Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Memorial – Sergeant Irenee Adelard Joseph Dupuis is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Sergeant Irenee Adelard Joseph Dupuis is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Photo of Irenee Dupuis – This photo of Irenee Dupuis was taken on entrance into the RCAF. It is unaltered and just as it was found in his pers file in Ottawa. Dupuis was an Air Gunner on Lancaster Mk II NS 739 when it was shot down by a night fighter over Berlin on the night of 2/3 Jan 1945. The aircraft was piloted by F/Lt John A. Allen of Toronto. Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Attestation Papers – These Attestation papers show the personal information on Dupuis. He was from Noelville (near North Bay, Ont.) He was born 26 Dec 22 and died a week after his 22nd birthday on 2/3 Jan 44. All documents shown here are from Dupuis' pers file in the Canadian Archives held in Gatineau, P.Q. For Dupuis French was the first language and English was second. This lead to some difficulties during his training Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – Report on Dupuis from #9 PAED. He was there most of the summer of 1943 and was 48th in a class of 110. Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – Page 2 of Report on Dupuis from #9 PAED. You can imagine the difficulty for Dupuis learning in English alone. It makes his accomplishment of 48 out of 110 that much more important. Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – Dupuis' report from the RAF unit the trained them on Lancaster bombers. He graduate on the 13 of Nov 43. He was dead 2/3 Jan 44. His operational life was roughly 2-3 missions and about 30 days. This was the period of the war when RCAF casualties were very high and crew life expectancy was very low. Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Photo of Irenee Dupuis – It is hard not to see the changes in Irenee after six or more months of Service life in the RCAF. You can see the pride he has in his accomplishments. He is now a Sgt. Air Gunner and ready for operations overseas. He completed three missions before he was killed in action. Source:Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – This is the Central Records copy of the notification to his parents that he is missing on operations overseas. Unfortunately it is not in French. His parents were French speakers. It would not have mattered anyway because this type of message was common and had only one meaning no matter what the language. Source:Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – The front of Dupuis' RAF Form 373. This shows his basic personal information, except that his (and his parents) first language is French. Source:Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Documents – These were taken from the pers file in the Archives in Ottawa. On the right is his paybook, in the middle his intake photo and on tghe right his air gunner graduation photo. Source:Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse

Document – No.4 Mobile Research & Enquiry Unit letter 27 June 1947. This letter shines a bit of light on the unending search by the Allies for missing airmen, This crew were shot down in early January 1944 and buried in Koethen, Germany by the Germans. Special units like this one (4 MREU) looked into every village and town in Europe. This report demonstates how little information was left on the bodies they found. The graves were ofter unmarked and the bodies stripped of their ID tags. They resorted to searching the remaining materials fr brevets(badges) and rank insignia. Often men were identified by the service numbers on their clothing (put there to make sure they got thir own clothes back from the laundry). Body 11 is Dupuis. He is identified by his BD (Battle Dress) and a German Death Card that carries his number. Source: Library & Archives Canada RG 24 via R. Whitehouse