Gull Lake-born airman Camille Robespierre Bonseigneur was one of 103 Canadians who flew in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 and defended the country from German attacks.
Bonseigneur, 22, flew with the Royal Air Force’s 257 “Death or Glory” Squadron, which was heavily — although not exclusively — Canadian. The unit was led by RAF Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, famous for losing both legs in a 1931 flying accident and still served during the Second World War.
The German Luftwaffe launched its opening salvo on July 10, 1940, and, for the next three-and-a-half months, engaged with Allied pilots from across the world who flew two of the best fighters Great Britain had — the Hurricane and the Spitfire.
According to information from the Sept. 6, 1940, Regina Leader-Post, Bonseigneur’s early education was at Forget and later at Prince Albert and Regina, where he attended Holy Rosary Elementary School, Central Collegiate and Balfour Technical School.
“Following this, he went east and for two years was a member of the Canadian Corps of Signals at Kingston,” the article said. “In July 1939, he went to England and enlisted in the Royal Air Force, where he became a pilot officer and went into active fighting service this year.”
Bonseigneur — born to Camille Sr., himself a First World War veteran, and Irene on May 27, 1918 — was fighting on Sept. 3, 1940, when a German plane shot down his Hurricane at 10:45 a.m. near Ingatestone, Essex, England. He baled out but died after landing.
The military buried him in Saffron Walden Cemetery in Essex.
The Saskatchewan airman was one of 23 Canadians killed during the Battle of Britain, which concluded on Oct. 31, 1940, after which the Germans turned their attention to bombing English cities.
Other Saskatchewanians who died during the battle or later in the war were:
- Pilot Officer William Arthur Cuddie from Regina survived the battle but was killed in Egypt on Oct. 3, 1943
- Pilot Officer E.G. Ford from Regina survived the battle but was killed on Dec. 10, 1942
- Flight Lt. Hugh Norman Tamblyn from Watrous survived the battle but was later killed on April 3, 1941, after crashing into the sea
Moose Jaw’s 15 Wing Air Base commemorated the contributions of Bonseigneur — also spelled Bon Seigneur in some documents — and those Canadians who served and died 83 years ago during a ceremony on Sept. 17. The base also conducted a flyover with two military jets.
Lt.-Col. Matthew Fullerton, acting wing commander, explained that it’s important to remember the Battle of Britain because it was a defining point in the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Moreover, many brave Canadians put aside their fears and took to the skies to fight the adversary.
“For many Canadian aircrew, the Battle of Britain was baptism by fire as many only had limited flying hours under their belt,” he said.
“But, although Canada’s air force was relatively small, aircrew were quick to come to the assistance of the RAF by serving in squadrons of Hurricanes and Spitfires. Twenty-three of them paid the ultimate price.”
Everyone should regularly reflect on veterans’ contributions, which made the world a better place, Fullerton continued. Veterans built and left behind a “great heritage” for Canadians, including peace, freedom and democracy.
“They inspired and strengthened us by their courage, and we will be eternally grateful for all (they) have done for us,” he remarked.
The world is more unstable than before because, for the first time since the Second World War, a European country is fighting for its values and freedoms, Fullerton said. Therefore, Canadians should draw on the legacy of those who died eight decades ago and prepare to “take up the torch of these forebears to face tyranny and evil — as they do dutifully did — when it arises.”
“Because in the end, the prosperity and freedom we enjoy today was paid by the sacrifice of those who answered the call,” he added.
