RCAF

McCALLUM, Albert Robert

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
London - Ontario
Regimental Number
7070
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Date of Death
Age at Death
23 years 10 months
Biographical Summary

NAME                    McCALLUM          Albert Robert
RANK                    Flight Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                          RAF Coastal Command - Group 19 (General Reconnaissance)                                        SQUADRON         RAF No. 119 Squadron
                              “by night and day”                                                                                                                                                        Lough Erne - Lisnarrick - County Fermanaugh - Northern Ireland                                            Born                       January 29, 1919 - Parry Sound - Townships of Seguin / McDougall - County of Parry Sound Residence             Dublin - Ontario                                                                                                                            Died                      December 15, 1942          23 years   10 months
MEMORIAL          Runnymede Memorial - Englefield Green - Egham - Surrey - England                                                                       Panel 99
Parents                 Mr. Gordon and Jean McCallum of Sarnia / Palmerston - Ontario                                                Sister                    Miss Margaret McCallum - Sarnia

Albert was born in Parry Sound on January 29, 1919. He was educated at public School in Sarnia 1926-32 and he attended high school in Parry Sound 1932-37. He would have attended St. Patrick Presbyterian Church
• While he grew up he liked to play hockey, softball, badminton, tennis and bowling. Growing up he had diphtheria, measles, mumps and whooping cough. He was an Assistant Scoutmaster in 1939-40 while he lived in Seaforth. He was in the Militia with the Middlesex and Huron Regiment in 1940. He was a bank teller with the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Parry Sound, Seaforth and in Dublin prior to enlistment.

Canada

On November 15, 1940 he traveled to London and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force. He received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At this time he stook 5' 8" and weighed 145 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He was assigned to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto where he remained for approximately three weeks. His first posting on December 10 was to No. 1 Auxiliary Manning Depot in Picton - Ontario where he remained into the new year.                                                                                                                                    Very early in 1941 on January 2 he was then posted to No 2 Service Flying Training School based at Upland - Ontario. On March 24 he is posted to Victoriaville - Quebec to No. 3 Initial Training School where he achieved an 89% average. He placed 23 in a class of 370 men. He achieved the rank of Leading Aircraftsman while here. Then on May 4 he is posted to No. 1 Elementary Training Flying School where he had an average of 75% and placed 6 in a class of 26. His next move was to Brantford - Ontario on June 22 to No. 5 Service Flying Training School where his average was 77%. He is given the rank of Sergeant  and Pilot Officer while here. He then volunteers for on September 5 for the RAF Training Pool. On September 6 he is posted to No. 31 General Reconnaissance School in Charlottetown - Prince Edward Island. His average was 78%. On November 23 his next move is to Debert - Nova Scotia to No. 31 Operational Training School.                                                            Pilot Officer McCallum embarks from Dorval - Quebec on March 29, 1942 He is posted to the RAF Training Pool on April 1 and arrives at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre - Bournemouth - Dorset where he remains for a period of time. His file indicates he left Bournemouth on August 10 arriving at RAF No. 119 Squadron on August 18. Shortly after joining his Squadron he received the rank of Flying Officer and then just two weeks prior to him losing his life he received the rank of Flight Lieutenant.                                                                                          The Sunderland aircraft DV 971 of which Flight Lieutenant McCallum was a crew member did not return
from an anti-submarine patrol over the Atlantic Ocean. There was an S.O.S. sent by the aircraft which was
received by land based radio receivers and the position given was southwest of the Scilly Islands. Just prior to the mission new exhaust rings were fitted to both the port engines and then for one hour the aircraft was test flown. At that time no problems were noted.                                                                                                            On December 15, 1942 at 8:39 am Sunderland aircraft DV971 Mk III Flight Lieutenant McCallum who was the Pilot lifted his short Sunderland off of the waters of Lough Erne and their mission was to patrol the waters of the Bay of Biscay looking for enemy submarines. The aircraft had been in the air for 3:35 hours when an SOS was sent from the aircraft at 12:15 hours and at the time the sea conditions were rough. The location of the aircraft at that time was 47:50 N / 08:40 W. This fix put them approximately 190 miles southwest of Brest and approximately 210 miles ssw of the Scilly Islands. A second aircraft from the Squadron had noticed a Sunderland circling at 12:07 pm and this must have been Sunderland DV 971.  An extensive search failed to turn up any wreckage of the aircraft, crewmembers or dinghies. The 1st pilot on this mission was Flight Lieutenant McCallum who had 231 flying hours on the Sunderlands and 716 flying hours in total.                                                                              This aircraft had a crew of 10 and two decks and was fitted with 6 bunks, a galley, a stove, a flush toilet, a small machine shop for repairs in flight. It carried 2,025 Imperial gallons of fuel but with extra tanks fitted could increase this to 2,550 Imperial gallons. The armament was a 37 mm gun and a powered turret in the rear with 303 gun and a set of 303 guns on each side and in addition there were two nose guns with one on each side of the nose operated by the Pilot. It could carry up to 2,000 pounds of either bombs, mines or depth charges and all this was stored inside the aircraft. This aircraft could possibly have been equipped with the ASV MkIII radar.                        No. 119 Squadron was the only unit to fly the Short Sunderland.   The other aircraft on this mission did not report any enemy contact or action and it is though that the both port engines may have failed as new exhaust rings had just been installed.
                                                                                                                                                                                  During the month of November 1944 Mrs. Jean McCallum received the Memorial Cross. In July of 1946 his parents received their sons Operational Wings. They also received the medals awarded to Albert which included the 1939-45 Star, the Atlantic Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Albert would be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Parry Sound High School and on the Memorial Plaque of his church. He is honoured and remembered on the Seaforth Cemetery. As well he is honoured and remebered in the Books of Remembrance found in the Centre block of our Canadian Parliament and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is also honoured and remembered on the Canadian Bank of Commerce WW2 Roll of Honour and on the Runneymede Memorial in England.