127 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca GIROUX, Martin Felix WWII Martin was born in Falcon Island, Lake of the Woods in 1917. He enlisted in the army and served with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in England, Germany, Italy, Holland and France. He was wounded by shrapnel from an exploded mortar bomb while on the front line in Germany. It went through his hip and he was hospitalized in France. After his recovery, he was with the Artillery in Germany. Martin received the France and Germany Star and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. He came home in 1946 and farmed in O’Connor Township, Thunder Bay on 160 acres. Martin passed away in 2002 at the age of 85 in Kenora, Ontario. GONROSKI, Philip Felix “Phil” WWII Phil was born in Rivers on August 25, 1925. He was raised in Moore Park, Manitoba, and came from a large family, including seven sisters. He completed grade twelve at the Brandon Collegiate. He was a good student and loved sports such as biking, skating, hockey, and baseball. His favourite hobby was playing the accordion and harmonica. Phil enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force as Air Gunner soon after his 18th birthday. He trained on several air bases, including Rivers, Gimli, and Macdonald. He was stationed at Macdonald from February 28, 1944, to May 19, 1944, and graduated as Sergeant Air Gunner with 23 hours and 50 minutes of flying time on a Bolingbroke aircraft. In July 1944, he was posted to Lachine, Quebec, went overseas, and had further training at #22 Operations Training Unit at Wellesbourne, England. At this training centre, he was trained on the Cine Camera Gun, flying wimpy (Wellington dual engine) aircraft, air to air firing and self towing firing, including fighter affiliation, bombing, and flashlight training. He had 46 hours and 15 minutes of night flying. At the conclusion of this training, he was assessed by his Chief Ground Instructor and Flight Gunnery Leader as above average. Phil was then posted to #1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe, Yorkshire, in the north of England, where he trained as an Air Gunner on four engine Halifax 111 bomber aircraft, beginning January 1, 1945. In addition to the training he had at O.T.U., Phil also took “Snape” bombing (air to sea firing), and more fighter affiliation training. Flying time at #1659 was 38 hours day and 14 hours and 20 minutes night. He was also trained on Air & Sea Rescue, wet dingy drill, airborne lifeboat, preparation for ditching, ditching without hedging, dingy and parachute drill. On February 14, 1945, Phil was posted to 429 squadron, Leeming, Yorkshire, where he chalked up another 24 hours of flying time on Halifax III Bombers, as Flight Sergeant. He went on his first operation on March 1, 1945, as Air Gunner on Halifax III, AL-G, 429 Bison Squadron, “A” Flight. The target was Mannheim. This was a seven-hour and twenty-minute trip. The next op took place on March 2, the target being Cologne, Germany. On March 5, Phil went on his third op. over Chemnitz, Germany, in aircraft LV996. Upon returning to base in England in very dense fog, the aircraft crashed near Halling, Kent, and the entire crew was killed. The C.A.T.P. book “They Shall Not Grow Old” records this information on P.269: “Goronski, Philip Felix F S (AG) R281969. From Brandon, Manitoba. Killed in action on March 6, 1945, age 19. #429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil). Target – Chemnitz, Germany. Flight Sergeant Air Gunner Gonroski is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey, England.” The book also stated that the pilot of #LV996 was F/L Mardyth Wesley Sanderson, from Mitchell, Nebraska, USA. He was 23 years old. Also killed were P/Os J. P. Nault, H. N. Prince, A. S. Leroux, W. R. Strand, and F. S. A. G. Caldwell. On the bottom of the last page of Phil’s logbook, it stated that, “Last letter Pat received February 28, 1945.” The Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names has named a Lake in northern Manitoba Gonroski Lake in memory of Flight Sergeant Philip Felix Gonroski. Philip was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, Defence Medal, and War Medal 1939-1945.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==