Biography

Alfred Brenner of Toronto joined the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He served as a pilot with Coastal Command, which was tasked with attacking German shipping. On February 18, 1943, he was flying a Hampden bomber when the crew spotted an enemy convoy in the North Sea, off the coast of the Netherlands’ Frisian Islands. Consisting of a dozen merchant ships being escorted by five German destroyers, it made for a tempting target. The Canadian bomber went on the attack, dropping to just above the wave tops as it made its approach to launch a torpedo that would successfully hit a 5,000-ton enemy vessel.

“All hell broke loose. Every ship in the convoy began firing at us,” Squadron Leader Brenner later recounted. His warplane was badly damaged and would not be able to make it back to England. The crew sent an SOS message and bailed out over the water as their plane went down. They were able to get into a life raft but were left floating in dangerous waters with few resources. Remarkably, they were able to send a message to home base using a messenger pigeon they had taken from their stricken plane. After two long days, they were picked up in a daring rescue mission.

Brenner’s courage and dedication while serving in Coastal Command would not go unnoticed as he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI at Buckingham Palace in September 1943. Brenner’s medal citation would pay tribute to his remarkable service by noting, “Throughout his tour of operations, this officer has displayed the greatest keenness and devotion to duty.”

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Where they participated

Photos of Alfred Brenner, courtesy of the Memory Project, Historica Canada