR Savard made a wheels-up landing on the ice with his aircraft on fire, likely after being hit by flak. The Beaufighter survived the crash but turned upside down and trapped the crew. Norwegian civilians ran out to the aircraft but had to retreat when they were fired at by German soldiers. Savard and Middleton were seen to be pulled from their aircraft by flak crews, but Middleton was so severely wounded that he did not survive. Savard spent the rest of the war as a POW.

Bristol Beaufighter, NV422 EE-C
Pilot: F/O H.C. Lynch, J/35785, RCAF, Mallory town, Ontario, Canada
Navigator: F.O. Knight, J/36373, RCAF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Aircraft damaged, the pilot tried to land on an elevation, but the terrain makes this an impossibility. The plane breaks in half during the ensuing crash and the cockpit section slides down the hillside for more than 500 meters. Sadly, the crew did not survive in the crash.

Bristol Beaufighter, NT890 EE-F
Pilot: C. Smerneos, J/29021, RCAF,
Navigator: F.O N.D. Cochrane, J/23704, RCAF, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Aircraft cause of loss has not been established

Bristol Beaufighter, NT922 EE-V
Pilot: P/O W.J Jackson, J/92936, RCAF, Winnipeg, Ontario, Canada
Navigator: W.E. Blunderfield, J/92165, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

P/O Blunderfield and P/O Jackson was the first of the Beaufighters to be shot down. A German narrative reports that a Fw-190 attacked from above and the Beau lost its tail, exploding on impact with the ocean. A Canadian body was later found in the water, but the identity is not known.

Bristol Beaufighter, NE761 EE-W
Pilot: F/O P.R. Myrick, J/35788, RCAF, Tilsonburg, Ontario, Canada
Navigator: P/O C.G. Berges, J/95209, RCAF, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Aircraft cause of loss has not been established

Bristol Beaufighter, RD136 EE-Q1
Pilot: F/O H. Smook, J/36168, RCAF, St. Malo, Manitoba, Canada
Navigator: W/O A.M. Duckworth, J/97139, RCAF, Angus, Ontario, Canada

Aircraft cause of loss has not been established