James Lyman Eagleson

On April 12th, 1942 James Eagleson enlisted to join the army. James planned to one day become an aeronautical engineer, but once he joined the military he began training to become a pilot. He received his training in Toronto, St. Catharines and Hagersville. After he finished all his training he was enlisted into #1 Y Depot Halifax as a preserver pilot. He progressed so quickly he moved up and became a flying officer, and later on June 25th 1943 he even received a Pilot Badge. His remaining time in the military is unclear or undocumented, but it is known he had time to visit home as he married his wife one year into his service.

In Bezingham, France, a grave inscribed James Lyman Eagleson J.27715, with the epitaph 1.9.44 R.C.A.F can be found. The Civilian Cemetery at Bezingham, owned by M. Saudant, is potentially the far from home resting place of Eagleson. 

Two theories have been documented surrounding Engleson’s cause of death, with equally sufficient evidence to support both. The concrete facts are September 1st, 1944 Eagleson and his crew flew a medium bomber Mitchelle as they embarked on an air operation over Pas de Calais. Suddenly the plane was hit in the tail by heavy flak, and with the left fin practically torn off and a seriously damaged rutter the plane became unflyable. Eagleson ordered his crew, consisting of Flight Sergeant/Wireless Air Gunner Stuart Catto, Rear Gunner S.H Irvine and Navigator Jack Loudon, to bail out. 

Stories start to contradict after this point, as the interviews documented by enquiry unit, ℅ British forces in france begin to contradict each other. Two planes crashed that day, one empty and one with two bodies. It is possible that Flight Sergeant Catto and Pilot Eagleson didn’t leave in time and died on impact of the crash and explosion. Their identity cards were found near the area by civilians, which was the only form of identification given to the otherwise unidentifiable bodies. The surviving crew, Navigator Loudon and Rear Gunner Irvine, believe otherwise. They state at 4000 meters from ground level they heard Eagleson call out “Stu, over here!”,  which contradicts the belief that they died on impact. Loudon and Irvine strongly believed that Eagleson and Catto had sufficient time to jump, and that they would have.

  Information from the Maquis, who Loudon and Irvine were also being hidden by at the time, states two men fitting the description of Catto and Eagleson were seen parachuting in the area. Two men fitting their description were also seen taken prisoner by the Germans, but contradictingly the chief of Maquis as well as a villager stated no prisoners were taken. There is also reason to believe if Catto and Eagleson were taken prisoners their belongings would be taken, and potentially misplaced, explaining how a civilian could have found the identity card of the two men.

What is known, undoubtedly, is that James Eagleson saved two men that day. Though his cause of death is unclear, it is certain that F/O Eagleson is a hero, who S.H Irvine and Jack Loudon owe their lives to. His grave is the only Ally grave found on the plot, and Secretaire de la Marie located in France has pictures from his family in memoriam for him and Stuart Catto. 

'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'

- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.