McMEHEN Robert John

NAME                 McMEHEN      Robert John                                                                                                             
RANK                  Flying Officer / Navigator     14499                                                                                                                              RCAF Group 6 - RAF Bomber Command                                                                                SQUADRON       RCAF No. 433 Squadron  “Porcupine”
                            “who opposes it get hurt”
                            Skipton on Swale Airfield in North Yorkshire
                            Squadron Markings BM                                                                                                    Residence           Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      Birth                    June 7, 1916 - London - County of Middlesex - Ontario                                                                  Died:                   January 21, 1944      27 years   7 months
Cemetery            Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery - Berlin - Charlottenberg - Germany
                            9 A 4                                                                                                                                        Parents               Mr. Robert and Sarah McMehen of London / Goderich / London                                          Brothers              Gordon lived in Toronto                                                                                                                                                James was living in Ottawa.                                                                                                    Sisters                 Mrs. M. Craigie - Barrie - Ontario                                                                                                                                            
Robert was born in Lucan - County of Middlesex on June 7, 1916 and when a young boy the McMehen family moved to Goderich and Robert took most of his Primary education in London and Grade VIII at Victoria Public School and Goderich Collegiate Institute and while in high school he was part of the Army cadets.  He then attended Queen's University and took the Canadian Bankers Association Education courses. He very much enjoyed golf he also enjoyed swimming, reading and bowling. While growing up he had measles, mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough. Robert attended Knox Presbyterian Church in Goderich. After his schooling and before he enlisted he was employed with the Canadian Bank of Commerce as an Assistant Auditor from 1934-41.

Canada

Robert enlisted in Toronto on January 5, 1942 into the Royal Canadian Air Force with the rank of Air Craftsman 2nd class. When he enlisted he was 5' 7" tall and weighed 164 pounds. He had a dark complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He was immediately posted to No. 1 Manning Depot where he stayed until February 14th at which time he was attached to No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School in Jarvis - Ontario. He would learn the techniques of bomb aiming and aerial machine gunnery. His next posting was to take him to No. 6 Initial Training School in Toronto. He would study navigation, theory of flight, meteorology, algebra and trigonometry.  Testing would a 4 hour long medical examination, a session in a decompression chamber and a test in a Links trainer. While here he obtained the rank of Leading Air Craftsman. On June 7th he was on his way to No. 1 Air Observer School in Toronto. There was one month at Bombing and Gunnery  School and one month at Air Observer School. Observers were called Navigators and their basic tool were aeronautical chart, magnetic compass, watch, trip log, pencil, Douglas protractor and the Dalton Navigational Computer. On September 25th he received his Air Observer Badge and became a Tactical Sergeant and Pilot Officer. With his training in Canada complete he was posted to No.1 "y" Depot in Halifax.

Overseas

On October 22nd he transferred to the Royal Air Force trainee pool. Pilot Officer McMehen departed from Halifax on approximately October 23/24 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on November 9, 1942. Upon his arrival he went to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. On March 25, 1943 he was given the rank of Flying Officer. He was Taken on Strength with No. 9 Observer Advanced Flying Unit on April 19th. One month later he was Taken on Strength with No. 23 Operational Training Unit at RAF Pershore where he would fly Wellington bombers on night time training.  At the beginning of June he was sent to a satellite airfield at RAF Stratford to continue with his training. His next posting would involve training on 4 engine bombers and on August 21st he arrived at No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RCAF Topcliffe - North Yorkshire.

In the Field

On September 15th he was Taken on Strength with RCAF 419 Squadron based at Middleton St George in North Yorkshire. Two months later he was back at RCAF Topcliffe with No. 1659 HCU where he stayed until being Taken on Strength with RCAF No. 433 Squadron                                                                                                      The target for this mission on January 21/22, 1944 was Magdeburg in Germany because it had oil facilities and a large railway marshaling yard. There were 10 aircraft from 433 Squadron detailed for this mission. This was Flying Officer McMehen's second mission. His first mission lasted 7 hours.
The mission began at 20:15 hours and at that time the weather was good with excellent visibility. The aircraft was due back at its base at 02:46 am on January 22nd. Then when over Germany they ran into cloud and a cold front with continuous rain. The German night fighters were on the move, but the weather restricted their numbers. Halifax Mk III HX 283 did reach the target safely and did complete its bomb run. It was carrying 1-2000 pound bomb; 24-30 pound bombs; 810-4 pound bombs and 90-4 pound bombs.
There were 9 bombers lost over the target. Halifax Mk III HX 283 R with F/O McMehen and his crew were one of the aircraft lost over the target.
After Halifax HX 283 “R” was struck by enemy fire, it circled over Wanzleben and was burning at the time.
The pilot tried to land his aircraft in a field north-west of the town. The aircraft crashed and exploded at 23:00
hours. This aircraft crashed at the town of Wanzleben which was 8 miles south-west of the target.     The crew of Halifax HX 283 R were removed from the aircraft by the German Military and buried with full military honours in the military section of the local cemetery..
As the bomber stream crossed the North Sea many enemy night fighters were in the stream as well and
about 75% of the losses on this mission were due to the operations of the German night fighters.
This mission began with 769 aircraft and the total was 495 Lancasters, 264 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitoes.
Approximately 75 aircraft had to abort. The bomber stream was over the target for 20 minutes. Total losses were 35 aircraft with a loss of 172 men.
                                                                                                                                                                            Robert's mother Sarah in December of 1945 received the Memorial Cross. In May of 1947 the McMehen family received the medals awarded to Robert which included the 1939-45 Star, the Air Crew Europe Star, the War Medal and Defence Medal plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.                                                               
Robert is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of Knox Presbyterian Church. He his honoured and remembered in the Canadian Bank of Commerce Commemorative Book of World War II. He is honoured and remembered on the Goderich Collegiate Memorial Plaque. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Roll of Queen's University. He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of RCAF Group 6 - Bomber Command.