LEST WE FORGET 251 NELLIGAN, Allan Neil WWII By Kyla Brett ‘Dear Mom, Dad, and girls…’ Allan N. Nelligan was born on October 30, 1919, to James and Annie Nelligan. In 1940, Allan, along with his parents and younger brother and sisters moved to Lashburn, Saskatchewan from Mayerthorpe, Alberta. The family consisted of: Allan, Gerald (who passed in his early teens), his sisters, Sheila, Bernice, Patricia, Edna, Theresa, and their parents. Allan’s father, James, worked for the CN railroad most of his life and his mother was a nurse and cared for Allan and his five siblings. The Nelligans brought their children up on religious views and loved them as any parents would. They were an average family living during the hardships the last decades had served the country. In 1939, war ensued across the world, with young and able men enlisting coast to coast to assist in the effort. Allan, at the time, was twenty years old, full of potential and the ability to thrive in life. He was educated, had a loving family, and was able to fight for Canada. It was not until late 1943 that Allan enlisted and set out for England to fight in World War II. ‘Just a few lines to let you know that all is well, and I hope you are the same… I haven’t seen much of the country yet, but certainly do like what I have seen…The blackout is a bit hard to get used to, and believe me, it sure gets dark around here.’ In October 1943, Allan was swept into the midst of the army. After basic flight schooling in Canada, he took a ship across the Atlantic Ocean. The voyage lasted an estimated one to two weeks and arrived in England in the last few days of October 1943. Allan wrote a letter to his parents on November 1, 1943, detailing his trip, saying how fascinating the new surroundings were, and letting everyone back home know he was safe and well. The letter was labeled #3 P.R.C. which is assumed to be in Uxbridge, UK, a base for the RCAF throughout the war. Allan served with the Royal Canadian Air Force for the entirety of his time overseas. When he first arrived in England, his tasks involved flight school, ground school, flare path duty, and working the AP’s. Allan worked for weeks on flight training and duties but once had a short intermission due to a case of the mumps in February 1944. In March, he continued his training and would continuously be changing stations to receive new areas of the demanded course. In April, he completed two weeks of flight to receive his Beam Approach Training (BAT), then returned to his A.F.U. (Advanced Flying Unit) to complete his training. In May 1944, Allan began night flying, stating in a letter how he and his crew would sleep until one or two o’clock, enjoy the sunshine in the afternoon and early evening, then get back to work as night fell upon them. “It’s really grand flying at night over here, almost impossible to get lost…They have a marvelous organization in this country, Flying Control, that helps the aircrews in every way possible.” Allan continued to serve over the next months of 1944, serving in Squadron 419 and moving his way up to become Flight Lieutenant Allan Neil Nelligan and often flying a Lancaster bomber (Avro Lancaster). Letters flooded back and forth between Allan and his family back home and life went on until the last letter arrived, dated October 21, 1944, from Allan to his eldest sister Sheila. ‘Well Sheila, I must close now and go up and see what’s doing at the flight, so will close now, hoping you will write again soon. Love to all,’ On October 27, Allan and a flight sergeant from his crew were flying when their plane was shot down in Cologne, Germany. On October 28, the pair were declared missing in action, and a cable was sent to Canada advising Allan’s parents of their fate. Their son, Flying Officer Allan Neil Nelligan, J/26969, was deemed missing action at the age of 24. Following his death, in 1947, Lieutenant A. N. Nelligan was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings of the Royal Canadian Air Force in recognition of gallant service in action against the enemy. As well as this, due to his services, a lake in Northern Saskatchewan was named Nelligan Lake in honour of Allan. Although his body was never recovered, Allan was given a grave in the Reichswald Forrest War Cemetery, grave reference I.F.5. Though Allan lost his life in service of his country, his memory lives on through remembrance and gratitude for all he and his fellow crew members did to protect Canada and through the life of his daughter, Mary, who was born after his death. ‘Loads of love to all.Your Loving son, Allan.’
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