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Character Bios
 Peter
Pilot
Bob
Stan
Jones
Bill Gray
Bill
Demo
Bill
Walton
Orval Blower
John Corner
Peter’s Story
Compiled by Elaine Weeks, Walkerville Publishing
Inc.
My name is Peter Buttenaar. I lived in a city
in Holland called Bossum in the west of the country, with
my parents and two older sisters. I was 15 when Operation
Manna started near the end of the Second World War. The day
the planes came I was on my way to a German garrison to steal
food. If they had caught me they would have shot me but I
didn’t
care. I was starving and my family was starving. My parents
were quite religious and we always prayed every morning.
The morning Operation Manna started, April 29, 1945, my oldest
sister had said,
“Why pray! There’s nothing on the table!”
All we had to eat were raw tulip bulbs or sugar
beets. We had been without water or heat for nine months –
from September 1944 to April 1945. It had been an extremely
cold winter.
Bill Gray and Peter
Buttenaar reunite for the first time after 51 years.
Bill was a bomb aimer in Operation Manna who waved
at Peter, a Holland teen during WWII from the Lancaster,
while on a mission to drop food in Holland. Photo
Mike Beale.
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As I was walking across a field near town on
my way to the garrison I heard the sound of heavy bombers.
I thought I was about to be bombed. I jumped into a ditch
and looked up to see two Lancaster bombers flying very low
overhead. These aircraft were so low that the lead aircraft
bombardier, the man in the nose of the aircraft, actually
waved at me.
I thought the planes were going to crash because
they were so close to the ground and going so fast. I saw
them for just a few seconds and then they were gone. I ran
home because I was so scared.
My parents told me that the planes had dropped
sacks of food in the racetrack. The food was collected by
a committee and then distributed. We had to wait one or two
more days before we got our share: chocolate, sugar, egg powder,
chocolate milk powder, and so on.
At the same time a boat had come in from Sweden
with flour. I hadn’t seen white bread in years.
I will never forget those days and how Operation
Manna saved my life, my family’s life, and so many Dutch
people.
Meeting the Bad Penny Crew
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Bill Gray, once a Lancaster
bomb aimer in Operation Manna, sitting in a familiar
place inside Windsor's own Lancaster Bomber FM 212,
while Peter looks on in Jackson Park, November 9th,
1996. Photo Mike Beale. (Roll your mouse over the image
to view a close-up of Bill) |
After the war ended, I finished school and then
ended up in the Dutch army for two years. Holland had gone
bankrupt because of the war and the government was trying
to get Indonesia back from Japan. After my service I decided
to go to Canada in 1950, not only because jobs were scarce
in Holland but more importantly, because Canada was the nation
that had liberated us. I met my wife Dolly, who is also Dutch,
in Canada.
I ended up in Ontario and became involved in
construction and land development. In the mid-1990s, I was
living in Southampton in Southwestern Ontario and I was doing
a housing development. Someone from the local paper came in
to my office to do a story about it and saw that I had a picture
on my wall of a Lancaster Bomber. I told him that it hadn’t
dropped bombs – it had dropped food. In honour of “Operation
Manna” I had named the main street into the development
“Lancaster” and seven other streets after all
the men in the Bad Penny crew.
Apparently, a couple from Windsor named Jack
and Duffy Davidson were driving along the shoreline of Lake
Huron near Port Elgin and had stopped at a convenience store
for a cup of coffee. They picked up a real estate paper about
lakefront property and cottages for sale and in it was the
story about my development and the Lancaster on my wall.
They took it back to Windsor and called Mike
Beale from the local historical aircraft group whom they had
recently met who knew a lot about Operation Manna. I recieved
a call from Mike explaining that he knew someone who flew
in the very first mission on April 29th, 1945 and that he
had dropped food near the town of Bossun.
Bob Upcott, Peter Buttenaar
and Bill Gray share good memories of Operation Manna
while in Jackson Park Nov. 9, 1996. Photo Mike Beale.
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I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I told Mike my story and then he checked with Bob Upcott,
the pilot of that first Lancaster, about the timing of their
flight. Mike called me back to tell me that Bob was definitely
the pilot on that first plane I had seen and that Bill Gray
was the bombardier who had waved at me.
I shouted, “I want to meet these guys!”
Mike Beale arranged a meeting in 1996 under
the Lancaster Bomber in Jackson Park in Windsor, Ontario.
To meet these two men and their wives after 50 years was incredible
and overwhelming. We were all laughing and crying. I was so
happy to be able to say, “Thank you.”
Today Peter Buttenaar lives with his
wife Dolly in Thedbord near Grand Bend, Ontario. They have
four children and 15 grandchildren. Peter did not discuss
the war with his children for, as he put it, “After
the war we didn’t
talk about those things until we get older and then the memories
came back. My grandchildren know more than my children about
what happened.”
Peter retired from his construction business
and now sells special fans for construction sites. Ironically,
the company is German and the majority of the employees are
Dutch.
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“Pilot Bob,”
Robert Upcott, Pilot of Bad Penny
Captain Robert F. Upcott of Windsor, Ontario,
of the RAF/RCAF was just 21 years old when he was chosen for
a special and dangerous test mission which would serve to
launch the Allies’ Operation Manna. Bob was pilot of
Bad Penny, a Lancaster bomber which, on April 29, 1945, was
loaded with sacks of flour, egg powder, powdered milk and
tins of dark chocolate intended for the starving people of
Holland.
Stan Jones, Wireless Operator for Bob and his
crew, recalls that Pilot Bob was exceedingly calm under fire
and always chewed gum during their missions. He was extremely
quick witted and on their test flight to
Holland to drop food bundles, not only did Bob
have to fly at certain times with German guns trained on them,
he had to fly through heavy clouds over England. At one point,
an American Flying Fortress appeared on the starboard wing
on a collision course. Fortunately, Bob dove and the U.S.
plane pulled up, missing a collision by inches!
After the war, Bob Upcott returned to Windsor,
where he worked for the City of Windsor. He died August 27,
2001 at the age of 78.
Bob Upcott Photo Gallery
By Bob Upcott: Pilot of the first bomber to drop food over
Holland
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Stan Jones, Wireless Radio
Operator on Bad Penny
Stan Jones served with the RAF/RCAF for two
years during WWII. In the final days of the war, when he had
just turned 20 years old, he and six other gutsy young men
were chosen for a special test mission, which would serve
to launch the Allies’ ambitious “Operation Manna.”
On April 29, 1945. Stan and his crew mates, led by Pilot Bob
Upcott, flew their Lancaster, Bad Penny, to Holland just a
few hundred feet above the heads of German gunners.
Stan served as the Wireless Operator and recalls
that the Germans “said they wouldn’t shoot –
but they wouldn’t sign any papers.” Obviously,
Stan and the crew of Bad Penny risked their lives in this
daring guinea pig mission.
The crew’s goal was to drop bundles of
food in strategic spots to help feed the Dutch. This dangerous
first mission by Bad Penny proved to be a resounding success.
Lancaster squadrons in Operation Manna were able to dispatch
6,684 tons of food supplies to the Dutch in May 1945. Jones
served 24 missions in Bad Penny.
A native of London, England, Jones moved to
Windsor in 1982 after meeting his wife Helen on previous trips,
while visiting Upcott, a Windsor native.
Stan passed away in May of 2009. A granddaughter recalls: "My Grampa Stan was the bravest man I've ever known, and yet he was also the most humble. He was an inspirational story teller, holding audiences captive with his words. As a little boy, Stan often listened to his mother play the piano for the silent movies. He remembered in detail the theatres, the people, the beautiful clothes they would wear. Even though he couldn't read music, if you gave him the name of a movie or mentioned a scene from pretty much any silent movie, he could play the piano part that accompanied it perfectly."
Fly Over For Stan (Photo Gallery)
Fly Past and Missing Man formation to honour Stan Jones.
Denis Schryer piloting the Stearman and Mary Guthrie piloting the Chipmunk.
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Flowers from Mayor Eddie Francis |
Two planes fly in tribute |
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Bill Gray
Bill Gray, known as "Wully" to his family and friends,
was born in Burnbank, Scotland, 14 July 1923, arriving in Canada in the spring
of 1931. He and his family settled in London, Ontario, as did those of his
future wife Jean a year later. Like his crewmember Bill Demo, he hinted that
he had lied about his age in order to enlist in the RCAF immediately following
his grade 10 graduation. Like many servicemen upon their return, he talked
very little about the death and destruction he witnessed on a continual basis
recounting instead the more humorous incidents from his basic training in western
Canada and later from his infrequent leaves in England, the same stories the
crew doubtless told and retold each other to keep their spirits up. The exception
was "Operation Manna". Ironically, while this was the mission that
was the most personally rewarding, it was also arguably the most dangerous
as they were effectively unarmed throughout.
Following the war, Bill returned
to London where he secured a job with the London Hosiery Mills remaining there
for 27 years before they experienced financial difficulties, were sold and
ultimately closed. After a brief but unsettling mid-life period of unemployment
Bill found work with a hardware distributor where he remained until his retirement.
While his interest in aviation continued, it was limited to his passion for
reading, attending annual air shows and Flight Crew reunions. He actually avoided
flying after his discharge and on the few occasions in which it was unavoidable,
it made him physically ill. Always active, Bill was a swimmer and lifetime
fitness enthusiast.
Less than a year after his discharge and return to London,
just as he had promised before he left, on 17 April 1946 he married Jean Taig.
They had 2 sons – Scott, who after working and raising his own family
in the Toronto area returned to London, and Richard who died at the age of
3 months. Throughout their long and happy marriage Bill and Jean were devoted
to each other. After a brief but devastating illness, Jean died on the morning
of their 51st wedding anniversary. Bill never fully recovered from her loss
and followed a few years later.
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RCAF
certificate |
RCAF
greeting card |
Bill
in Lancaster plane |
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Bill
Demo
The youngest member of the Bad Penny crew,
Bill lied about his age to join the RCAF at age 17. After
the war he returned home to St. Thomas, Ontario and, like
most veterans, found employment, married, and started a family.
He married Olive Weaver in 1949 and his daughter, Chris,
was born in 1950.
Bill worked for Canadian Timken for 37
years. He was an avid golfer and even scored 4 "holes-in-one.” He
played baseball for several years and managed and coached
his daughter’s baseball team. This included driving
around the countryside making sure everyone had a ride to
the game. Bill also loved to play pool and go to the horse
races in London, Ontario and surrounding area. He really
didn't have anything to do with aviation after the war and
rarely spoke of it however, his Bad Penny crew (who were
located in Ontario) got together at least once a year for
quite a few years after returning home. Bill passed away
at age 62 in 1986.
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F/SGT Navigator Bill Walton
When Bill Walton was 18 years old, he made
a decision which would result in the most most life changing
experience he would ever have. In February of 1943, Bill
joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. As WWII ravaged Europe,
Bill served his country as a navigator. The momentous test
flight of Operation Manna on Bad Penny would prove to be
one of his last missions; the Germans surrendered on May
8, 1945.
After the war, Bill found gainful employment
at the post office and later moved on to work for the Toronto
Board of Education until his retirement. Bill married Alma
Metcalfe in 1945 and they raised two children, Eric and June,
and four grandchildren. Thirty-five years ago, Bill met his
second wife, Shirley Reeves.
Bill has a keen interest in
reading and building models in his spare time. One of the
most memorable models was a scale model Lancaster bomber,
which resembled Bad Penny. Bill also accumulated an extensive
stamp collection and became an avid fisherman at his summer
cottage on Rice Lake.
Bill no longer had anything to do with
aviation on a professional level, except for his love of
model planes. During the test flight of Operation Manna,
Bill remembered a circle of German tanks with their guns
aimed right at them. During the entire flight he prayed to “the
big man up above” that they would not be shot down.
Bill
and Shirley live in North York, Ontario, and they still visit
Rice Lake frequently during the summer months.
(information
provided by Bill’s grandson Steven.)
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Orval (Ozzie) Blower,
Mid-Upper Gunner
Ozzie Blower of Lakeview, Ontario, was 19 when
he signed up for active duty in the Royal Canadian Air Force
in 1942. In early 1945, before Operation Manna, Ozzie was
mid-upper gunner on a bombing mission with Windsor, Ontario
native Pilot Bob Upcott and Flight Engineer Sgt. John Corner
of Manchester, England. While flying back from Cologne, France
both starboard motors were knocked out when a heavy flak
burst rocked the aircraft just as the bomb doors were closing.
The
right wing was shattered, the oxygen supply cut and the tail
plane and fuselage peppered. Upcott dove to 10,000 feet and
with wings tilted at 30 degrees, only two motors and without
electrical navigation aids, the crew pinpointed their way
across France escorted by Mustangs. Despite a tire blowout,
Upcott made a superb landing at his home airfield. Sixty-six
flak holes were counted by the shaken crew. Their Lancaster
had to be taken out of service.
As for the test flight Operation
Manna mission on Bad Penny, Ozzie says, "I was scared
I would die, knowing also that I volunteered myself for something
this dangerous. But I knew in my heart I was doing the right
thing."
After the war, Ozzie returned to Canada and
worked at a starch factory. He married June and they had
two children, (Brad and Linda), and five grandchildren. Ozzie
married Gail in 2002.
While always interested in aviation,
Ozzie had no interest in flying after the war and he never
returned to Holland.
Ozzie passed away in June of 2009. Michael Beale, past-president of the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association recalls, "Orval "Ozzie" (The Great "OZ") Blower was the mid-upper Gunner and the character of the crew. I remember Bob [Upcott] and Stan [Jones] saying he always made an effort to keep things light. Ozzie was gifted with incredible eyesight and was able to spot an enemy aircraft long before others could react."
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John Corner, DFM
As flight engineer for the "Bad Penny," John Corner was responsible for overseeing performance of the four Merlin engines mounted on the Lancaster. Hailing from Manchester, England, John was added as a crewmember when the crew was upgraded from a two-engine Wellington to the four-engine Lancaster.
The oldest member at around 35 years of age, (most of the crew were in their early 20s), John was affectionately referred to as "Pops." John left the RAF after the war, married and was a much loved Uncle to his many nephews and nieces (he was the eldest of eight). Sadly, he died in 1978 at 68. "It was quite in character that Uncle John never spoke of his courageous part in such a wonderful humanitarian effort. [In 2009] I was researching Bomber Command for his great nephews when I came across the "Bad Penny" book. It was the first my Mother (his sister-in law) and I had heard of his part in operation Manna. My Mum and I were quite delighted to find all this out. He was tremendously fond of and proud of his Canadian comrades." John's niece, Catherine McLoughlin.
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