LEPINE, Sergeant Joseph Hector Charles Auguste (R77184) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.150 Squadron - Award effective 17 April 1943 as per London Gazette dated 27 April 1943. AFRO 985/43 dated 28 May 1943. Name also rendered simply as Hector Charles Auguste. Born June 1921 at Senniville, Quebec; home in Sainte Anne de Bellvue, Quebec. Enlisted in Montreal, 16 October 1940. Trained at No.1 WS (graduated 12 October 1941) and No.1 BGS. Overseas he attended No.23 OTU, Pershore where he received lectures on escape and evasion. Subsequently commissioned (J17633). Shot down 24 April 1944 with No.617 Squadron (Lancaster DV394). Evaded for 14 days, walking on foot, reaching Rhine River at Rastatt; physically unfit to cross river and was captured, 8 May 1944. Subsequently held at Stalag Luft III, Sagan (17 May 1944 to 28 January 1945) and Stalag Luft IIIA at Luckenwalde (5 February to 2 May 1945). Released 4 March 1946. Rejoined RCAF, 16 September 1950 (121205), serving to 30 November 1970. Retired in Falconbridge, Ontario. Award presented 27 February 1947. This airman participated in operations over Europe before being posted to North Africa. He has proved himself to be an efficient wireless operator and has fully contributed to the successes achieved by his crew. Sergeant Lepine has constantly displayed courage and devotion to duty. NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/8945 has recommendation dated 25 February 1943; he had by then flown 440 hours (208 of them on operations), 229 hours in previous six months, and a total of 38 sorties: This Canadian Non-Commissioned Officer joined the squadron in July 1942, since when he has completed 38 operational sorties over Germany, Italy and Tunisia without a break. He has always proved himself to be an efficient Wireless Operator and has contributed to the successful results achieved by his crew. For his constant devotion to duty I recommend him for the Distinguished Flying Medal. The Officer Commanding, RAF Station Blida concurred on 28 February 1943, and the Air Officer Commanding, Eastern Air Command (RAF) agreed on 16 March 1943. The website ?Lost Bombers? has the following on the sortie on which he was captured. Lancaster DV394 of No.617 Squadron (KC-M), target Munich, 24 April 1944. This aircraft was delivered to No.617 Squadron on 25 November 1943. It had flown on several major operations, notable an SOE spceial target in France (16/17 December 1943, one 12,000 pound MC bomb), Special Target in France, 30/31 December 1943 (12,000 pound HC Bomb); Limoges, 8/9 February 1944 (12,000lb HC bomb); Antheor Viaduct, 12/13 February 1944 (12,000lb HC bomb); Toulouse, 5/6 April 1944; Juvisy Railyards, 18/19 April 1944; 24/25 April 1944 to Munich. When lost this aircraft had a total of 165 hours. Airborne at 2051 hours from Woodhall Spa. Homebound, shot down from 25,000 feet by a night-fighter flown by Hptm Gerhard Raht, 4./NJG3 and crashed at 0243 hours, 25 April 1944 between Tigerfeld and Aichstetten, 5 km NW of Zweifalten. Crew consisted of F/L J.L.Cooper, DFC (wounded), F/O T.W.Clarkson (POW), F/L F.E.Drew, DFC (POW), F/O G.J.Harden, DFC (killed), F/O J.H.C.A.Lepine, DFM, RCAF (POW), F/O A.E.Pelly (POW), F/O F.J.Tucker (POW). F/O J.H.C.A.Lepine, had POW number 4719.