Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Memorial – Pilot Officer John Frederick Peak is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Pilot Officer John Frederick Peak 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

Memorial – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of JOHN FREDERICK PEAK – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of JOHN FREDERICK PEAK – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of JOHN FREDERICK PEAK – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Funeral – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Newspaper Clipping – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of Everett Ford and John Peak – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Paying respects – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram September 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Photo of graves at Hoven Cemetery and information re flight courtesy of Air War Over Denmark. For the full story see website www.flensted.eu.com Halifax II MZ355 of 427 Sqn took off at 18.01 from Leeming on a gardening (mining) operation in the Kadett Channel. On the return flight they were attacked and the aircraft received one burst of bullets which the crew believed was flak. Pilot F/Lt William B. Britton did evasive action and windows were dropped. Almost immediately the bomber received another burst that set fire to the port inner engine, the port main plan and port side of the fuselage. The engine was feathered and fire button pressed and Flt. Engr. Sgt Philip De Metz RAF and Mid Upper Gunner P/O Everett M. Ford, RCAF, were ordered to fight the fire in the fuselage with hand extinguisher. They were unable to put the fire out and Brittain ordered the crew to bail out. Five members of the crew got out of the aircraft before it at approximately 22:30 hours crashed at Dyrvig Mark near Knaplund. The remains of the two gunners, namely P/Os Ford and Peak were found in the wreckage and buried next to it by the Wehrmacht. In December 1945 their remains were disinterred and given a proper funeral at Hoven Cemetery by Vicar Bøgebjerg Andreasen and a English Field Priest.