METHERAL, P/O Kenneth James (J15683) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.408 Squadron - Award effective 26 December 1942 as per London Gazette dated 29 December 1942 and AFRO 232/43 dated 12 February 1943. Born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan; 20 November 1917; home in North Edmonton, Alberta; enlisted in Edmonton, 22 August 1940. To No.3 Training Command, 15 September 1940. To No.1 ITS, 28 November 1940; graduated and promoted LAC, 3 January 1941; posted that date to No.3 AOS; graduated 28 April 1941 and posted that date to No.3 BGS; graduated 8 June 1941 and promoted Sergeant. Posted that date to No.1 CNS; graduated 21 July 1941 when posted to an RAF Operational Training Unit. To overseas, 31 July 1941. Commissioned June 9 June 1942. Promoted Flying Officer, 9 December 1942. Medal presented at Buckingham Palace 23 March 1943. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 24 July 1943. Repatriated 9 November 1944. Released at uncertain date. Rejoined on Short Service Commission, 13 March 1951 (36708); period of service uncertain. Died in South Surrey, British Columbia, June 1992 as per Airforce Magazine, issue of April-May-June 1993. // As navigator this officer has taken part in many sorties including such heavily defended targets as Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg, Essen and Cologne. He has also completed many mine-laying operations. His outstanding skill, extensive knowledge and determination have contributed materially to the successes achieved. // RCAF Press Release No. 2771 dated 17 September 1943 (associated with photo portrait UK-1809) reads: // Halifax Lancaster and Stirling were new names to Bomber Command when F/L Ken Metheral (J15683), North Edmonton, Alberta, started operational flying in December 1941. Ken, an observer, did his tour in venerable twin-engined Hampdens, now relegated to minor duties in Bomber Command. He visited some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany, made two daylight sorties and nine minelaying operations. For skill and navigational efficiency during his ops career, Ken was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. // F/L Metheral left the Edmonton Bulletin in August 1940 to enlist in the RCAF. On completion of his training, he navigated a Hudson bomber on delivery to England. The zenith of Ken’s ops tour is centred on a raid on Kiel. “After that raid,” he said, “things seemed to quieten down.” // “They were making their bombing run over the harbor installations of Kiel when they were coned by searchlights. Flak poured up the beams of light, reaching out at the wildly evading Hampden. The skipper was in a steep turn when flak burst under the wing tip and flipped the Hampden over on its back,” said Ken. “We were carrying a two thousand pounder that night too.” The pilot righted the bomber, levelled out, dropped their load and dived after it. The lights followed the aircraft relentlessly right down to ground level. “The skipper levelled out at about twenty feet and we thundered out over the estuary towards the Baltic. We dared not climb or we’d lose speed and make a better target for A.A. and believe me we were going faster than Jerry ever expected a Hampden to be going. Right down on the water, we almost hit a flak ship. I guess the skipper saw it at the same time I yelled ‘up’. He lifted a wing, cleared it and we were away with the flak ship firing wildly after us.” // “Our daylight forays into Western Germany were uneventful,” continued Ken. “We’d nip in and out of the clouds, bomb our target and nip back into the clouds again.” // On their minelaying sorties they collected a few holes from flak ships lurking in the area. Only once did they have a brush with an enemy fighter. “Every time the Hun came in to attack, the skipper turned to meet him. He seemed to get tired of these tactics, fired a parting burst and left,” Ken said. // The greatest thrill of Ken’s tour was on the 1000 bomber raid to Cologne. “To look everywhere and see your own aircraft going to and coming from the target was an inspiring sight,” he said, “and apart from that, the place was burning like merry hell”. // Every time the squadron was on ops the cats in the Sergeant’s Mess were missing. “Yeah, we swiped the Mess cats for mascots,” Ken laughed. “The staff didn’t like the idea of their best mousers going on operations. Each cat had a log book and their flying time was faithfully recorded.” // After Ken finished his tour of operations, he was posted to a distant station to instruct at an operational training unit. He would often come back to his old station to visit his girl who lived nearby. He came back on December 28 last year with marriage in his eye. By this time, news had reached his old station that Ken had won the DFC. His friends, not knowing he was to be married, approached him and congratulated him on this award. Ken, not knowing he had won the gong, assumed they were marriage congratulations. Finally, an RAF lad he knew well approached him and the conversation went…. // “Congratulations old boy. How about a drink?” // “Don’t mind if I do,” Ken replied. // “As a matter of fact I think you should be buying old boy.” // “Why?” Ken. “Because I’m getting married?” // “No. Because you’re a bally hero. You’ve won a gong.” // That’s how Ken found out he had won a decoration. The citation accompanying the award reads: “As Navigator, this officer has taken part in many sorties including such heavily defended targets as Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg, Essen and Cologne. He has also completed many minelaying operations. His outstanding skill, extensive knowledge and determination have contributed materially to the successes achieved.”