Military Monday: Henry Eric Maudsley

I’ve been researching RAF personnel training in Canada during the Second World War.

RAF recruit, Henry Eric Maudslay was to train at Tern Hill, Shropshire until the school was transferred to Canada in 1940. What can available records reveal?

He left Liverpool with a group of 1,048 RAF officers and men on 1 November 1940 on the S S Duchess of Richmond travelling to Montreal. Of those 42 officers and 521 men left on a 17-car train on 10 November for Moose Jaw and 32 Service Flight Training School.

Some of the stats for the voyage from Liverpool mentioned above are on Microfilm C-5704 from image 3289 to image 3385 at Canadiana.ca Héritage documents  Much of the microfilming is of poor quality.

Graduating in February 1941 Maudslay flew 29 operations and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross before becoming Squadron Leader.

In the 617 Squadron’s Dum Busters raid (video) on the Mohne and Eder Dams on 17 May 1943 his whole crew, including two RCAF members, Flg Off R A Urquhart DFC (Navigator), and WO A P Cottam, were fatalities when his Lancaster bomber was shot down.

Over four years the school at Moose Jaw graduated 1,207 pilots for the Air Forces of Canada, New Zealand and Britain. LAC has original Operational Record Books for No. 32 Service Flying Training School, Moose Jaw, from January 1941, but not microfilmed. The University of Saskatchewan has a photo collection “Moose Jaw Air Training Base 1941 Photographs” which I’m hoping might provide an illustration for an article.

 

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