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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

John Fraser Dewar

In memory of:

Flying Officer John Fraser Dewar

August 12, 1944

Military Service

Service Number:

J/28180

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

440 Sqdn.

Additional Information

Commemorated on Page 290 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY
Calvados, France

Grave Reference:

XXVII. F. 2.

Location:

This cemetery lies on the west side of the main road from Caen to Falaise (route N158) and just north of the village of Cintheaux. Bretteville-sur-Laize is a village and commune in the department of the Calvados, some 16 kilometres south of Caen. The village of Bretteville lies 3 kilometres south-west of the Cemetery. Buried here are those who died during the later stages of the battle of Normandy, the capture of Caen and the thrust southwards (led initially by the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions), to close the Falaise Gap, and thus seal off the German divisions fighting desperately to escape being trapped west of the Seine. Almost every unit of Canadian 2nd Corps is represented in the Cemetery. There are about 3,000 allied forces casualties of the Second World War commemorated in this site.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Circumstances of crash– LAC, Ottawa

    Details

    Circumstances of crash
    Circumstances of crash – LAC, Ottawa
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star September 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Star September 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of John Fraser Dewar

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    Photo of John Fraser Dewar
    Photo of John Fraser Dewar
  • Group Photo– PL-29845 UK-11712 17/06/44 440 SQN RCAF. One of the first Allied pilots to bail out over France and return to Britain was Flying Officer R.W. Doige, 21, Lasalle, Ontario, a Typhoon pilot in an RCAF Squadron commanded by S/L Bill Pentland, Calgary. Doige is shown on the right and with him is Flying Officer John Dewar, 405 Victoria Street, London, Ontario, whose machine was hit during the same strafing attack but who managed to get back to base in England. Doidge accidentally pulled his ripcord before he was out of his cockpit and the silk streamed out and tangled around the tail assembly. When he finally got out the parachute tore free and he swung to earth with a quarter of the canopy missing.

    Details

    Group Photo
    Group Photo – PL-29845 UK-11712 17/06/44 440 SQN RCAF. One of the first Allied pilots to bail out over France and return to Britain was Flying Officer R.W. Doige, 21, Lasalle, Ontario, a Typhoon pilot in an RCAF Squadron commanded by S/L Bill Pentland, Calgary. Doige is shown on the right and with him is Flying Officer John Dewar, 405 Victoria Street, London, Ontario, whose machine was hit during the same strafing attack but who managed to get back to base in England. Doidge accidentally pulled his ripcord before he was out of his cockpit and the silk streamed out and tangled around the tail assembly. When he finally got out the parachute tore free and he swung to earth with a quarter of the canopy missing.
  • Grave Marker– Temporary grave and cross.

    Details

    Grave Marker
    Grave Marker – Temporary grave and cross.

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