Targets to Destroy

Heroes Remember

Targets to Destroy

Transcript

Interviewer: What kind of targets were you assigned to destroy during those operations? Well most of them were in the Ruhr Valley. that's the industrial at that time, industrial area, synthetic oil plants, other industrial plants, manufacturing and we had I think about four or five army, assisting army that had landed in France and we were called out to bomb ahead of them for them but other than that, you know, they were, all the targets were essentially the same. Like at night, you saw the same thing. Once we flew very low, this was to France, and you could see them running like where I was, you see, you could see the Germans running around and very low. But, you know, it's two years that I've never regretted. At night everything was so colorful, you know, It's a terrible way to describe something that was terrible what was happening on the ground, never thought of that. We were there to do what we were supposed to do. And it has never bothered me since either, I'll tell you because it was something that was done through necessity, you know.

Description

Mr. McLean describes the type of targets assigned to destroy and his belief that destruction was done through necessity.

John “Jack” McLean

John (Jack) Caldwell McLean was born on June 1, 1925, in Port Elgin, Ontario. He moved to Hull, Quebec, with his family at age 12, and then eventually settled in Ottawa, Ontario. He enlisted at 55 Queen Street in Ottawa on September 15, 1943, and joined 415 (Swordfish) Squadron, Bomber Command, as an air gunner on an all-Canadian crew. Number 6 Group consisted of 14 squadrons on 7 airfields in Yorkshire, England. Mr. McLean ended the war as a flying officer (FO), after completing a tour of 32 trips. He was also a volunteer for “Tiger Force.” He enjoyed a successful career in the public service at the Department of Finance, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and Indian and Northern Affairs. He was married on May 15, 1948, and raised a family of five. Mr. McLean is a member of Branch 593 of the Royal Canadian Legion (Bells Corners), and is a member of the Air Force Association.

Meta Data