Jack Rife Beirnes

Jack Rife Beirnes (24 November 1914 – 1 June 1945) was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader who flew Kittyhawk fighters on home defense in Canada and then commanded a squadron of Hawker Typhoons over Europe during the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar for his successes while serving with No. 438 Squadron RCAF. He lost his life in a flying accident at the end of his third combat tour.

Early life

Beirnes was born in Birtle, Manitoba, but grew up in Tofield, Alberta, where his father ran a drugstore. He was an Army Cadet in Tofield from 4 September 1927 to 22 November 1933 and liked to build model aircraft.

Pre-war, he was employed as a pipefitter, farm labourer, and for 13 years was a clerk in the Rexall drug store (his father was a pharmacist). In 1934 he applied to the RCAF but was rejected. The assessment read, "''he does not possess the nervous and physical stability necessary to withstand the stress of flying duties''". Fascinated by flying, he drove a cab in Edmonton to pay for his flying lessons. He obtained his Private Pilot's license at the Edmonton and Northern Alberta Aero Club in June 1936.

He acquired his pilot's license hoping to apply for a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force, having visited the UK in 1935 to enlist. At the time of his 1936 application he had 13.25 hours dual, 5.10 hours solo. He once again tried to enlist in the RAF in 1937 without success.

Home service

Enlistment and training

Beirnes enlisted in the RCAF on 13 April 1940 as a pilot. He did his basic training at No. 1 Initial Training School in Toronto from 29 April to 24 May 1940. Already a qualified civilian pilot with 35 solo hours and 14 dual hours, he was directly sent to No.1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. There he flew both the Harvard and Yale advanced trainers. This was followed by a multi-engine course at RCAF station Trenton, Ontario on the Avro Anson. He received his RCAF pilots wings on 30 November 1940 and was promoted to Sergeant.

Staff pilot duties

Like many other older experienced civilian pilots, Beirnes was initially used as a staff pilot in a RCAF school. He was first transferred on 1 December 1940 to No.1 Air Navigation School at Rivers, Manitoba as a staff pilot flying the twin engine Anson. He was transferred to No.2 Air Navigation School at Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick on 12 August 1941. There he kept flying the Anson for navigator trainees.

1st tour - 118 Squadron

Beirnes was promoted to Warrant Officer 2nd class on 1 December 1941 and transferred to 118 (fighter) Squadron at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on 16 December 1941. 118 Squadron flew the Kittyhawk in defense of the east coast and approaches to Halifax. In January 1942, Jack received word that his brother Donald, a Flight Sergeant pilot in the RCAF, was lost on operations overseas. He was serving with a British squadron in the Mediterranean at the time. His 82 Squadron Bristol Blenheim disappeared while in transit between Malta and Egypt on 4 January. Beirnes was commissioned to the rank of Pilot Officer on 1 June 1942.

The squadron was ordered to Alaska in June 1942 to defend against the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands. 118 Squadron Kittyhawks, along with 4 Lockheed Hudson transports carrying support personnel left Dartmouth on 6 June 1942 for an epic 4,000-mile flight to Annette Island, Alaska. The squadron arrived on station on the 25th and began armed coastal patrols. Beirnes was married to Gwendolyn (née Firth), 27, of Edmonton and together they had a son, Donald Gordon Beirnes, born on August 5, 1944. Jack and Gwendolyn were married in Edmonton on September 12, 1942. His experience and leadership were again recognised on 12 October when he was promoted to Flying officer. The squadron moved to Sea Island, British Columbia on 20 August 1943 and would remain there until ordered overseas. Beirnes was promoted to Flight lieutenant on 1 October 1943 and made a flight commander. 118 Squadron received orders for overseas and left Sea Island. Leaving their Kittyhawks behind, the 142 strong squadron crossed Canada by rail embarking on 2 November 1943 in Halifax for the sea voyage to the United Kingdom.

Overseas service

Training in the UK

F/L Beirnes disembarked in the UK on 9 November 1943 with the rest of the squadron. Once processed through the RCAF No.3 Personnel Reception Center, they were initially sent to RAF Station Digby. There, 118 Sqn was renumbered 438 to avoid confusion with other British Empire units also operating from the United Kingdom. RCAF squadrons being allocated the 400 to 449 block of numbers. The squadron moved to RAF Station Ayr in Scotland on 10 January 1944, learning to fly the Hawker Hurricane easing their upcoming conversion to the powerful Hawker Typhoon. New factory fresh Typhoons soon began arriving and training on the new aircraft progressed well enough for operational missions to begin as early as mid March.

2nd tour - 438 Squadron

Beirnes led his flight down to RAF Hurn in March when the squadron moved South in preparation for its first cross channel combat missions. He was part of the very first squadron operational mission on 20 March carrying out a fighter sweep over Guernsey. Weather permitting, the now almost daily missions soon turned to bombing pre invasion targets in France. On June 6, Jack flew 2 missions in support of the D-Day landings. The first saw him airborne by 06h55 ahead of his flight to dive bomb an enemy strong point near Thierville, the second with take off at 17h15 where he led the squadron this time for a sweep of enemy forces South of Caen