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HE KEPT GOING BACK
Born in Winnipeg April 30, 1921 to a Nurse and an Architect. 4 Brothers, 1 Sister.
Son of one of Canada’s most important Architect’s who emigrated from Monaghan, Ireland, Britain at age 18. Chief Architect of Canadian National Railway - a Crown Corporation, Chief Architect & 2nd employee of Trans-Canada Airlines. Designed many Canadian Landmark hotels, & train stations. Earned Officer of the Order of the British Empire for important Civilian work during WW II with Ottawa, C.D. Howe, the Chief Air Marshall of the RAF, The Air Minister of Britain, et. al. designing Airports, hangars & defense communication stations, Controller of Construction throughout Canada during the war, etc. One of Canada’s dollar-a-year-men during WWII. Serious, noted, father of my father.)
F. D. Schofield moved to Montreal when he was two. Sent to Boarding Schools in the 1930’s, age 13 - 18: St John’s College School in Winnipeg where he excelled at Hockey and was an officer in the Cadets Corps. He transferred to Stanstead “College” boarding School in Quebec to complete high school, where he excelled in sports (not academics, although he was bright) and was quarterback and captain of the undefeated football team.
Graduated Stanstead “College,” Stanstead Québec, Spring 1939
Applied to the RCAF in Ottawa, September, 1939 because academics was not his desire. He was told to “apply at the local recruiting office.” [Canada Personnel Records] His father was working in Ottawa with the Canadian Department of Transportation from 1938 to 1942.
Instead, enrolled in 1st year Pre-Engineering (“Science”) at McGill University in Montréal.
Did not start a 2nd year at McGill and Applied to the RCAF again on June 19, 1940.
Enlisted as aircrew & Attestation Oath on Oct 16, 1940, Montréal, Québec. [Canada Personnel Records]
Aliases: Frederick David; F. David; Dave; Red (he had red hair, freckles, & blue eyes.)
Trained via Empire Air Training Scheme in Quebec & Ontario.
First solo flight: Dec. 18, 1940.
Wings earned at Ottawa, March 22, 1941 in a Harvard.
Graduated and posted to England in April 1941 as a Sergeant Pilot. [Newspaper]
“Overseas 50 months.Completed two tours with Bomber Command. Shot down and was an evader for 2.5 months. Commissioned Overseas, and spent 6 months instructing between tours on Fighter Command.” [Canada Personnel Records]
First Log entry after arriving in England is June 1, 1941 “#20 Course. #55 O.T.U., Usworth County, Dunham, England” (Operational Training Unit)
July 7, 1941 “training wing assessment of ability’ by Officer Commanding _________ [hard to read] = “average”
first posting 123 132 Squadron [History of 485 Squadron - can I get this?]
Jul 15, 1941 Posted to #132 Squadron [Canada Personnel Records]
Jul 22, 1941 First log entry with 132 Squadron in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. His Notes: “Local Reconnaissance. 1st solo in a Spitfire. Nifty machine, bags of power. Best yet!!” ... He flew about 7 others while training.
August 15, 1941 Spitfire. Convoy Patrol. “1st big op. Wahoo!!”
August 18, 1941 last entry with #132 Squadron “Aerobatics” (practice).
August 19, 1941 Posted to #485 Squadron [Canada Personnel Records]
First entry with #485 Squadron August 21, 1941 Spitfire. “Local.”
August 22, 1941 Spitfire Mark 5b. “Local. 1st trip in 5b. Much impressed!” and then later in the day “Weaving Practice”.
August 24, 1941 Spitfire “Fighter Sweep to St. Omer, France” “2 109’s shot at me, but missed - (they say.)”
October 27, 1941 Spitfire. Hastings and Channel Patrol: “Chased 2 ME 109’s into France.”
November 23, 1941 Last entry with #485 Squadron
December 1, 1941 = first entry with #602 Squadron, @ Kenely, Surrey C.O. = S/Ldr. Deere, DFC.
Dec 2, 1941 “Summary of Flying and Assessments for year commencing August 1941” by Officer Commanding Edward P Wells, DFC S/L #485 NZ = “Above the average. A good squadron pilot”
12 March 1942. The Crewkerne incident [602 Squadron record - no problem with that].
The next entry after bailing out over Crewkerne was March 23, 1942: “Spitfire. Dogfighting.”
March 28, 1942 Spitfire. “Sweep - Calais. 1 FW190 Damaged. Many FW109’s About. Lost G.C. Beamish & Sgt. Prachax.”
April 24, 1942 = Last entry with #602 Squadron
May 9, 1942 posted to #601 Squadron [Canada Personnel Records]
May 9, 1942 Spitfire Mark Vc “Ferrying” US Aircracft Carrier Wasp to Malta. Operation Bowery. On 9 May 1942, 64 Spitfires were flown off USS Wasp and HMS Eagle (61 arrived in Malta). One aircraft and its pilot was lost on takeoff. This is an incident my father recanted.
It appears he had one sortie with #126 Squadron in Malta on May 12, 1942 and then started with #601 Squadron in Luqa, Malta on May 14, 1942
There were more dogfights over the Mediterranean, No. Africa, & Mid-East than any other part of the war, for Schofield.
August 22, 1942 Western Desert. Spitfire Vc. “Sweep - engine cut - shot up by 109. Squirted at 109 & Percy saw it spinning down.” A 109 made 4 attacks on me. Crash landed at Burg el Arab. Slight Shrapnel in leg.” In his last 5 years or so (1999 - 2003), he had a weakening heart & bad circulation in this leg - according to his doctors in his old age, the never removed shrapnel in this leg was the cause of the poor circulation and was the source of great pain.
“Admitted to hospital. 8/22/42 Aircraft hit by cannon shell. Multiple penetrating splinter / puncture wounds of left arm, leg, and chest. 8/28/42 Discharged and fit to fly.” [Canada Personnel Records]
Very next sortie = Sept 2, 1942: Spitfire 5c. Sweep - down in flames - baled out.” On the facing page: “4 109’s destroyed -(me)!!!” As you read it, it looks for a second like HE got four! He had humor and character in some of his Logbook entries even though pilots were supposed to write in a straightforward, stoic manner so the enemy would get no helpful information if they found a logbook. He was shot down by four Messerschmitts after being shot down the sortie before. This time he was badly burned down both sides, especially the left, “2nd degree burns of arms, legs, and face” [Canada Personnel Records] months in hospital, skin grafts, etc. as his clothes had caught fire. Permanent scars on leg, slight on arm. Face scars disappeared. “Discharged Dec. 13, 1942 still with demarcation of flying helmet, and recommend 7 more days sick leave.” [Canada Personnel Records] “Sustained burns of face and lips, both thighs and knees, and both forearms. Treatment continued to leg whilst in Convelescent Depot at site of skin graft.” [Canada Personnel Records]
First log entry back, still with #601 Squadron, Jan 10, 1943: Spitfire Vb. “Familiarization trip. First trip for over four months. Quite interesting.”
Jan 14, 1943: Spitfire Vb. ”Agedabia - Marble Arch. First trip in Clipped Wing Spit. Pretty fine!”
Feb 1943 = Promoted to Warrant Officer from Flight Sergeant
April 7, 1943: Spitfire. “Scramble. 109’s and 88’s galore. Percy [Sewell] got 1, 109 destroyed & 1, 109 probable.” Schofield: “1/2 DO. 217 (OR215) destroyed. F/Lt. Nicholls: 1/2”
April? 1943 in Tunisia with ?????Squadron ( possibly 19 Squadron) he finished off a damaged Dornier over the road from Gabes to Mahares (his flight leader had done the damage but broken off to hunt down a fighter). In a Canadian Press cable dated 20 April 1943 he was quoted as saying : ‘"I went for the Dornier as it dived away and got in a burst at short range. At 4,000 feet it burst into flames and went into the sea."’ [Canadian Press cable quoted in http://www.acesofww2.com/Canada/aces/askey.htm]
Still #601 Squadron April 29, 1943 Tunisia. Spitfire Vc. Escort cover to Kittyhawks. Armed Reconnaissance. “7 109’s jumped Commanding Officer. He got one. I crashed a SAAF kite on landing.” (So. African Airforce).
May 30, 1943 last flight & entry with #601 Squadron over Tunisia & Libya.
50 weeks passed before he was assigned to another Squadron ... from Log book Summary he was in different Operational Training Units and Group Support Units throughout England, instructing and getting his officer Commission.
Commissioned through the ranks on Oct 29, 1943 = Pilot Officer.
Posted to #19 Squadron May 15, 1944 [Canada Personnel Records]
May 15, 1944 = first entry with #19 Squadron, Southend-Funtington-Ford, in a Mustang III “Dogfighting & Cine-Gun”
P/O FD Schofield Reported Missing: June 20, 1944: Mustang III. “Armed Reconnaissance: Dive Bomber. Railway NE Rambouillet. » « Failed to return Shot down by FW 190. » dive Bombing Marsahlling yards over Rambouillet, France, 25 miles southwest of Paris.
« FDS was flying White 2 when the Squadron engaged about 16 FW 190’s over Dreux, France at 12,000 feet. In a general melee and dog-fight everyone got separated and about five minutes after the commencement of the fight a Mustang III was seen going straight down with flames pouring out of both wing roots. The aircraft was not watched for long and the pilot was not seen to bale out.” Sgd: W. M. C. Gilmour S/Ldr #19 Squadron June 22, 1944 [Canada Personnel Records] Mustang # FB233 “Only slightly injured.”
Safe; August 26, 1944 He got back to England after 9.5 weeks and asked to return to #19 Squadron, immediately, but it appears they made him take “Evaders Leave” and was repatriated to Canada. He hid in a Corn/Oat field & buried his clothes to avoid the Germans who swarmed to find him after parachuting ... Motocycles and all. August 30, 1944: Letter to return to #19 Squadron without Evaders Leave, signed as a Flying Officer - First reference to this rank I have found so far.
Schofield June 20, 1944 - Aug 26, 1944 How he made his way back to England in 9.5 weeks:
Forêt d'Ivry
Mousseaux-Neuville, France
Angerville-la-Campagne, France
Évreux, France
Gauville-la-Campagne, France
Sacquenville, France
Brosville, France
Bayeux, France
There is a Map here:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
209415761244489620789.0004aa1e474fec585afc6
He worked on farms for room & board and/or to stay hidden.
Posted with 19 Squadron to Northern France post D-Day.Now flying a Mustang. 20 June 1944 Schofield took off on a mission to bomb the railway marshalling yards at Rambouillet: - “We encountered 12 F.W. 190s over the N.W. corner of Foret d’Ivry (R3352). I was attacked from astern. The aircraft caught fire, and I baled out, landing in the wood.
I hid my parachute and [illegible] under bushes then started walking in a westerly direction. I spent the night in a field of oats on the outskirts of Neuville (R2954). The next morning (21 June) I contacted a farmer working in the field. He brought me to his farmhouse and gave me civilian clothes. He then told me to continue west, avoiding St. Andre (R 2755) and to keep south of Conches, (R 0365). By nightfall I reached the outskirts of Angerville la Campagne (R 1965) where I contacted a farm labourer. He took me to a barn where I spent the next two nights. On 23 June he brought me into a café in Angerville, where I was introduced to a member of the resistance movement. …”
Moved to Sacquenville and hidden for almost two months. On 21 August, a day before American troops entered the town, he was taken to Brosville, from where he was collected by the RAF. [National Archives records, no problem there!] Where are these?
Posted back to #19 Squardon Sept 23,1944
First entry back: October 5, 1944 : Mustang III. « Bomber Escort. »
March 30, 1945: Mustang III. “Escort Mossies (rocket firing 15). and clobbered three ships at Skien, Norway.” [British de Havilland Mosquitos]
May 4, 1945: Mustang IV. “Mossie (48) escort to Great Belt.’ “I was nicely clobbered by light flak (16 holes).” “Last operational sortie in European theatre.” [the Great Belt = Storebælt is a strait between the main Danish islands]
June 20, 1945: Mustang IV. “Robbie piled into a hill.”
Still #19 Squadron, June 21, 1945: Mustang IV. “Practice Interceptions.” Last Logbook Entry.
Total Ops Hours = 337.25
Total Flying Hours = 853.10
September 21, 1945: Retired as a Flying Officer “Completion of Voluntary Service in an Emergency.”
Squadrons:
#132
#485
#602
(#126 - 2 days)
#601
#19
Aircraft
*Fleet Finch II trainer biplane
North American Yale trainer
*North American Harvard II trainer
Miles Master trainer
Miles Magister trainer
Hawker Hurricane I Fighter
Supermarine Spitfire I Fighter
de Haviland Tiger Moth trainer biplane
*Supermarine Spitfire Vb Fighter
*Supermarine Spitfire Vc Fighter
*North American Harvard IIa trainer
Supermarine Spitfire IXa Fighter
Supermarine Spitfire IXb Fighter
*North American P-51 Mustang III Fighter
*North American P-51 Mustang IV Fighter
* most flown
He left the RCAF at the end of the war and returned to his home in Montreal. He returned to Dawson college, for Mining Engineering, part-time, from 1945 until 1949, and again played on the football team.
Originally, Dawson College existed at the Royal Canadian Air Force Base, St. Jean (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Quebec, in the Eastern Townships (later the location of Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean). It was a satellite campus set up on September 26, 1945 by McGill University to handle the overflow registration of students after the Second World War and the returning veterans. Those students in the first 3 years of the Faculty of Engineering were taught there, thus relieving the McGill campus for the later 2 years for the degree course. That version of Dawson College was closed in May 1950.
His friends who did not enter the war all had careers and families. He had to start from square one.
He married in June 1950. He continued school at night and earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sir George Williams College of Montréal May 30, 1952.
In the June of 1961, at age 40, his employed transferred him from Montréal to an upstate New York subsidiary and he worked as an accountant, comptroller, and treasurer for several upstate employers (~375 km south of Montréal) in the private sector.
He finished his career with the State of NY as an income tax auditor where he was honored with the rare Commissioner’s Award for outstanding service. He died in Albany, NY May 4, 2003 at 82, from mainly from heart problems. He has a son, 54, a daughter 57, and a widow, 89.
I may have good hunting at the archives. What archives?
You have the same rules as us about accessing personal files - you have to be next of kin - so I can't ask for the Canadian records of his service. I asked - they gave me some papers, not a lot ... what about RAF records, they must have more than Ottawa?
The other question is: do you have a photograph of him taken in wartime that we would be able to use for the book? Yes, several.
I’m still trying to get his final tally: 2.5 kills? a few damaged? a couple probable’s? I know he got quite a few ground targets and ships ... It would also be great to see the squadron records of Aug, 22, 1942 (#601 Squadron); Sept 2, 1942 (#601 Squadron); and June 20, 1944 (#19 Squadron).
From his wife of 53 years in 2009:
... Many WWII vets did not talk about the intense abhorrence they suffered during combat. They needed to forget and they tried, but those years of terror could never be erased from their minds.
On one tour Dad was very badly burned, and then on another he was badly shot up, the shrapnel in his legs was never completely removed – a constant reminder. Later in life the circulatory problem worsened and finally contributed to his very painful death.
Those weeks he spent in occupied France with the S.S. troops all over the area trying to find him … how truly remarkable it was that he survived? Those memories would build up in his mind at times, wounding his very soul.
He would grasp at alcohol in fits and starts to quell his anxiety. He was certainly not having a party but he had no idea how much pain he was inflicting on the three of us.
Many of the vets felt resentment upon their return home as they tried to return to a normal life. They could see the men that stayed home had a 5 year head start. They had good jobs and they had their degrees. A difficult time for the vets to return home with wounds to their bodies and souls - alcohol was used as a sedative. It became an agonizing remedy and many became addicted. ...
... He never drank again after he had his 2nd open heart surgery (1989). He was again incredibly brave. He made himself able to walk. He was able to take care of himself, drive his car, play cards, play golf, walk 5 miles a day, etc. He did all that he could to make things easy for me, for himself and his family … it was amazing.
In this way, Dad showed us how much he loved us and appreciated us. When he was with you, those were his happiest times. The good times; we had them together.
