Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Photo of EDGAR IVAN FORD – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of EDGAR IVAN FORD – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of EDGAR IVAN FORD – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Grave marker – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – From the Regina Leader Post May 1945. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Grave marker – Honouring Flying Officer Edgar Ivan Ford on November 11, 2022.

Cemetery – Burials at Odder Cemetery Photo courtesy of Søren C. Flensted From Airwar Over Denmark www.flensted.eu.com. F/O Ford was Wireless Air Gunner on Halifax GRII JP336 which took off from Stornoway at 20.15 on an anti-shipping operation. While attacking a German convoy the Halifax was hit by flak and a fire started. Pilot F/O L.B. Davey headed for land but had to ditch the burning Halifax in the sea 01:40 hours. He got out of the Halifax and heard F/Sgt Thomas E. P. Rosenthal call for help. Davey managed to get him out and at the same time W/Op F/O John V. Johnson and W/OP Sgt Gerard A. Guinane got out of the aircraft. They inflated the aircraft's dinghy and looked for the remaining crew in the water. The wind from west took them out to sea. They were picked up and survived the war. On the 11th and 12th of November the bodies of F/O Edgar I. Ford and his Canadian crewmate, Navigator F/O Maynard A. Parker, were found washed ashore, as was the body of the tail gunner, Sgt. Edmond N. Oddy. They were laid to rest in Odder cemetery on 16/11 1945. Reverend L.L. Meldgaard officiated at the graveside ceremony that was attended by numerous citizens as well as a detachment of English soldiers that fired a salute of Honour at the end of the ceremony. Flight Engineer P/O Robert L. McKinney and W/Op-Air Gnr. Sgt George G. Cockroft have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.