Francis Allan Boyce

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher. Photos source: WWII Records and Service Files of War Dead, Libraries and Archives, Canada

Francis Allen Boyce was born on the 22nd December 1919 in St Sylvestre, Lotbinière, Quebec, the son of Patrick and Julie Boyce (née Brennan) who had married on the 10th October 1911 in Frampton, Quebec. Patrick worked as a farmer and Francis would help him out on the farm. He had three brothers, Joseph, William and Anthony, two of whom served in the Army, and two sisters, Marion and Mary. Sadly, Mary had died on the 10th September 10th 1920, aged 2.5 years old. His father, Patrick Boyce was a farmer.

He attended Good Shepherd Academy, St Sylvester, Quebec, 1934-35, Laval Normal School, Quebec 1935-38 and Bart Commercial High, Quebec 1939-40. He left school at 18 and was employed as an School Teacher for the St Sylvestre School Board for 1 year from 1938 but was out of work when he enlisted. His hobbies were reading and studying and he enjoyed the sports of tennis, swimming and skating.

He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on the 20th May 1940. When he joined the RCAF he was a clerk for the first 18 month but decided to re-muster as aircrew.

On the RCAF assessment forms he was described as "Very keen and conscientious in his work, willing and hard worker."

After initial training he was sent to the U.K. He embarked from Halifax on 27 March 1943 arriving in the UK on the 17 April. He was then posted to 3 PRC at 13 OTU on 25th May 1943, RAF Silvestone on the 3 October, Stoney Cross on 21 October 1943, 299 Squadron on the 4th November 1943, 1665 HC on the 8th December, Woolfox Lodge on 23 January 1944 and returning to 299 Squadron on the 18th January 1944.

During his training in the UK he received the news that his father, Patrick Boyce, died on 9th July 1943.

He was a crew member in Stirling Mk.IV LJ855. They took off at 19.12 on 6th June on Operation Mallard. They were towing a glider with 9 troops and equipment which they delivered but a report into their fate states:  "An aircraft was seen to crash into the sea soon after leaving the French coast and exploded. The aircraft was a Stirling and it is assumed the aircraft wa spiloted by F/O Clark and crew." Most of the crew are recorded as having died on 6th June but he has a date of death of 7 June. This may be due to the fact his body was recovered from the sea and date of death was recorded incorrectly as the 7th June.

The Officer Commanding 299 Squadron, Wing Commander P Davis, wrote to Francis' mother on the 7th July 1944 regarding the circumstances of his death.

"On the evening of the 7th (sic) June, 1944, Francis and his crew took off from this aerodrome together with the other aircraft on an important operation, unfortunately Francis's aircraft did not return and at first he was reported missing. It was thought that his aircraft was hit on the way back, after having completed thier task in a most successful manner, and crashed into the sea. This has now been confirmed as his body was picked up at sea by an Air Sea Rescue Launch on the 8th June, 1944 and he was buried at sea on the same day. This information was received on the 17th June, 1944 and an amended signal was despatched reporting Francis as killed.

Your son and his crew were most popular in the Squadron and consisted of three other Canadians, one Australian and an Englishman and we all feel we have lost one of our best crews.

May I express the greatest sympathy which all of us feel in your loss and I should like to assure you how greatly we all admire the unselfish spirit which you son showed in coming so far from home in the cause of the British Empire and for the cause of common decency amongst mankind."

His personal effects were returned to his mother, Julia, but in a letter, dated the 8th of February 1945, Julia states what she found in Francis Allan’s effects from overseas and is worried about “a little bottle or phial that had some little black things, hard and resembling shot, or rather a little black stick nipped off there seemed to be cotton in it too.” She went on to say that she had put it out in a snow drift in case it was anything dangerous. She pleaded with the authorities to remove it if it was dangerous or tell her that it was harmless. Unfirtuunately, there is no record in his service file to say what was in the bottle or phial.

As he was buried at sea, Francis Boyce is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing.