Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Identification – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Photo of JAMES WALKER WHITE – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Photo of JAMES WALKER WHITE – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Attestation paper – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Letter – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Letter – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Letter – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Star June 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Star June 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Star June 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Gravemarker – His grave in Poivres, Aube, France

Newspaper clipping – The Toronto Star, January 22, 1945, page 25 20-year old F/S White was an Air Gunner and possibly on a 2nd Dickie flight (to gain experience) as the RAF records show that he was the ‘eighth’ man and flying as a mid-under air gunner. He was flying with the crew of Lancaster ED 870 of 50 (RAF) Squadron on the ill-fated raid 3/4May44 against the German military camp at Mailly Le Camp, France. 42 Lancasters were lost, which was 11.6 per cent of the force. The crew of ED 870 was airborne at 2158 on 3 May from their home base at Skellingthorpe and shot down as she approached the AP, crashing at Poivres. All are buried in Poivres Churchyard. The RAF crew members were: P/O A. Handley; Sgt C. T. Brown. F/O T. E. Archard; F/S R. S. Garrod; Sgt C. Whitelock; Sgt D. Bisset and Sgt G. E. Gilpin. The control of this raid in the target area failed to operate according to plan. The initial low-level markers were accurate and were well backed up by Lancaster marker aircraft. The ‘Marker Leader’, Wing Commander Cheshire, ordered the Main Force to come in and bomb but the ‘Main Force Controller’, Wing Commander L. C. Deane, could not transmit the order to do so to the waiting Lancasters because his VHF radio set was being drowned by an American forces broadcast and his wireless transmitter was wrongly tuned. German night-fighters arrived during the delay and bomber casualties were heavy. The main attack eventually started when the Deputy Controller, Squadron Leader E. N. M. Sparks, took over. The night-fighter attacks continued over the target and on the return route. Among the aircraft shot down was S/L Sparks, who had stayed over the target to the end. He evaded capture and soon returned to England. The squadrons of No. 1 Group, which made up the second wave of the attack, suffered the most casualties – 28 aircraft out of their 173 dispatched. [Source: //raf.mod.uk/bombercommand; //lostbombers.co.uk]

Memorial – Flight Sergeant James Walker White is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Flight Sergeant James Walker White 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