John Emilius “Johnny” Fauquier DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
&
Two BarsA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
,
DFCThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(March 19, 1909 – April 3, 1981) was a Canadian
aviatorAn aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
and Second World War
Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a...
leader. He commanded
No. 405 Squadron RCAFNo. 405 Squadron RCAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force that first saw service during the Second World War. After unification of Canada's armed forces in 1968, the squadron continued to provide service within the Canadian Armed Forces. It received the first production...
and later
No. 617 Squadron RAFNo. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
(the Dambusters) over the course of the war. A
bush pilot-Etymology:The term bush flying most likely came from a term to describe the land in Southern Africa, bush. This term came to describe any wilderness areas beyond clearings and settlements, which bush flying flies over.-Purpose:...
prior to the war, he joined the RCAF as a flight instructor in 1939. He joined No. 405 Squadron in 1941 and would fly operationally for the rest of the war, taking a drop in rank on one occasion to return to active command.
John Emilius “Johnny” Fauquier DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
&
Two BarsA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
,
DFCThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(March 19, 1909 – April 3, 1981) was a Canadian
aviatorAn aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
and Second World War
Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a...
leader. He commanded
No. 405 Squadron RCAFNo. 405 Squadron RCAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force that first saw service during the Second World War. After unification of Canada's armed forces in 1968, the squadron continued to provide service within the Canadian Armed Forces. It received the first production...
and later
No. 617 Squadron RAFNo. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
(the Dambusters) over the course of the war. A
bush pilot-Etymology:The term bush flying most likely came from a term to describe the land in Southern Africa, bush. This term came to describe any wilderness areas beyond clearings and settlements, which bush flying flies over.-Purpose:...
prior to the war, he joined the RCAF as a flight instructor in 1939. He joined No. 405 Squadron in 1941 and would fly operationally for the rest of the war, taking a drop in rank on one occasion to return to active command. During his three
toursIn the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
of operation he participated in
Operation HydraRoyal Air Force Operation Hydra attacked the Peenemünde Army Research Center after midnight of 17 August/18 August 1943 and began the strategic bombing counter to the German long-range weapons programme.-Cabinet Defence Committee :...
and dozens of other sorties over Europe.
Early years
John Emilius "Johnny" Fauquier was born at Ottawa, Ontario on March 19, 1909, educated at
Ashbury CollegeAshbury College is an independent day and boarding school located in Rockcliffe Park, in the city of Ottawa, Canada. It was founded in 1891 and moved to its current venue in 1910. Previously it occupied what now houses Canadian Senate offices...
and then entered the investment business at Montreal, Quebec where he joined a flying club. After earning his commercial pilot's licence he formed Commercial Airways at Noranda, Quebec and prior to the Second World War had flown some 3,000 hours as pilot in command on bush operations.
Second World War
He joined the
Royal Canadian Air ForceThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
in 1939 as a
Flight LieutenantFlight Lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Flying Officer and immediately below Squadron Leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "Lieutenant"...
, completed an advanced course and served until mid-1941 as instructor of
British Commonwealth Air Training PlanThe British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, also known as the Empire Air Training Scheme, Empire Air Training Plan, Commonwealth Air Training Plan or simply "The Plan" or "The Scheme", was a massive air-training program involving the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Southern...
instructors. After a short period in England at a glider and paratrooper training center, he was posted to No. 405 Squadron RCAF. On returning in difficult weather conditions after bombing Berlin with the squadron on the night of November 7, 1941, he was forced to land his plane on a non-operational airfield, and as a result was temporarily suspected to be a
spySPY may refer to: * SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire* SPY , a U.S...
by the Home Guard.
By February 1942, Fauquier had been promoted to acting
Wing CommanderWing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Squadron Leader and immediately below Group Captain...
and given command of the squadron. He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying CrossThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(DFC) for gallantry. Shortly afterwards he was transferred from operations to the RCAF's Overseas Headquarters for staff duties. He then served a short term with
No. 6 GroupNo. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
before once more taking command of No. 405 Squadron in February 1942.
During
Operation HydraRoyal Air Force Operation Hydra attacked the Peenemünde Army Research Center after midnight of 17 August/18 August 1943 and began the strategic bombing counter to the German long-range weapons programme.-Cabinet Defence Committee :...
in August 1943, a bombing raid on a German military research facility at
PeenemündePeenemünde is a village in the northeast of the German part of Usedom island. It stands near the mouth of the Peene river, on the easternmost part of the German Baltic coast. The area includes the 1992 :commons:Historisch-technisches Informationszentrum Peenemünde, an Anchor Point of the...
, he acted as deputy master bomber, making 17 passes over the target. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
(DSO) in September 1943, in part for his leadership during the raid. Soon after that raid he was promoted to acting
Group CaptainGroup Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore...
of that squadron, which had become a member of
No. 8 (Pathfinder) GroupNo. 8 Group RAF was a Royal Air Force group which existed during the final year of World War I and during World War II.-World War II:The Group was re-established as No 8 Group on 1 September 1941 only to be disbanded around five months later on 28 January 1942.The Pathfinder Force was redesignated...
.
During January 1944, he flew 38 sorties, completing his second tour of operations with No. 405 Squadron. He was then awarded a
BarA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DSO.
After promotion to acting
Air CommodoreAir Commodore is an air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
—a rank precluded from operational flying—he was Mentioned in Despatches in December 1944. He then voluntarily reverted to Group Captain so that he might begin a third tour of operations, this time as commanding officer of No. 617 Squadron RAF (the Dambusters squadron), which he led from December until the end of the war. Under his command the Dambusters conducted raids against submarine pens, viaducts and other targets.
With the end of the war in Europe, he was awarded a second Bar to his DSO for his command of 617 Squadron. Spencer Dunmore, a historian and novelist, remembers Fauquier in his history of
Canada's Air ForceThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
during World War II:
After the war
After the war was over, Fauquier returned to private business. He was inducted into
Canada's Aviation Hall of FameCanada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honours those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation...
in 1974. He died on April 3, 1981.
Text of citations
- Distinguished Service Order:
- First bar to his Distinguished Service Order:
- Second bar to his Distinguished Service Order:
External links
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