171 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca POLLOCK, Albert Lyle WWII Albert was born on March 3, 1923 in McConnell, Manitoba. On May 15, 1942, he enlisted as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was posted as Rear Gunner with a crew of 7 airmen on June 8, 1944 to 12 RAF Bomber Command Squadron at Wickenby, England. On June 23, 1944, the crew took off in their Lancaster N D 678 on their second operational trip to Saintes, France. The plane was either hit by anti-aircraft guns or by enemy night fighters as crew members from the same squadron saw the plane go down in flames. The crew has no known graves but their names are inscribed on a panel in the Runnymede Memorial in England. Albert’s name is recorded in the Book of Remembrance at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Chapel in Brandon, MB. Pollock Lake, approximately 100 miles north of Churchill, Manitoba, is named after Albert. POLLOCK, Harvey WWII Harvey was born in McConnell, Manitoba on September 6, 1918. He was accepted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on May 21, 1941 and served in England and Wales. He left for England in February 1942 and was with 502 Squadron Coastal Command at St. Eval, Cornwall by August. One close call was when a 37mm cannon shell came through the fuselage of the Halifax and exploded putting 85 holes in the aircraft. They could still fly and nobody was injured. On June 28, 1944, he made his last operational patrol over the English Channel, completing his tour. After 19 months with 502 Squadron, he had made 65 operational patrols, 11 on Whitley aircraft and 54 on Halifax, and had flown 642 hours. Harvey also instructed at Aldergrove, Northern Ireland and then was posted home after 2 years and 9 months overseas. Harvey passed away in 2003 and was a member of Decker Legion Branch 239 for forty-two years. POLLOCK, Wesley W. WWII Wesley was born in McConnell, Manitoba on November 17, 1912. His flying career began in 1937 with the Winnipeg Flying Club. He took the course to train pilots in Winnipeg and then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving in Canada. He trained in Ontario at Trenton and Fort William and in Manitoba at Virden and Dauphin before being promoted to Pilot Officer. In December 1943, he went to Moncton, New Brunswick to train on Dakotas and Lockheeds and in the spring of 1944, he was posted to 165 Transport Squadron in Edmonton, Alberta, flying between Edmonton and Whitehorse. From May, 1945, he flew VIP personnel and mail and then in June, was hired by TCA. He was a captain with TCA until 1949, and then became a chief pilot with Imperial Oil until he retired in 1972. Wesley passed away on February 8, 2000. POLLOCK, James T. WWII James was born in McConnell, Manitoba on November 26, 1915. He enlisted as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force in the late summer of 1941 and served in England with 426 Squadron Bomber Command. On January 14, 1943, the Squadron crew took off on their first operational trip with a target of Lorient, France, on the Bay of Biscay. Sometime during the raid, their aircraft was hit, either by anti-aircraft guns or night fighters. Other crews on the raid reported that the plane went down off the coast of France. There were no survivors and the crew have no known graves. Pollock Island in Haywood Lake, Manitoba is named in honor of Sergeant James T. Pollock.
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