Blenkinsop Edward - One who almost made it back : the remarkable story of one of World War Twos unsung heroes, Sqadron Leader Edward Teddy Blenkinsop, DFC, CdeG (Belge), RCAF

Published by
Grub Street Publishing
4 Rainham Close
London
SW11 6SS

Copyright Grub Street 2008
Copyright text Peter Celis 2008

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Celis, Peter

One who almost made it back: the remarkable story of one
of World War Twos unsung heroes, Sqn Ldr Edward Teddy
Blenkinsop, DFC, CdeG (Belge), RCAF
1. Blenkinsop, Teddy 2. World War, 1939-1945 Prisoners
and prisons, German 3. Bomber pilots Canada Biography
4. Belgium History German occupation, 1940-1945
I. Title
940.547243092

ISBN-13: 9781906502164
Digital Edition ISBN: 9781908117519

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

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Printed and bound by MPG Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall

Grub Street Publishing uses only FSC
(Forest Stewardship Council) paper for its books.

Contents

Acknowledgements

The author received the generous assistance of many people in the preparation of this story of Squadron Leader Ted Blenkinsop. Without it this project could not have been undertaken, and to them a great debt of gratitude is owed.

The lions share of the credit for this book must go to J.R.W. Wynne, himself a retired RCAF colonel and amateur historian, who provided much-needed assistance in various ways. In 1989, Dick generously volunteered to analyse the Blenkinsop files held by the Provincial Archives of British Columbia, after which he selected for microfilming the relevant records for use in this project, provided countless other documents and leads, and led the way in assisting the search for lost documents and persons who were related to Ted Blenkinsop. In addition to his invaluable material help, his constant enthusiasm and encouragement went a long way in seeing this book through to completion. Much to my grief, Dick passed away on January 6, 2006, when I was just about ready to show him the first version of the manuscript.

Ted Blenkinsops flying school classmates, Jim Grant and Bob McRae, helped me by providing an insight into a substantial part of Teds life, his flying training. Jim also helped trace many of the individuals who had crossed Teds path in the RCAF. I am greatly obliged to both of them.

I want to thank the late Air Marshal Larry Dunlap and the late Lieutenant General Reg Lane, both former commanding officers of Teddys, in addition to being his friends. Larry Dunlap kindly volunteered, at an early stage, to copy large parts of Ted Blenkinsops files kept in the Provincial Archives of British Columbia and sent me countless pages of his carefully handwritten copy notes. Reg Lane gave me a sense of a pathfinders duties and a feeling for the events surrounding that fateful night when Teds Lancaster bomber was shot down. Both these noted men of Canadian aviation agreed to write the foreword to this book.

I must acknowledge John Neroutsos, a retired air force brigadier general, who furnished many of Teddys insightful letters written to his family around which I moulded this incredible story. It was also John to whom I turned to discuss the quandaries associated with putting together this manuscript. His wise counsel, together with the sharing of his considerable aviation knowledge, is ultimately reflected in the quality of this project.

Im grateful for the help of Philip Neroutsos, also a first cousin of Teddys, who was my first contact with Teds direct descendants. Philip, together with Teddys friend Yvonne Jukes, was my greatest supporter. Right from the start of this project they were convinced this story had to be told and recorded. Yvonne, although aging and infirm, provided many of the anecdotes associated with Teds early life.

The late Wilfried Roels, a Belgian, provided illustrations, maps, artwork and technical insight. He was undoubtedly one of the most erudite aviation and aeronautical devotees I ever had the pleasure to meet.

I am beholden to Faith Gildenhuys, a retired professor of English literature at Ottawas Carleton University, who undertook the final edit. Finally, I am very indebted to John Davies of Grub Street, who has proved to be the most understanding and considerate of publishers.

I would like to thank again the many people from around the world, many who have now passed on, who gathered the pieces for this amazing life story. Without all their effort in providing their recollections, their wartime letters, aiding in research, or sharing their photos this book would never have come to fruition. Their names can be found in the Bibliography and Sources section at the back of this book.

Finally, I must express my deepest appreciation to my beloved late grandfather, Albert Stas, for suggesting that I research Ted Blenkinsops life, and to my wife Hilde and children Frederik and Kaat, for their patience and understanding.

Preface

Edward Teddy Weyman Blenkinsop was the product of a transplanted English gentleman-turned-rancher from the Chilcotin area in the British Columbia interior and a mother whose enthusiasm as a ranchers wife belied her sheltered, cultured upbringing. Teddys childhood of hardship with the ranching life, interspersed with periods of learning, and warm, loving attention provided by his grandparents in Victoria, produced a young man with all the skills of leadership and attributes he would need to face the challenges brought on by a world in conflict.

Those who knew Teddy at that time were impressed by the dedication of this young man, mature beyond his years, who possessed all the gallant and virtuous traits of the Victorian era. It would be difficult for todays younger, post-heroic era generation to fully comprehend his idealism but, nevertheless, one cannot help but be drawn to this man by virtue of his exemplary strength of personality, his intellect, his intense professionalism and courage.

This story recounts the short life of a master pilot and his crew, as told from the perspective of a young Belgian air force officer and pilot, Peter Celis. It has a sad ending, but it is an uplifting story, which needed to be told after 50 years being dormant. It is also the story of 67 brave Belgians from Meensel-Kiezegem, whose fates were intertwined with that of Teddy. This account records the experiences and impressions of a young Canadian airman, drawn by the imperial call of duty into a global war and its fast-moving series of events. He, in the space of four short years, experienced circumstances and events, sufficient to say, one would never experience in a lifetime.

The family never fully recovered from the loss and the unknown events surrounding Teddys final months in the infamous concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. We thank Peter Celis for his dedication and persistence in determining the details to write this portrait of an air force officer and, more particularly, a story that gives a glimpse into the lives of those Canadian youth who chose voluntary service during that tremulous era, the Second World War, the greatest human event of the twentieth century.

John Rolf Neroutsos
Montreal, January 1991

Introduction

Brave men are not fearless. Brave men are ordinary men with normal fears who accomplish their dangerous duties or missions in spite of their fears. This is the story of one such man.

I must have been nine or ten years old when I first asked my grandfather about the stranger who was being remembered amidst the victims of the August 1944 raids on our hometown Meensel-Kiezegem, Belgium. Every year in August, this tiny village remembers the brutal crimes committed on August 1 and 11 by armed German troops and Flemish collaborators who encircled the community and let loose atrocious brutalities on its innocent inhabitants.