SPEIR, John Garfield

NAME                SPEIR      John Garfield
RANK                Flying Officer          5136                                                                                                                                              RAF Group 5 - Bomber Command
SQUADRON     No. 207 Squadron Royal Air Force.
                          “always prepared”
                          RAF Bottesford in Leicestershire.
                          Squadron Markings EM O                                                                                                          Born                  May 24, 1922 - Brussels - Townships of Grey / Morris - County of Huron - Ontario                    Died                   August 11, 1942     21 years  2 months
Memorial           Runnymede Memorial.
                          Englefield Green – Egham - Surrey - England.
                          Panel 99.
Wife                   Mrs. Jean Speir - London, England / Mrs. Jean Anjo in Toronto
Parents              Mr. John and Amy Speir - Brussels                                                                                        Brother               Leading Aircraftsman Kenneth Speir - RCAF No. 8 Service Flying Training School -                                                                                                              Moncton - New Brunswick                                        Sisters               Miss Margaret and Miss Laura Speir - Brussels                                                                                                          Miss Helen Speir - Toronto                                                                                                                                
John was born on May 24, 1922 in Brussels and growing up he took his schooling at SS #4 Morris and then
completed his high schooling. As he was growing up he liked swimming, softball and volleyball. As a child he had pneumonia, chicken pox and the mumps. He also had his tonsils and appendix removed. His hobby was building model airplanes. The family would have attended Melville Presbyterian Church. Prior to his enlistment he was still a student in school and also was employed by his father on the family homestead.

Canada
                                                                                                                                                                                    He enlisted into the RCAF on September 27, 1940 in Toronto where he received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At enlistment he stood 5' 11" and weighed 130 pounds. His complexion was medium with blue eyes and brown hair. His first posting was to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto and he remained here until Thanksgiving and on October 11 he was assigned to No. 1 Wireless School in Montreal. Then on November 15 he was posted to No. 1 Initial Training School in Toronto. Here he earned the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. Just prior to Christmas he was posted to Elementary Flying Training School in London and would train on the Fleet Finch.                                On February 10, 1941 he was posted to No. 2 Service Flying Training School in Uplands - Ottawa and while he was here earned the rank of Flying Officer. Then on the last day of April he was posted to Debert - Nova Scotia to "M" Depot.

Overseas 

Flying Officer Speir embarked from Canada embarked from Canada on May 30 and once he arrived in the United Kingdom His first posting overseas was to RAF No. 25 Operational Training Unit based at                    RAF Finningley - South Yorkshire. After training here on Wellington bombers he was next posted to RAF No. 207 Squadron based AT Raf Bottesford - Leicestershire on September 6, 1941. During one of Flying Officer Speirs missions his aircraft had to abort its mission as they were flying over the Baltic Sea. One engine failed and then a second engine failed as they were headed back to base. When they crossed the Danish coast they were so low the two propellers on the running engines were damaged from the water. They were very fortunate to reach base safely.                                                                                                                                                                      The mission for August 10/11, 1942 involved the laying of mines in Kiel Bay and in the Kattegat Channel. Lancaster Mk I R 5499  EM  O of "B" Flight with Flying Officer at the controls lifted off from the runway at Bottesford at 11:57 pm. They were never heard from or seen again. It was reported from other pilots that the weather in the Kiel area and over the Kattegat Straits was extremely poor. This aircraft had 176 hours of air time prior to this mission.                                                                                                                                                  The findings were "lost at sea" as they would have been flying very low at the time. 

In June 1946 the Memorial Cross was sent to his wife Jean in London - England but was returned and to his mother Amy in Brussels. Then in February 1950 the Memorial Cross was sent to Jean who had remarried and living in Canada. Jean received the medals awarded to John which included the 1939-45 Star, the Air Crew Europe Star, the War Medal plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

John is honoured and remembered on the Brussels - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of Melville Presbyterian Church. He is honoured and remembered on the RAF 207 Squadron Roll of Honour. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of RCAF Group 6 - Bomber Command Museum and he is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.