LARDEN, FS Alan William Jessup (R90883) - Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) - No.218 Squadron - Award effective 4 August 1943 as per London Gazette dated 24 September 1943 and AFRO 2386/43 dated 19 November 1943. Born in North Bay, Ontario, 2 August 1916; home there (telephone worker); enlisted North Bay 27 June 1941 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To ?H?, 3 August 1941. To No.3 ITS, 13 September 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 19 October 1941 but not posted to No.8 AOS until 9 November 1941; to No.4 BGS, 14 February 1942; ; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 28 March 1942; posted that date to No.2 ANS; graduated 11 May 1942 and posted next day to ?Y? Depot. To RAF overseas, 31 May 1942. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 28 September 1942; promoted WO2, 18 March 1943. Commissioned 29 September 1943. Promoted Flying Offiver, 29 March 1944. Repatriated 28 October 1944. Retired 8 February 1945. Died in North Bay, Ontario, 21 December 1994 as per Royal Canadian Legion ?Last Post? website and Legion Magazine of April 1995. Bomb aimer to FS A.L. Aaron, VC. See his article, \"Getting There Was No Fun at All\", Airforce, Volume VII, No.3 (September 1983). One night in August 1943, this airman was the bomb-aimer of an aircraft detailed for an operation against Turin. Whist over the city the bomber was subjected to accurate bursts of fire from an enemy fighter. The windscreen was shattered, the front and rear turrets were put out of action while three engines were hit, one of them being rendered useless. The navigator was killed and the pilot was wounded and lay slumped over the controls. He was removed from his position and Flight Sergeant Larden coolly took over the controls. The aircraft was down to three thousand feet and the bombs were released. Flight Sergeant Larden realized that he would be unable to gain height sufficiently to cross the Alps so decided to make for North Africa without navigator and flying a crippled bomber. The situation was serious, but displaying outstanding skill and determination, this airman succeeded in reaching an airfield in Tunisia; although he had never previously landed an aircraft, Flight Sergeant Larden came down perfectly with the undercarriage retracted. In the face of extreme peril this airman displayed courage, coolness and resource of a high order.