While researching the Pilot Officer John Edwin (Ed) Gardiner story, KIA August 19, 1942, I encountered the stories of Roman ‘Roy’ Wozniak of Saskatoon and Bob ZoBell of Raymond, Alberta.
This wonderful DND photo from Collections Canada shows Pilot: “Roman (Roy) Wozniak (right) and fitter Sergeant Delong sitting on the wing of a 403 Squadron RCAF Spitfire. The letter ‘K’ is visible. The Squadron Code was KH. The small swastika indicates the downing of a NAZI aircraft.
The little pup is Lucy, the Squadron Mascot.
These photos were taken for publicity (propaganda) purposes.
Credit: Squadron Dogs of the Second World War/In Praise of the Squadron Dog/ Vintage Wings of Canada and Collections Canada
Credit: RCAF’s Roy Wozniak Above Dieppe – VALOUR CANADA
Roman Wozniak was a Saskatoon boy. He joined the RCAF, was trained as a Fighter Pilot and eventually Posted to 403 Squadron.
In 2012, Wozniak was part of the group of veterans who returned to Dieppe for the 70th anniversary of the Raid. He was interviewed by the “North Shore News”, West Vancouver and the Globe and Mail. Information was gleaned from these sources. (Links are below)
Wozniak knew Pilot Officer Ed Gardiner. They were room-mates for almost a year before Ed was killed on his first sortie over Dieppe.
According to interviews with Roy their main assignment was to protect the Navy at Dieppe. Although part of their role was to work with the Army they never attacked the German guns at Dieppe.
Wozniak’s Spitfire was damaged by ground fire on his second Sortie and he credited the armour plating at the back of his seat as saving his life.
He continued flying with 403 – met a charming girl in Peterhead, Scotland and they were married in 1943. After the War, he returned to U of S and completed a degree in Pharmacy. He worked in Saskatchewan form many years before moving to West Vancouver where he lived out his life. Roy died May 22, 2017 at age 98.
Credit: A wing and a prayer: Photo Gallery - North Shore News (nsnews.com)
Reference: Dieppe remembered, 70 years later: ‘We reached the beach, all hell broke loose’ - The Globe and Mail
The three 403 Squadron, RCAF pilots killed on August 19, 1943 were:
P/O L.A. Walker, RCAF, J/15477, Hamilton, Ontario, Spitfire, EN850, shot down by German aircraft.
P/O J.E. Gardner, RCAF, J/8140, Ottawa, Ontario, Pilot of Spitfire, AR439, August 19, 1942 (Mid-air Collison between Spitfire, AR439 and Spitfire AR334)
Pilot Officer Norman Monchier, J/15619 Pilot of Spitfire #AR334 in 403 Squadron, aged 19. Son of Arthur and Margaret Monchier, of Dart mouth, Nova Scotia
Spitfire Engine
There is a Merlin Engine on display at the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum – well worth the visit.
Bob ZoBell, 401 Squadron, RCAF, August 19, 1942
401 Squadron was one of many RCAF squadrons at Dieppe. This stunning DND photo gives you an idea of challenges faced. The distance from their base to Dieppe meant they could only stay over Dieppe for about 15 minutes.
This is Flight Sergeant Robert Mehew (Bob) “Zip” ZoBell, from Raymond, Alberta. Zippy had several challenging moments flying this damage Spitfire back to base in Kent while wounded in the eye.
These quotes are from: Skies Above Dieppe, by Major Bill March, August 20, 2018 (SEE: In the skies above: Dieppe, August 19, 1942 - Skies Mag )
401 Squadron, RCAF “… would join two other squadrons escorting another attack by twenty-four American B-17s bombing Abbeville airfield.”
Zip, “In his Spitfire Mk IX BS 120 (code; YO-S), he engaged a Dornier 17 into which he fired all of his ammunition in return the bomber's gunner replied punching bullets through his rudder, both wings, shattering the Perspex canopy and smashing the gunsight. Despite wounds to his head and a splinter of glass in his eye …”.
Bob ZoBell
Robert Mehew ZoBell, who preferred to go by the name ‘Bob’, was born March 31 1920 in Eastern Europe and died, January 12, 1985 in Raymond. He was just 64 at the time of his death and is buried in the Temple Hill Cemetery in Raymond, Alberta.
On a better day – Bob ZoBell in his 401 Aircraft (Is this a Spitfire or a P-40 Kittyhawk? Or maybe an early version of the Spitfire.)
