Warren Brock "Peg" Peglar

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from a letter dated 8 December 2006 -

"I enlisted in the RCAF 19 Dec. 1940....eventually went overseas 30 Dec '42....joined 501 Squadron 9 June '43....Dave Fairbanks arrived some months later. We, along with a few others, were sort of a Canadian "colonials" group to the English guys. After a tour with 501 I was transferred to the US 8th Air Force to fly P51's (Mustangs) with 354 Squadron of the 355th Fighter Wing at Steeplemorden Air Base.

I stayed with the 354 Sqdrn. from 12 July '44 until 25 Sept '44 when I was contacted by Sqdr/Ldr Gary Barnett (274 Sqdrn) and asked if I would like to rejoin the RAF and fly Tempests, so on the next day I was flown to Coltishall Air Base where I reconnected with my 501 buddies. While I was with the USAF I flew approx 20 missions, including a shuttle raid....England to Russia to Italy to England.

I stayed with 274, in Holland, until Dec 11 '44 when I completed my 3rd tour and was back in Canada in Mid Feb. '45.

About the picture of Dave Fairbanks standing by his burnt-out Tempest: This was from a sortie that four of us made from Voekel....I was section leader....we attacked some railway transport and during the run-in Dave was hit and flipped upside-down. I saw the fire and called out..."who's been hit...talk to me" Dave's wingman, Jock Malloy, told me that he was going to lead Dave back home. Dave actually flew the Tempest inverted (very dangerous), close to the ground and flipped it right-side-up and that put out the fire! A great pilot. When we all got back there was Dave, leaning against the a/c while his picture was being taken....we were about ten feet away, giving him a hard time...naturally !!! "

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* Warren explains a bit - "Hi Joe....Here is explanation of overlap.....on June 30/'44 I was called for an interview with the Station Commander who advised me that I had reached the end of my first tour of combat....I was given the option of either going to a training station in Northern England where I would be training new pilots in fighter escort combat etc., or be posted to the USA 8th Air Force and get experience on P51 Fighters....the RAF was interested in establishing daylight bombing and , to do this, they would need experienced personnel to start up long-range fighter wings. I jumped at the chance and was posted to the 355th Fighter Wing, 354 Squadron of the 8th Air Force at Steeplemorden, about 40 miles north of London.

I was posted to Steeplemorden on 12 July 1944 and stayed there until the 25th of Sept 44, my last combat trip with the Yanks ... I then returned to the RAF and rejoined my old squadron, now the 274th, equipped with Tempests ... I soloed in the Tempest on the 28th of Sept, and on the 29th the squadron took off for Belgium and landed at Antwerp ... I stayed with the 274th until 11 Dec 1944 when I was informed that I was grounded for good..for me the war was over and I was returned to England. Hope this clears up the gap ....Warren"

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Seneca Indian Airman Graduates As Parents From Reserve Watch

Dunnville, Oct. 7, 1941 (Special) — The largest class to graduate from No. 6 Service Flying School, R.C.A.F., Dunnville, since the school opened received "wings" from Group Captain A. H. Hull, officer commanding, this afternoon.
The airmen came from all parts of Canada and the United States. Toronto was represented by sixteen graduates. In addressing the airmen, Group Captain Hull complimented them on the work they had done at this school and urged them to continue with their studies.
"Wherever you go or whatever you do, we at the school will watch your progress with keen interest," he told them. He also paid tribute to the good work of the instructors and ground crew, without whom the graduates would not receive their wings.
Among the graduates was Alan G. Hill of Middleport, a full-blooded Indian of the Seneca tribe from the Six Nations Reserve. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Hill, were in attendance. Mr. Hill has been connected with the Indian office at Brantford for the past thirty-seven years. Parents came from points in the United States to see their sons receive their wings, and all parts of Ontario were represented.
Miss Eileen Lawrey, 144 Queensdale Avenue, Toronto, one of the guests, is to be married tomorrow to Pilot Officer Alan Studholme, 224 Queensdale Avenue, their marriage culminating a schoolday romance. Both were pupils at East York Collegiate. Pilot Officer Studholme is a grandson of the late Alan Studholme, M.P. for East Hamilton.
Ontario graduates included: Pilot Officer M. D. Boyd, Clarkson; Pilot Officer E. A. Wilson, Toronto; Pilot Officer J. D. Virtue, Toronto; Pilot Officer W. B. Peglar, Toronto; Pilot Officer Alan Studholme, Toronto; D. G. Harkness, St. Catharines, D. A. McMaster, Toronto; Pilot Officer E. S. Smith, Toronto; Pilot Officer T. R. Shaw, Kapuskasing; Pilot Officer A. Novick, Sault Ste. Marie; Pilot Officer H. E. Sullivan, Englehart; Pilot Officer J. K. McLean, Lindsay; Pilot Officer H. G. Locke, Cobourg, and Pilot Officer H. R. White, Ridgeway.
United States pilot officers included Pilot Officer H. K. Winfield, Girard, Ohio, and Pilot Officer C. J. Koritansky, Chardon, Ohio.
Some of the Ontario men receiving their sergeant's stripes were: A. P. Robson, H. S. Snelgrove, D. F. Drake, S. A. Lea, M F. Doran, R. D. Snelgrove, N. W. Barbeau, R. D. Telfer, all of Toronto; A. O. Smuck, Weston; G. A. Davis, King; R. C. Hushes, St. Marys; W. K. Grant, Colborne; H. C. Carr, Ingersoll; S. A. Phillips, Ottawa; C. H. Short, Orillia; R. W. Dunn, Sutton West; A. Newell, Durham; W. H. Griffin, Ayr; E. D. Kelly, Peterborough; L. H. Hough, Sudbury; C. H. Hunter, Ottawa; J. E. Meyer, New Hamburg; F. J. Parsons, London; K. S. Platt, Hamilton.
Some of the United States graduates were: M.(J?) P. Berry, Parkersburg, West Virginia; P. J. Martin, Detroit; E. Lewenson, Scranton, Pa.; W. R. Blake, Corpus Christi, Texas; L. P. McClive, Flint, Mich.

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Given DSO for Part in Blasting Hun Bombers

With the RCAF Overseas, Dec. 18, 1944 - (CP) - Davie Williams of Vancouver is a D.S.O. flier now, and a wing commander leading the Lynx Squadron of Mosquito night Fighters based in Britain.
He won the award in a fearless daylight operation against German bombers who were attacking a convoy of Allied destroyers southwest of Brest. Williams and his navigator, F/O C. J. Kirkpatrick of Saskatoon, who won the D.F.C. for this exploit, shot down the two attacking bombers.
When he went on the sortie, Williams was officially on leave. He hadn't left his station, however, and when the navy called, asking for air support, Williams and Kirkpatrick went up immediately.

Weather Was Thick
The weather was so thick that the day fighters could not do anything. That was why they turned to the night fighters.
Williams flew in solid cloud until just southwest of Brest, he and Kirkpatrick sighted five Allied destroyers and, five miles away, two German bombers starting their bombing run. He sped in behind them at low level, about 100 feet above the sea and got caught in the bombers' crossfire, which knocked the Mosquito's starboard engine out.
But with one engine left, he pressed on and knocked clown one Dornier, and just as the second was about to bomb, he scored hits which sent it diving into the sea.
Lieut. A. A. Harrington of Ottawa recently shot down his fourth enemy aircraft in night fighter operations. Harrington, who flies with an English navigator in a Mosquito, is a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps, finishing his night fighting tour with the Canadian Cougar squadron before transferring to the United States Army.
F/O J. P. W. Francis of North Battleford, Sask., realized the reconnaissance fighter pilot's ambition by shooting down an FW 190 over Germany in the first combat flight of his career. On the same sortie F/L Milt Jowsey, D.F.C., of Ottawa, destroyed another FW 190, his first since starting a second operational tour, and his fifth all told.
A couple of train busters based in Holland with the RAF are F/L W. B. Peglar of Toronto and F/L J. A. Malloy of Ottawa. In two attacks on railway yards in the Wesel area, they damaged a locomotive and left it squirting steam and shot up 30 coaches.

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PEGLAR, F/L Warren Brock (J7892) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.274 Squadron
Award effective 18 December 1944 as per London Gazette dated 29 December 1944 and
AFRO 379/45 dated 2 March 1945.

This officer has a fine record of operational achievement. He has completed a large number of sorties against a wide range of targets and has destroyed at least four enemy aircraft in air combat and probably an equal number on the ground. In addition, he has also inflicted much damage on the enemy's mechanical transport. Flight Lieutenant Peglar is an outstanding leader and pilot. His exceptionally high courage and devotion to duty have been most commendable.

NOTE: Public Records Office Air 2/9033 has recommendation dated 24 October 1944 when he had flown 225 sorties (325 operational hours).

This officer has participated in a large number of offensive sorties over Occupied Europe since June 1943, during which time he has destroyed at least four enemy aircraft and probably an equal number destroyed on the ground, in addition to numerous mechanical transport, locomotives and railway rolling stock. He has always shown a keen desire to get at grips with the Hun, and as a Section Leader has proved himself to be a fearless comrade, and much of the great success of the squadron during the past few months in destroying enemy transport and ground targets is due to his tireless courage and determination to press home his attacks in the face of the enemy's concentrated anti-aircraft fire.

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Fliers Win DFC's

Ottawa, Jan. 1, 1945 - (CP) - Air Force Headquarters tonight announced the award of three bars to the Distinguished Flying Cross and of 30 DFC's to RCAF personnel serving overseas.
Two of the DFC's went to F/L Douglas Warren and F/L Bruce Warren, twin brothers from Ponoka, Alta., who are serving with the same squadron overseas. The recipients:

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Parents Advised Son Awarded DFC F/L Warren Peglar, 24, of the 274th squadron RAF, was awarded the DFC for “gallantry in action” his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Peglar, 144 Glengarry Ave., have been notified. Born in Toronto, F/L Peglar was educated at Hodgson Public School and is a graduate of Northern Vocational. He enlisted in the RCAF in December 1940 and received his wings at Dunnville in October 1941. When he had completed a tour of operations with the RAF, he volunteered for service with the 8th American Air Corps. Before going to Holland, where he commanded a flight of Tempests, he flew Mustangs from England to Russia, Russia to Italy and then back to England.

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Toronto Airman With Repatriates

Montreal, 15 Feb. 1945 (CP) – A large group of airman arrived today at the RCAF repatriation depot at near-by Lachine, including veterans of aerial warfare in all theaters of the war. The airmen will be documented tomorrow and it is expected that they will be on their way to distant homes tomorrow night.
A large contingent of English wives of air force personnel arrived with the repatriates, many of them accompanied by their husbands.
Included in the group were: F/L W.H.C. Boyd of 23 St. Andrews St. Toronto; F/L J.D. Featherston of 1050 Yonge St., Toronto; P/O J.M. Heaton of Weston, Ont.
F/L R.W. Hiscott of Sutton West, Ont.; F/L L.G. McDonald of 66 George St., Toronto; S/L C.C. Magee of 10 McMaster Ave., Toronto; F/O B.A. Mawhinney of 98 Blackthorne Ave., Toronto; F/L W.B. Peglar of 144 Glengarry Ave., Toronto and F/O J.E. Powers of 1065 Bathurst St. Toronto.

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Victories Include :

Warren did not remember dates [two are mentioned up there] but had this to say :

"4 in the air...1 on the ground. The RAF gave me credit for 'probably 3 more on the ground' due to a couple of airdrome strafings which the debriefing officer said required more concrete evidence. At the time our squadron, 501, was doing a lot of ground support, so we never bothered to follow up. Some months later our C/O was advised that the French Underground had confirmed that damage was caused to these airdromes and there were wrecked aircraft on them. I do not remember the names, or dates, because at that time we didn't really care about scores, number of trains wrecked, etc etc."

4 / 0 / 0

plus 1 / 3 / 0 on the ground

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PEGLAR, F/L Warren Brock, DFC (C7671) - Distinguished Flying Cross (US)
Attached to 354th Fighter Squadron
Award effective 6 February 1948 as per AFRO 81/48 of that date

NOTE: This award was earlier announced in AFRO 388/46 dated 12 April 1946, citing Canada Gazette of 6 April 1946, cancelled by AFRO 473/46, but subsequently re-instated by AFRO 81/47. Public Records Office Air 2/8973 has recommendation which identifies unit and reads:

Flight Lieutenant Peglar has participated in 19 operational sorties during which he has destroyed five enemy aircraft. The skilful and zealous manner in which Flight Lieutenant Peglar has sought out the enemy and his courage and devotion to duty have inspired all with whom he had contact. He has done valuable work on bomber escort duties.

NOTE: Air 2/8973 has considerable documentation associated with this recommendation. Particularly interesting is a Combat Report he filed on 11 September 1944 when he shot down two Bf.109s south of Kassel while flying a P-51 on bomber escort duties. Combat report gives time of victories as 1155 and 1200 hours, narrative reading thus:

I was flying Falcon Yellow # 1 in P-51D "WR-S" and was at eight o'clock to a box of B-24s at 24,000 feet. Bogies were called in at 3 o'clock high and as I looked over a gaggle of at least six ME.109s hit the bombers. I saw one B-24 catch fire and dropped my wing tanks, called a peel-off to the right and went into an ME.109, 2,000 feet below me.

I had to do a very tight diving turn to get behind him and as I pulled into position the ME.109 pilot baled out. The ME.109 was evacuated at approximately 18,000 feet and it spun to the deck where it exploded. This combat took place about 40 miles southwest of Kassel.

I CLAIM THIS ME.109 - DESTROYED

2nd Combat - 12.00 o'clock

Upon leaving the first ME.109 I was at approximately 2,000 feet with Yellow # 2 [Lieutenant H.R. Mann]. I spotted an ME.109 on the deck below me and dived on his tail. I closed to about 200 yards at 10 degrees deflection and fired a two-second burst, getting strikes on the wing roots and fuselage. The ME.109 immediately began to stream smoke and pieces fell off him.

We were right on the deck and as I prepared to fire again the gun sight went out. I fired several other short bursts in an attempt to get deflection but missed him entirely. The Hun pilot went into a very skilled display of low flying, combined with good evasive skidding and slipping. I finally got fed up with this and closed to about 50 yards and waited for him to straighten out. He did and I let him have about a six second burst and got strikes on the wings and cockpit area. Then the canopy came off and also pieces of the 109 came off him. He pulled up to approximately 50 feet and bailed out over a town. The 109 went into the Centre of the town and the pilot followed right behind. His chute failed to open.

I CLAIM THIS ME 109 - DESTROYED.

During the next minute I took camera gun shots of two ME.109s crashing, shot down by other P-51s.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT :

I was flying Falcon Yellow # 2 to Flight Lieutenant Peglar, on his right hand side. Our squadron was at eight o'clock to a box of B-24s at 24,000 feet. Bogies were called in at 3 o'clock high and we peeled off on a ME.109 which started evasive action. Flight Lieutenant Peglar followed in tight spirals and in order to stay with him I half-rolled and pulled through and rejoined him at about 2,000 feet and saw an airplane burning in the woods directly below us. Lieutenant Peglar called in "he is burning in the woods". I believe this was the ME.109 Lieutenant Peglar was in combat with. I support his claim of DESTROYED.

I had just rejoined Flight Lieutenant Peglar when he went down to the deck on a ME.109 and chased same to close range. I saw him get strikes on the ME.109, along the wing roots. Lieutenant Peglar continued on the enemy aircraft's tail at close range for several minutes on the deck as the enemy aircraft continued to take evasive action, finally going down between two hills and pulling up over a small town at about 500 feet. Lieutenant Peglar pulled up to zero range and the enemy aircraft straightened out and dove into the streets of the town streaming black smoke all the way down. I confirm Flight Lieutenant Peglar's claim of DESTROYED.

H.R. Mann

1st Lieutenant, Air Corps

With this is a lengthy recommendation signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Everett W. Stewart (date stamped 24 February 1945 but almost certainly drafted earlier) which recounts in point form much of the above, and concludes with the following narrative:

F/Lt Warren B. Peglar (RCAF) was leading Yellow Flight, 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, on the bomber escort mission of 11 September 1944, when his flight was bounced by (6) six Me.109s. He called a peel-off into the enemy aircraft. After going into a tight diving turn and getting behind one of the 109s, F/Lt Peglar saw the enemy pilot bail out and saw his 109 spin into the ground from 19,000 feet, exploding on impact. At this point he saw another Me.109 on the deck and dived on its tail. He closed to two hundred (200) yards, fired a two (2) second burst, getting strikes on wing roots and fuselage. The apparently experienced enemy pilot then began skilful evasive tactics. F/Lt Peglar's gun sight had gone out, so he closed to fifty (50) yards and waited for the enemy aircraft to straighten out. When he finally did, he gave it a six (6) second burst, concentrating on the wing root and cockpit area. The enemy pilot pulled to about fifty (50) feet and bailed out. The plane crashed in the Centrex of a nearby town, and the enemy pilot followed it. His 'chute had failed to open. F/Lt Peglar joined the 354th Fighter Squadron on 7 July 1944. He flew with this squadron until 7 October 1944. While with this organization, he participated in nineteen (19) missions, comprising ninety hours and fifty-five minutes (90:55) of combat flying time. He has destroyed, in all, four (4) enemy aircraft in the air and one (1) on the ground.

The skilful and zealous manner in which F/Lt Peglar carried out his bomber-escort assignments, broke up enemy aircraft attacks, and destroyed two (2) enemy aircraft on the above mission, and three (3) more enemy planes on other missions, all stimulate mutual respect and admiration between the RCAF and the USAAF. His actions on this, and all, occasions, reflect the highest credit upon himself, his training and his branch of the service.

An interesting feature of the form is a list of American awards with general standards; the appropriate box was to be checked off:

Congressional Medal - Heroism beyond all call of duty

DSC - Extraordinary Heroism in Action

DSM - Exceptionally meritorious service in duty of great responsibility

Silver Star - Gallantry in Action

DFC - Heroism or extraordinary achievement on an aerial flight

Air Medal - Meritorious achievement on an aerial flight

Soldier's Medal - Heroism not in action against the enemy

Legion of Merit - Outstanding achievement in a duty not necessarily of great responsibility

Document dated 20 February 1945, also signed by Colonel Stewart, forwards the recommendation from Headquarters, 355th Fighter Group to an unspecified higher formation (probably Headquarters, 65th Fighter Wing) and thence, about 23 February 1945, to Headquarters, 2nd Air Division. It refers to several enclosures, most of which are quoted above, but including "Encounter Report and Supporting Statement" for 11 August 1944 and "Encounter Report" for 3 August 1944 (presumably reference to his other victories). Another recommended text, date stamped 24 February 1945 (but probably drafted earlier) reads:

For extraordinary achievement and heroism in aerial combat and the destruction of two enemy aircraft over enemy occupied continental Europe. The skilful and zealous manner in which Flight Lieutenant Peglar sought out the enemy and destroyed him, his devotion to duty and courage under all conditions, serve as an inspiration to his fellow flyers. His actions on all these occasions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

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Some of Warren Peglar's WW2 Photo Collection, with comments from "Peg" :

Warren "Peg" Peglar pre-DFC (left) "I'm sitting on the wing of a P51 discussing the relative merits of the Spitfire & the Mustang with Major Bert Marshall, C/O of 354 Sq. 355 FG at Steeplemorden" (UK)

"Lieut Royce Priest is on left, Major Bert Marshall on right. On Aug 11/44 Marshall was shot down by flak, belly-landed, on fire, in France ... Priest landed in the field, got out, threw his parachute out ... Marshall got in (he was the smallest) and then Priest got back in, sat on Marshall's lap ... they took off, Priest doing the flying, and got back to England, to Steeplmorden. Priest got the DSC for his efforts. I was on this mission."

"That's me and Russian soldiers, guy & girl, at Piryatin Air Base near Kiev ... after shuttle raid 18 September 1944 ... England to Russia to Italy to England. We returned to England from Italy 22 Sept. '44 ... this was the last shuttle raid to Russia, Italy etc."

Sitting on nose - Prince Alex Demerode, member of the Dutch Royal Family. Sitting in cockpit - Capt. Bernard Fuchs (FFF). Standing from the Left - Tony Phillips, Jock McKenzie & Stuart Smith

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