What a man!!

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Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 697

A great character. 'Joe' to us - don't know why.

CRYDERMAN - FELIX CLEMOWE

CANADA – SUDBURY, ONTARIO.

RAFVR – 1261621/101477. RCAF – C89564.

Private, P/O, F/LT

UNITS – RCOC, 411, MSFU, 185, 193

P8657 – ( 1 sortie)

SURVIVED WWII as F/LT

Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.,1919.

Started to fly in 1937, in the bush.

1939 - Enlisted in Royal Canadian Ordnance Corp, Canada. as Private. Embarked to UK.

?-8-40 – Application for transfer to RAFVR approved. Sgt.

11-4-41 – OTU, passed out of course. Commissioned P/O

7-9-41 – 411 sqn, Digby, ‘B’ Flt, Spitfire IIa, P7880. Digby to West Malling for Wing Sweep. 1400 hrs. Landed down wind, swung, u/c collapsed Cat C.

17-9-41 – 411 sqn, Digby. Spitfire IIa, P8657, DB-V. Convoy patrol. 1630-1735 hrs.

?-?-42 – MSFU, Speke. Hurricane I. Pilot on Atlantic convoy protection.

11-4-42 – Promoted to F/O.

31-3-43- 222 sqn, Hornchurch, Spitfire IX. AD474.

May.1943- 222 sqn. 222 sqn, Hornchurch.

11-7-43 – Promoted to F/Lt..

1-8-43 – 185 sqn, ‘B’ Flt, Krendi, Malta, Spitfire IX,

1-8-44 – 193 sqn, B 3/Ste-Croix-sur-Mer, France, Typhoon Ib.

18-9-44 – 193 sqn, Fairwood Common, APC, Typhoon Ib.

1-2-45 – 193 sqn, B 89/Mill, Holland. ‘B’ Flt CO

5-2-45 – Transferred to RCAF, service no. C89564

23-12-48 – Flying Bellanca 31-55A Skyrocket CF-DCA in Northern Territories, Canada on mercy flight. 7 Indians and children were stranded at Chorous Lake, Ontario. The Skyrocket crashed through the ice of the lake, but did not sink as the wings supported it on the ice. Cryderman scrambled out taking emergency rations, axe and malted milk tablets. He spent the night in the Indians tent and in the morning left them his emergency rations and set out for Geraldton, 60 miles away. He followed a series of frozen lakes but on the second day crashed through the ice. With temperatures falling to -40 he was in danger of suffering frost bite and eventually found an abandon Indian cabin complete with beaver meat and stove. The cabin was not sealed and was very cold. The next day he saw a circling search plane and he wrote FOOD in the snow. They dropped him supplies. On the 5th day he was rescued by 3 forestry from Camp 21 on Long Lake by launch..

A truly remarkable courageous man.

18-6-49 – Employed by Austin Airlines at Sudbury, Ontario. Killed while flying Fairchild 71 taking off from a lake by Nakina, Ontario when the a/c stalled crashing at the edge of the lake.

Buried at Sudbury, Ontario

= Tim

Original post

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 941

They don't come much better than that!! I salute him!
Resmoroh