125 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca DION, Joseph Eugene “Gene” WWII Gene enlisted in the RCAF on December 30, 1940 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He served overseas from April 29, 1942 to August 7, 1942. Gene served with RCAF 409 Night Fighter Squadron, the “Nighthawks”, as Leading Aircraftsman. He was honourably discharged on September 26, 1945 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He arrived in England on his birthday, May 14, 1942 and was quartered in a beautiful tourist hotel on the cliffs of Dover overlooking the English Channel. He supposed it really was an initiation location as the Hun flew over on a regular basis to take pictures and drop small bombs before returning home. From this location he was posted to 409 Squadron, Nightfighters, at Coleby Grange, Lincolnshire. In 1943 they moved north to Acklington, near the Scottish border, and during the year the 409 Squadron moved wherever it was needed to protect their bombers who flew over Germany in large numbers every night. In early 1944 they went back to Acklington to re-organize into a field operation. They were equipped with tents, all operations were under canvas, mobile and ready to move at a moment’s notice. It was preparation for D-Day. During 1943, the 409 Squadron was equipped with their first Mosquito which was equipped with cannons, machine guns, and could also carry a small bomb. Because of its speed, it was a super plane for night fighting. It was also equipped with radar. Once organized for air field, they moved to West Malting, near London. The German buzz bomb started to terrorize the area at this time. After spending the winter and early spring at different bases west of London, they landed at Carpiquet Airdome, France ahead of their Squadron planes. The “Battle of the Bulge” was on, the enemy were being forced back, and the airdome was still being shelled. They followed the army into Belgium but they had to move back to France before Christmas to re-group as they had lost many of their planes. In early spring 1945, they followed the Allied Army over the Rheine to the Rheine Aerodome sixty miles northeast of the Ruhr. The 409 Squadron planes flew over Berlin during the last hours of the war. Gene was back in England in late June 1945 and arrived in Winnipeg on V-J Day, 1945. Gene married Eva Mathieu on August 31, 1946 at Fort Francis, Ontario and has two daughters, two sons, and three grandchildren. DION, Leo I. WWII Leo enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg in November 1943. He passed away in 1975.
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