Frank Armstrong Jeffrey

This story and photo is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Pete Colley, Curator, Wickenby Museum. Additional information from the WWII Records and Service Files of War Dead, Libraries and Archives, Canada

Remembering Frank Armstrong Jeffrey, Flying Officer pilot, aged 33, son of John Telfer Jeffrey and Jane L. Jeffrey (née Huddard) of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. His first operation was as second pilot on a bombing raid on the airfield at Flers, Normandy. He was killed on his 3rd mission attacking the railway yards at Saintes.

Frank Jeffrey was born in North Bay, Ontario on the 6th June 1911. He attended North Bay Primary School and North Bay High School and whilst at school he was a boy scout and served in the HighSschool Cadets. On leaving school he found employment as the proprietor and Manager of North Bay Credit Association Ltd from 1931 to 1938. He was then self-employed as a Trustee in Bankruptcy and accountant from 1938 to 1942. He was a keen skier and won gold cups and medals for ski jumping, slalom, downhill and cross country racing. He also played golf and basktetball.

He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force for the duration on the 7th April 1942 and was selected to be a pilot. On completion of his training in Canada, he embarked for the UK on the 15th July 1943 but just before he did so he married his fiancée , Margaret Mary Corbett in Windsor, Ontaria on the 24th February 1943. He was commission as a Pilot Officer on the 25th June 1943 and embarked for the UK from Canada on the 16th July, arriving on the 22nd July where he continued his training. Postings included 81 OTU, based at Tilstock, Shropshire on 21 December1943 and then 30 OTU, Hixon, Staffordshire on 31st December 1943 where he began training on heavy bombers. It was in his last posting, that he aligned up with the rest of his crew and they trained as a unit. They were posted to 12 Squadron at Wickenby on 8th June 1944.

They took off on their third sortie at 22.20 hrs on the night of 23rd June but as they approached the target area a night fighter, piloted by Ofw. Hermann Stahler, raked their Lancaster with canon fire, sending it crashing into the sea off St Nazaire. They were posted as failed to return, nothing heard of since take off.

Frank's wife, Margaret, was like many who struggled when the fate of their loved one was still unclear. The strain can be seen in this letter that she wrote on April 3rd 1945 to the Department of National Air Defence asking for further infomation about him. "On January 16th, I received word from you saying you had nothing further to report on my husband. Since two months have now elapsed since the last word from you, I am wondering if perhaps you have some further information by now. It is so hard just to wait and have no definite word of any kind. I would greatly appeciate hearing from you again."

It was not until June 1945 that Frank was presumed, for official purposes, to have lost his life on the 24th June 1944. In February 1952 that Margaret received a letter from the RCAF Casualties Officer to say, "It is with reluctance that after so long an interval, I must refer to the loss of your husband, Flying Officer Frank Armstong Jeffrey, but due to the lack of any information concerning him since he was reported missing, it must be regretfully accepted and officially recorded that he does not have a "known" grave."

Frank Jeffrey is commemorated on the Royal Air Force Memorial to the Missing at Runnymede.