SPOONER, LAC Kenneth Gerald (R179314) - George Cross - No.4 AOS -Award effective 28 December 1943 as per London Gazette dated 7 January 1944 and AFRO 166/44 dated 28 January 1944. Born in Smith Falls, Ontario, 24 May 1922; educated there. Worked as a civil service clerk, 1940-41, and a rodman for Canadian Pacific Railway, 1941-42. Enlisted in Montreal, 31 July 1942 and posted to No.5 Manning Depot. Kitted at No.5 Manning Depot, Lachine; on strength of No.4 Manning Depot, Quebec, 11 September to 7 November 1942. To No.5 ITS, Belleville, 7 November 1942; graduated and promoted LAC, 23 January 1943; taken on strength of No.4 AOS, London, 6 February 1943. Killed 14 May 1943. Medals with Canadian War Museum (AN 19880031-001). Incident occurred 14 May 1943, 1845 hours (Anson 7064). In fact, there were three fatalities, not two as suggested by citation. Crew was: PILOT - Sergeant D.A. Nelson (R137915), missing. WOPAG - Sergeant W.J. Brown (R132466), missing. AB UNDER TRAINING - LAC J.A. Curtis (R151200), uninjured. NAV UNDER TRAINING - LAC K.G. Spooner (R179312), missing. NAV UNDER TRAINING - LAC R.H. Bailey (R179709), uninjured. Buried in Smith Falls, where a high school was named for him in 1949. This airman, a student navigator with no pilot training, displayed great courage, resolution and unselfishness in the face of harassing circumstances when the pilot of the aircraft fainted at the controls. While other crew members were vainly trying to remove him from his seat he temporarily regained consciousness and froze on the controls, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly. Immediately after the pilot became indisposed, Leading Aircraftman Spooner, with extreme coolness and courage, assumed charge, ordered the remainder of the crew to bail out while he took over the controls and endeavoured to keep the aircraft at safe height. Three members of the crew bailed out as instructed and shortly after the aircraft crashed, carrying the unconscious pilot and Leading Aircraftman Spooner to their death. The crash occurred approximately one hour after the pilot had lost control. This airman, with complete disregard for his personal safety and in conformity with the highest tradition of the Service, sacrificed his life in order to save the lives of his comrades. NOTE: Given the brevity of his career, there was little opportunity for him to be assessed. The remarks of interviewers at No.13 Recruiting Centre on 21 July 1942 are therefore worth recording: 20 years of age. Good type of young man. Fairly good in maths. Two years physics and chemistry. Serious, good health. Drives a car. Has the big urge to be a pilot. Good physique, manner fairly pleasant; now employed as Rodman for CPR. Athletics rugby, basketball, Appears like good material for aircrew. The description of him from No.5 ITS is also interesting. He placed 19th in a class of 77 and his marks in some subjects were amazing - 99 percent in mathematics, 78 percent in armament, 145 out of 150 in signals, 95 out of 150 in navigation. He has scored 72 percent in airmanship (theory of flight, engines), 73 percent in drill, 85 percent in law and discipline, 80 percent in meteorology, 95 percent in aircraft recognition but only 72 percent in an anti-gas course. The examining officer recommended him for navigator (alternate, bomb aimer) and wrote of him: Very quiet personality, steady worker with a good fund of common sense. Mature for his age, cooperative and well disciplined.