WETTLAUFER, John William

NAME                    WETTLAUFER          John William
RANK                    Pilot Officer                93696                                                                                                                                        RAF Coastal Command - Group 19                                                                            SQUADRON         RCAF No 404 Buffalo Squadron
                              “ready to fight”
                              RAF Dallachy Airfield in Caithness - Moray -Scotland
                              Squadron Markings EE                                                                                                          Born                      October 19, 1921 - Waterloo - Township of Waterloo - County of Huron                                    Residence             Galt  - Ontario                                                                                                                        Died                       March 6, 1945          23 years   4 month                                                                            Memorial               Runnymede Memorial - Englefield Green - Egham - Surrey - England.
                              Panel 281
Mother                   Mrs. Emma Wettlaufer - Bluevale / Burgessville                                                              Brothers                 Mr. Carl Wettlauffer - Maplewood - Ontario                                                                                                                Mr. Lloyd Wettlauffer - Burgessville                                                                                    Sisters                   Mrs. Matie Winters - Burgessville - Ontario

John was born on October 19, 1921 and spent five years there before the family moved to Wheatley for ten years and then moving to Bluevale. He received his education at Wheatley Public School from 1928-33 and his high school education at Wingham Collegiate. While growing up he enjoyed swimming and hocket and his hobbies were hunting, fishing. The family would have attended Wheatley United Church and Bluevale United Church. His father died following John's enlistment into the RCAF. He worked in the family store as a clerk from 1939-40. For some reason he had moved to Galt and had a residence there as he was a student at the Galt Aircraft School from May-August in the Radio Class where he learned to type 18 words a minute.

Canada

John on August 28, 1940 enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force in Galt - Ontario with the rank of Aircraftsman 2 and Wireless Operator "S".  At the time he stood 5' 9" and weighed 135 pounds. His complexion was fair with blue eyes and fair hair. He was assigned on August 28 to No. 2 Manning Depot in Brandon - Manitoba for a shade over two weeks an on September 16 he was posted to No. 2 Wireless School in Calgary - Alberta where he achieved the rank of Leading Aircraftman and on November 25 he qualified as a Wireless Operator "B". On November 26 he was posted to the RCAF Wastern Air Command in Halifax - Nova Scotia.

Overseas

Wireless Operator Wettlauffer then embarked from Canada for duty overseas on November 29 and then disembarked in the United Kingdom on December 9. Upon disembarkation he was assigned to RAF Personnel Dispatch Centre based at RAF Wilmslow - Cheshire. On December 12 he was posted to RAF No. 64 Squadron based at RAF Hornchurch - Essex and the squadron flew Supermarine Spitfire Mk I aircraft.                              His next posting was on  March 10, 1941 and he was posted to RAF Southend in Essex to continue his training with No. 64 Squadron. His next move took place on  August 23 still with No. 64 Squadron his training continued at RAF Hornchurch in Essex. Still with No. 64 his next move on Oct 3 sent him to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to the Flying Training School there. On the last day of 1941 on December 31 he was posted to RCAF No. 420 Squadron based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and they flew the Hadley Page Hampden Mk I.                Near the end of January 1942 on January 26 to RCAF 403 based at RAF North Weald in Essex which flew the Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb. On May 23 he was assigned to Air Crew Reception Centre based at  Abbey Lodge at Regents Park  -  London to RAF No. 4 Initial Training Wing based at RAF Paignton - Devon. It was then back to RAF Cranwell on August 4 to RAF No. 1 Signals School. His next move was on September 28  to Air Crew Dispatch Centre based at RAF Heaton Park - Manchester.

Canada

It was back to Canada and he disembarked in Canada on November 15 and immediately went to No. 31 Personnel Depot in Moncton - New Brunswick. Three days later on November 18 he was posted to RAF No. 31 Air Navigation School at Port Albert - Ontario. While here he had an average of 70% and placed 16 in a class of 17. While posted here he achieved the rank of Sergeant.                                                                                          Sergeant Wettlauffer then travelled to the east coast on April 3, 1943 and reported to No. 1 "Y" Depot in Halifax.  He was here for until May 7 and at that time he was posted to No. 31 Personnel Depot where he remained for approximately three weeks before reporting to the Moncton Holding Establishment boarded a train for Halifax.

Overseas

He then embarked from Canada and Halifax for a second time. Sergeant Wettlauffer disembarked in the United Kingdom on June 4 and then travelled to Bournemouth - Dorset and reported to RAF No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. He was here for approximately 7 weeks before being posted to RAF No. 5 Air Observer School on July 27. He was posted here close to two months before being assigned to RAF No. 6 Advanced Flying Unit on August 23. While posted here he achieved the ranks of Flight Sergeant and Warrant Officer 2. He was here into 1944.                                                                                                                                                                        On May 21, 1944 Warrant Officer 2 Wettlauffer was posted to RAF No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance based at RAF Squires Gate in Lancashire. He was posted here close to three months before being posted on August 15 to RAF No. 132 Operational Training Unit based at RAF East Fortune - East Lothian - Scotland.          Here they flew Bristol Beaufighters and Bristol Blenheims along with the De Haviland Mosquito. While he was posted here he obtained the rank of Warrant Officer 1.

In the Field

As the year 1944 was coming to an end he was posted to RCAF No. 404 Squadron of Coastal Command and they were based at RAF Dallachy - Caithness - Scotland. The squadron was part of the Banff Wing of Coastal Command and they were flying the Bristol Beaufighter Mk X. He received the rank of Pilot Officer a month before he would lose his life.                                                                                                                                            Pilot Officer Wettlaufer was the Navigator/Observer on Beaufighter RD 242 on the morning of March 6, 1945.
This was a fighter affiliation exercise. The aircraft was at 5,200 feet when the aircraft suddenly rolled onto
its back and dove into the sea at about a 30 degree angle. The crash took place about 5 miles off of Dallach
in Scotland at 10:53 am in the Sea of Hebrides. Search aircraft and a nearby destroyer found aircraft wreckage but did not find any remains. At the time the pilot was performing an evasive action manoeuvre and was trying to pull the aircraft out of its dive and before the aircraft could recover it struck the sea. It is possible the pilot had blacked out.

During the month of October 1946 Mrs. Emma Wettlauffer received the Memorial Cross. In February 1947 his mother Emma received the medals awarded to John which included the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp. She also received the Operational Wings of John during the month as well.

John is not named on the Wingham Cenotaph but his name should be there He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of the Bluevale United Church and as well is named on the Wingham High School Memorial Plaque. He is honoured and remembered in Ottawa at the Centre Block where the Books of Remembrance are located and he is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.