RCAF 403 Fighter Squadron
Pilots
Pilot Officer John Edwin (Ed) Gardiner, Lemberg, Saskatchewan and Pilot Officer Norman Monchier, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Both Killed in Action, August 19, 1942.
Both Pilots were killed during Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid and buried together in the ST. AUBIN-LE-CAUF CHURCHYARD, Seine-Maritime, France, near where they died. They are the only Canadians buried in the little cemetery 5 miles south of Dieppe.
The Army takes centre stage when reading the history of the Dieppe Raid. They deployed 4,963 Canadians and of this 913 were killed and 1,946 became prisoners of war, including many who were wounded. The few survivors, including the wounded, made it back to England.
But the RAF and the RCAF where there too. The Dieppe Raid Aircrews were a mixture of Nationals fighting the NAZIs.
Air Marshal Leigh Mallory of the Royal Air Force commanded 11 Group and he saw to it that almost 1000 aircraft were involved in the Raid. Nine RCAF squadrons (400, 401, 402, 403, 411, 412, 414, 416 and 418) were present. (At the time of the event it is believed 403 Squadron was part of 12 Group)
Major William March has written extensively on this topic and is relied upon as a main reference.
Three pilots from 403 Squadron were lost at Dieppe. This is the story of Two.
Death of P/O Gardiner and P/O Monchier
As Major William March writes, “Pilot Officers John Edwin (Ed) Gardiner (23, of Ottawa, Ontario) and Norman Monchier (19, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), pilots with 403 Squadron, were killed when their Spitfires collided during combat ...” over the French village of St. Aubin-le-Caug, about 5 miles southeast of Dieppe.
When allowed to do so by the occupying German Army, the villagers gathered the bodies of the men and buried then in their churchyard.
The Gardiner Dam on the South Saskatchewan River near Outlook is named after Ed’s father, the Honourable James (Jimmy) Garfield Gardiner. Jimmy Gardiner had been Premier of Saskatchewan from 1926 to 1929 and 1934-35. He resigned as Premier and was appointed Federal Liberal Minister of Agriculture, a post he held for 22 years.
Honourable James (Jimmy) Garfield Gardiner advocated for a dam on South Saskatchewan River to address problem of drought in Saskatchewan. The Gardiner Dam was completed in 1967. It generates power and is a source water for irrigation.
Pilot Officers John Edwin (Ed) Gardiner and Norman Monchier are included together because they were long-time friends, were in Class #24 at SFTS Yorkton and received their Wings at the same Wings Parade, October 4, 1941. (Reference: SVWM - Sorenson)
The following information is based on the news article, “Dieppe profile of courage: John Edwin Gardiner” by Major (retired) William March and with references to the CVWM and the SVWM.
P/O John Edwin (Ed) Gardiner
John Edwin Gardiner, son of James and Christie Violet Gardiner was born in Lemberg, Saskatchewan on July 8, 1919. His father was a Saskatchewan MLA and Premier. Edwin attended school in Lemberg and Regina. His initial exposure to flying was in Regina. When the family moved to Ottawa, he attended Glebe Collegiate, later enrolling in engineering at University of Toronto. He left school and joined the RCAF November 19, 1940.
Pilot Training
He trained at No. 2 EFTS, Fort William, and No. 11 Service Flying Training School, Course #24 Yorkton, Saskatchewan between July 27, 1941 and October 7, 1941. He received his Wings at the Wings Parade held on October 4, 1941. (The same Course as Norman Monchier)
He was posted to England and left Canada November 2, 1941 and arrival there on November 14, 1941. He was Posted to #3 Personnel Reception Center (Bournemouth).
From there is was on to No. 8 SFTS, Montrose Scotland and 57 Operational Training Unit at RAF Hawarden, Wales. Upon graduation he was posted to #403 Squadron RCAF in April 1942. His firts Operational Sortie was May 8, 1942 flying escort for bombers.
The Squadron operated up and down the east coast, over the North Sea and into occupied Europe attacking shipping, targets of opportunity and training.
Dieppe Raid
Although they didn’t know it, 403 was Posted to RAF Station Manston, Kent on August 16, 1942 in preparation for the Dieppe Raid.
The Following Quote is from Major (retired) William March
“At 0645 hours on August 19, 12 aircraft from 403 Squadron took to the air for the first of four missions that day. Arriving over the beaches half an hour later they immediately engaged German fighters. Combat was brief, intense and deadly. Although squadron fliers claimed two enemy aircraft destroyed, they discovered that three pilots were missing when they returned to their airfield at 0820 hours. One of them was John Gardiner.
“During the fight Pilot Officer Norman Monchier (from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), John’s wingman, had had his Spitfire, damaged making it hard to control. John kept pace with his friend, attempting to provide what cover he could when they were engaged by a German fighter. In the midst of dealing with this threat the two Spitfires collided and crashed to earth.
“November 1942, the International Red Cross, quoting German sources, confirmed that Pilot Officer Gardiner had been killed on August 19.”
Neither Edwin nor Norman completed the first Sortie for 403 out of RAF Station Manston, Kent.
Mrs. Violet Gardiner Dies
The death of her son was overwhelming. Violet fell into a deep state of depression. She committed suicide in October 1944. Her body was returned to the family plot in Lemberg, northeast of Indian Head, Saskatchewan for burial.
Pilot Officer Norman Monchier, J/15619
Norm was just 19 at the time of his death on August 19, 1942. He was born on November 18, 1922 in Burnley, Lancaster, England and moved to Nova Scotia, Canada with his parents, Arthur and Margaret (nee Whittaker) Monchier, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, at age 8. Norman was an only child.
He enlisted in the RCAF on December 21, 1940 at Halifax, Nova Scotia. A placement in Initial Training in Course No. 23 came open and he attended between April 10 through May 16, 1941.
He was a little guy, five foot seven with blond hair and blue eyes. He attended Dartmouth High School and then Nova Scotia Technical College where he took Motor Mechanics.
He completed Initial Training, went to the Pilot Training Program and was Posted to No. 28 EFTS at Virden, Manitoba to learn to fly. He was then posted to SFTS at Yorkton where he was in the same Class as P/O Gardiner. He received his Wings October 4, 1941.
After further training in England and Scotland, on March 10, 1942, he was Posted from 52 OTU to 403 Squadron, RCAF.
He and his friend J. Edwin Gardiner are buried in the St. Aubin-Le-Cauf Churchyard Cemetery at Seine-Maritime, France.
Keep the Memories Alive. Please send any documents to the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial or the Canadian Virtual War Memorial so they can be posted on line.
