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Robert
Morrison Aldwinckle was born 28 July 1920 in England. He came to Canada as
a child and had completed one year at the University of Toronto before
joining the RCAF in August 1940. Awarded his pilots wings, he attended No.
13 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Patricia Bay, BC training for duty
with a Bomber Reconnaissance (BR) squadron. He began operations with 116
BR Squadron at Dartmouth on Catalina aircraft. Next came service with 10
BR Squadron Detachment in Yarmouth which shortly thereafter was renamed as
162 Squadron. While with 162 Squadron in Dartmouth he received a
“Mention in Despatches”. In response to an urgent situation he went to
Gander, Newfoundland in January 1943 flying Canso aircraft on Atlantic
convoy protection patrols.
After
converting to the B-24 Liberator in June he returned to 10 BR Squadron at
Gander and resumed flying Atlantic patrols that now closed the “Atlantic
Gap” - the U-Boat killing grounds during the period known as the
“Happy Times”. On 26 October 1943 while patrolling in Liberator A586
Aldwinckle spotted a submarine on the surface and initiated a depth charge
attack. The submarine saw the aircraft and began to dive and the attack
weapon was changed to a “Zombie” – a top secret homing torpedo not
to be used for surface attacks. The submarine then elected to remain
surfaced and fight back with its two 20 MM anti-aircraft guns. The attack
weapon was altered to a stick of six depth charges—but only one
exploded. The submarine returned fire and Aldwinckle circled out of the
guns range and attempted to get a second aircraft to the scene, but
failed. A ruse of an open message declaring a return to base because of
fuel shortage caused the submarine to dive at which time a second attack
using the Zombie and two remaining depth charges was initiated. The attack
appeared successful and was later confirmed—they had sunk U-420. During
their return to base they attacked a second submarine with guns only and
forced it to submerge. Flight Lieutenant (F/L) Aldwinckle was awarded the
DFC for “his initiative and devotion to duty have at all times been
exemplary”.
Subsequent
duties saw F/L Aldwinckle promoted to Squadron Leader, posted to Eastern
Air Command HQ and then to the Operations Staff at Air Force HQ where he
was demobilized in May 1945.
He
returned to the University of Toronto for one year but in 1946 he rejoined
the RCAF and, while on leave-without-pay, he attended Oxford University as
a Rhodes Scholar. He graduated with a degree in Engineering Science, and
returned to full time RCAF service in the Aeronautical Engineering Branch
until 1971 when he retired in the rank of Brigadier General. He had a
second career working in several federal government departments. After
full retirement Brigadier General Aldwinckle remained in Ottawa where he
died in 2003.
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