Last Post - Colin Harvey McInnes

Source: http://www.legionmagazine/en/lastpost/

Image from Hanover War Cemetery, Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In Memory of
Pilot Officer COLIN HARVEY McINNES

J/95355, 432 Sqdn., Royal Canadian Air Force
who died age 21
on 05 January 1945
Son of Colin G. and Miriam O. McInnes, of Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada.
Remembered with honour
HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission   Nose Art from the crew's plane (below)

dedication of the people in Chemainus to honoring the memory of their volunteers. See this link to read more.

Chemainus Memorial Cenotaph

Constructed in July 1920 in memory of those who gave their lives in World War I and World War II. Their names are inscribed on the Cenotaph.

Pre 1914, 1,500 citizens enlisted for the war voluntarily from the Cowichan District, at that time the population stood between 6,500 and 7,000 residence.

After a meeting with some of the council members a request was made by a Mr. Jarrnett requesting a site for a War Memorial in Chemainus. The request was finally granted by a council on July 28, 1920. This was the beginning of a memorial honoring those comrades who paid the supreme sacrifice in World War I.

The Memorial was erected on 616 square feet of land that was donated by the Council. The intersection of Mill Road and Albert Street with the English church on one corner and the court house and jail on the other became the site for the monument.

Requests were made to the council on two occasions to have them consider the donation of two machine guns that would be placed at the memorial. The first request was made by an Alfred Stubbs on June 15, 1921. The second by a Reverend R.D. Porter who at the time held the position of honorable Secretary, Chemainus Committee of the Duncan B.C. Board of Trade. His request was made a few days later on June 21, as he felt that Chemainus should be entitled to some of its War trophies. A Naval gun was donated instead which was placed at the Memorial. No record could be found of what became of the two machine guns in later years.

Consequently, as years went by, streets were being changed and the Memorial became part of those changes and had to be moved. Comrade D. Greenhorn, one of the Legion members, was commissioned to do the stonework for it's new base. In August 1950 after a few minor delays it was finally moved to its present location on Willow Street across from the United Church. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #191 took over the care of the grounds after the Community Committee failed to live up to their promise of maintaining the grounds.

Dedication Ceremonies were held in September 1950. Names of World War II casualties were added along with a plaque honouring the Korean Veterans.

The Legion Branch President during 1950 was F. Bonde. The Cenotaph Committee consisted of Comrades W. Rice, Deeble and Olson.

Each Remembrance Day on November 11th. the Comrades of Branch 191 have a service to honour those who paid the supreme sacrifice and so that their names would never be forgotten.

The image below shows Colin H. McInnes' name amongst the other World War 2 heroes.

Pilot Officer Colin Harvey McInnes

Image provided courtesy of Joyce Louise McInnes-MacPhail, sister of Colin Harvey McInnes

Pilot Officer Colin Harvey McInnes attended #3 Bombing and Gunnery School Class # 72 Dec 15, 1943 - Mar 9, 1944, with many of the men on this site. He is the son of Colin G. and Miriam O. McInnes, of Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada. He joined the J. Sales crew in RCAF 432 Squadron and was killed in a night time attack on Hanover in a Halifax VII NP-759, coded QO-C. The Halifax crashed 300 meters east of the road from Lichtenhorst to Steimbke at 19:34 on January 5th, 1945..

A classmate, Pilot Officer Clifford Norman Aune, who joined RAF 102 Squadron, was also killed in this operation.

Below is a summary of the Daily Operations Report from that night:

Daily Ops Report Jan. 5-6, 1945

133 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 432, and 433 squadrons were joined by 57 Lancasters from 419, 428, 431, and 434 squadrons on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 to 20,000 feet, releasing 1,587,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was scattered through out the city.

F/Lt. J. Sales, RCAF, age 27, and crew flying Halifax VII NP-759, coded QO-C, failed to return from this operation.

Sgt. J. Dalton, RAF--POW

F.O J. Marcille, RCAF--POW

F/Sgt. S. Aikens, RCAF--POW

W/O2 R. Young, RCAF--POW

P/O C. McInnes, RCAF

F/Sgt. J. Charles, RCAF--POW

2 crew members were killed and 5 POWs.

Source: www.rcaf.com/6group/. Click here to read the entire report.

Lost Bomber Report

"Serial Range NP736 - NP781. 46 Halifax Mk.V11, part of a batch of 200 HP Halifax Mk, delivered by Handley Page (Cricklewood & Radlett) between 1Aug44 and 9Sep44. NP759 was one of two No.432 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: NP817 Airborne 1648 5Jan45 from East Moor.

Shot down by Flak (8th Flak Division), crashing 1915 at Mehringen some 2 km N of Hoya, which straddles the Weser 15 km SSW of Verden.

The two airmen killed are now buried in Hannover War Cemetery, having been brought here from graves discovered at Hoya....

F/O J.L.Marcille, was interned in Camp L1, with F/S S.J.Aikens, F/S J.F.Charles, WO2 R.J.P.Young, and Sgt J.Dalton, no PoW Nos."

Source: www.lostbombers.co.uk. Click here to read the entire report.

Click here to read the ""They Shall Grow Not Old" entry for Pilot Officer Colin Harvey McInnes.

Click here to see an image of the certificate issued by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in memory of Pilot Officer Colin Harvey McInnes.

Nose Art

Their plane was nicknamed the Canada Kid, due to its spectacular nose art created by Clarence Simonsen. An image is shown at left. Source: www.fliegerschicksale.de/homepage3/absturzorte/l/lichtenhorst/050145li_en.php