My Dad, James Mulvaney enlisted in March 1942 in Vancouver, British Colombia. He was posted to No.3 Manning Pool, Edmonton, Alberta for training, was then posted to Regina, Saskatchewan and upon graduation traveled across Canada to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He departed Halifax in January 1943 and arrived in Greenock, Scotland in early February. From there he went to Bournemouth, England and spent the next several months training in various locations in England, but always returning to Bournemouth to await further orders. He was in Bournemouth on Sunday May 23rd 1943 when the Germans attacked with 26 Focker Wolf 190's, killing over 130 and wounded hundreds. My Dad was across the street from Bobby's & Co. when it was shelled and severely damaged.
Around midnight on Tuesday 21st of September 1943, while returning from a Bullseye training mission, his Whitley aircraft was hit by British anti-aircraft fire over London (London was under siege by German Luftwaffe planes), lost an engine and eventually crashed in Denham Golf Course, about 3 miles northwest of Uxbridge and about 18 miles west of London. All crew members survived.
Following his Heavy Conversion Unit training with 1664 HCU at Croft Air Station in Croft, Yorkshire, Dad was assigned to 433 (Porcupine) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, where his crew flew Handley Page Halifax Mk III heavy bombers.
On the night of 24th/25th of February 1944, Dad's crew was on a bombing mission over Schweinfurt, Germany when their aircraft was shot down. All crew members parachuted to safety and were captured. Dad spent the remainder of the war as a Prisoner of War in several German camps such as Stalag Luft VI at Heydekrug in East Prussia, then, as the Russians pressed westward he was moved to Stalag 357 in Thorn, Poland, where he spent 4 weeks. In September 1944 Stalag 357 Thorn was closed due to advancing Russian troops and the prisoners were moved to Stalag 357 Fallingbostel, Oerbke, Germany (using the same Stalag number as Thorn). Food was in short supply and Red Cross packages rarely arrived, when they did, most of the contents had already been pilfered.
On 7th of April 1945 Dad and his fellow Prisoners of War were forced to leave Stalag 357 at bayonet point. Hitler ordered all Prisoners of War to a redoubt area. This was the beginning of a 26 day forced march. Many prisoners died along the way from disease, starvation or friendly fire from RAF Hawker Typhoon's and other fighter/bombers.
Dad was liberated in early May 1945, returned to England and eventually back to Vancouver. Following many weeks of hospital recovery, he married his high school sweetheart on 27th of August 1945, raised 4 children, and had a successful career with Finning Tractor. He survived my mother's passing in after 61 years of marriage and passed away in 2014.
