Last Post - P/O Donald Dean Dogherty, Navigator, 433 Squadron

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Last Post Donald Douglas Dogherty

Source: http://www.legionmagazine.com

Pilot - Rous, C.C.

Navigator - Dogherty, D.D.

Air Bomber – Bailey, J.H. Click here to read Air Bomber Bailey's Last Post

Wireless Operator – Fysh, G.R. Scroll down and to right to see his graduation notice

Flight Engineer – Stewart, W.N.

Mid Upper – Gill, J.I.

Rear Gunner – Henderson, H.J. Click here to read Rear Gunner Henderson's Last Post

John H. Bailey passed away May 26, 1993, possibly in Rouleau, SK

Harold Joseph Henderson passed away January 30, 1986, possibly in Northcumberland County, Brighton, ON

The 2 images below were supplied courtesy of the excellent Richard Koval, http://www.6grouprcaf.com/.

image of C.C. Rous crew supplied by Richard Koval

Front Row Left F/O Donald Dean Dogherty - Navigator
 
Front Row Middle – F/L C.C. ROUS – Pilot
 
Front Row Right – F/S John H. BAILEY - Air Bomber
 
Back Row Left – Sgt Harold Joseph HENDERSON – Rear Gunner
 
Back Row 2nd – P/O W.N. STEWART – The P/F/E designation means he was a Pilot as well as a Flight Engineer notice his crest on his cap is the same as that on the Pilots Cap
 
Back Row 3rd – F/O G.R. FYSH – Wireless Operator

Back Row 4th – Sgt. J.I. GILL – Mid Upper Gunner

Identification courtesy of Lloyd and Susan Campbell

list of crew

The image below provided courtesy of Elaine Dogherty, daughter of Donald Dogherty. The photo is possibly taken in Winnipeg. P/O Donald Dean Dogherty on the left.

dogherty crew

The image below of eleven fliers in front of a Wellington was likely taken at #22 OTU Wellesbourne

where Donald Dean Dogherty
was deployed, or possibly TopCliffe. Donald Dogherty marked his crew members with an X and had

captioned it as follows:

"Our crew taken in the winter. There’s an x on our boys. Johnny’s got Jasper (stuffed panda bear)

my mascot."rous crew 433 sqdn in front of wellington Johnny, holding the mascot, Jasper Donald Douglas Dogherty

Donald Dean Dogherty is in the middle row, last on the right.

Taken some time between November 26, 1944 and February 14, 1945 at #22 OTU Wellesbourne Aircraft: Wellington

Pilots Dogherty flew with during that time were: White, Rous, Fraser, Day, Chenail, Knight, and Halle, although he most often flew with Rous.

Dogherty next went to #1666 H.C.U. Wombleton, Yorkshire from 4/4/45 until 23/4/45 where he navigated on Lancasters for pilot Rous and then to #433 Squadron (Porcupine) at Skipton-on-Swale with pilots Walton and Rous from 30/4/45 to 7/6/45

The image below, provided by Elaine, daughter of Donald Dogherty.

dogherty log

Donald Dean Dogherty

P/O Donald Dean Dogherty

Donald Dogherty joined the forces toward the end of the war at a very young age, He first went to pilot school somewhere in the prairies where he successfully crash landed a trainer when the engine failed. His son describes the incident as follows: "He first went to pilot school at Stevenson Air Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he apparently successfully crash landed a trainer when the engine failed. The incident became an often-told story as the field he landed the plane in was very small. So small, in fact, that the plane had to be dismantled to remove it from the field. If he had flown several more metres on, he could have landed in a much bigger field." During the pilot training course they determined that his eyesight was not ideal so he switched to navigator training and was subsequently deployed to England.

He met Betty McBride, who was with the Women’s Auxiliary, while in Winnipeg and then chased after her departing bus to ask her on a date. They married after the war.

He first went to Dumfries, Scotland in Sept. 1944 at #10 AFU where they flew Ansons. He then went to #22 OTU Wellesbourne where they flew Wellingtons He crewed up with the C.C. Rous crew in 433 Squadron. Following the end of the war in Europe, he signed up to be deployed to the Pacific, but this did not happen as the war in the Pacific came to an end. He returned to Canada, took an engineering degree at McGill University then an MBA at Harvard. He remained in the Canadian Air Force Reserves after the war and was a Wing Commander. In the reserves he spent many weekends at the St. Hubert air force base nearby Montreal. He had two squadrons in his wing, one was Sabre jets and the other was a squadron of search and rescue planes. In his early career after the war and university, he worked at Fleet Aircraft in Fort Erie, Ontario and then Canadair (now Bombardier) in Montreal. One of the projects he worked at Canadair was the production of the CF-104 Starfighter.

(Details courtesy of John Dogherty, son of Donald Dean Dogherty)

Please see the Skipton on Swale page for the list of crew at 433 Squadron on Friday, 4th May, 1945.

Several from this site, are listed on that report.

airmen graduate from Globe and Mail Research on G. R. Fysh graduation as a wireless airgunner by Susan Campbell.