It was a crowded, dangerous sky over Europe during the war, especially at night.
Not only did you have to look out for night fighters, avoid searchlight locations, and pray your way through flak barrages, an eye had to be kept out for your own side’s aircraft in the long bomber streams.
Thus, our story.
When the war began, the city of Calgary, Alberta, responded in huge numbers, sending its young men and women into the army, air force, and navy.
Some gained great fame, such as Terry Taerum, who was Guy Gibson’s navigator on the Dam Busters Raid. Most others did their duty as quiet, unknown heroes.
Ernie Applegate was born into a large family in 1923, to Charles and Florence Alice. There were three brothers, and five sisters.
Dad was a steam fitter at Western Printing and Lithograph, and he and his wife brought the family up at 909 Second Avenue NW, near the Bow River.
Ernie lived a regular life for the time, helping his family battle through the Depression, attending Hillhurst Junior High, and Western Canada High. He loved all sports, listing hockey, football, and swimming as things he did “extensively.”
If you look closely at the Attestation Sheet young Applegate filled out for the Royal Canadian Air Force, in May of 1941, something jumps out. Section 26 shows he chose to be an air gunner. This may have been out of interest; quite often it was because gunner meant getting into combat quickly.
Going through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, he earned an AG brevet and headed to England where Ernie would join a mixed Canadian/British crew and be assigned to the famous No. 12 Squadron.
Avro Lancaster III (ED 714) took off from Wickenby on the 13th night of April, 1943, heading for the port of La Spezia, Italy (about 60 km south of Genoa). It was one of the longest trips in Bomber Command, and included a flight over the Alps.
Pilot Wilf Fuller and his crew (including Applegate) were on one of 208 Lancs, and three Halifaxes, in the attack, one listed as successful. Three aircraft damaged over the target kept going south to land at airbases in North Africa, while the rest turned for home.
Somewhere near Le Mans, France, with eggs and bacon not too far ahead, ED714 collided with Lancaster W4828 (No. 103 Squadron), and they fell to the ground, taking the crews with them.
Killed in ED714 were Fuller, Applegate, Edward Bakeman, Charley Clay, Ed Dynarski, James Mulligan, and Frank Sayers.
Killed in W4828 were pilot Edward Lee-Brown, George Houliston, James Smart, James Toon, James O’Brien, Stan Moseley, and Andrew Munn.
Per Ardua ad Astra to these brave young men.
