John Richard Patterson

John Richard Elbert Patterson was born on February 8, 1923 in Kemptville Ontario, to father John Richard Elbert Patterson and mother Sarah Martha Reynolds. He had dual citizenship for both Canada and England and was part of the United Church. At a young age, the family, consisting of Patterson and his older brother Douglas Elbert Patterson, moved to 378 third Ave, Ottawa, Ontario. Patterson attended Glashan Public School from 1929 to 1937 and then Glebe Collegiate Institute from 1937 to 1942. He played many sports, including hockey, skiing, basketball, swimming, golf and rugby, and was on both the senior rugby and the senior football teams. Apon attestation, he listed his hobbies as stamp collecting, and that he was interested in model aircrafts. Patterson went to MacDonald College in St-Ann, Quebec, for agricultural studies, but left within a year to enlist in the war efforts.

Patterson enlisted on December 22, 1942. On his attestation papers, he wrote he was nineteen years of age, 5’11, and weighed 161 pounds. His features were listed as blue eyes, light brown hair, and medium complexion. Patterson’s identifying mark was that he had a half-inch scar on his right cheek. His full chest expansion was 35 inches and had a range of expansion of three inches. Both his eyesight and hearing were perfect, and his teeth were listed as satisfactory. He previously had both measles and mumps. Patterson’s trade/calling was as a student; this is because he left university to enlist. He was also single and never married, most likely because of his early death. Patterson’s next of kin was his father, and he had no dependents. He asked for flying duties, which may have been inspired by his interest in model aircrafts. His previous experience came from six months at COTC (Canadian Officers Training Camp). The following names were listed under “Names of at least two persons who can give references as to character and ability”;

Patterson’s regimental number was J/93274 and he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with the rank of Pilot Officer. His training took place from June 17, 1943, to October 24, 1943. He was trained in Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto, Lachine, and Mont Joli, before going to Halifax to be sent to the war front. During this time, he was promoted to sergeant.

A close call with death happened on February 2, 1944. Patterson and his crew were in the air for five hours, returning to the base at Castle Donington (now East Midlands Airport), when the port engine caught fire. The pilot announced a landing, but the landing was faulty and before nearly touching down, there was a right hand turn (most likely due to a restricted run out). The aircraft turned over on its side, crashing and bursting into flames. Patterson received a serious cut on his head, as well as a concussion, but remained conscious. He was taken to Wymeswold Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Rauceby. He was lucky, considering all five of his crewmates died in that crash.

Patterson died on December 12, 1944, after two years of service. His aircraft, consisting of 7 crew members, crashed, bursting into flames upon making contact with the ground. The pilot (R.C. Veitch) and another air gunner (L. Hunt) were killed along with J.R. Patterson. The crew was on a mission to pursue air raid operations against Essen. All three soldiers were temporarily buried in Duesseldorf, Germany. However, they were later relocated to a British military cemetery called Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Although their bodies were never found, there are still gravestones standing in their memory. The specifics as to where Patterson was buried are plot V III, row D, grave 1.

Newspaper Clipping – Remembered on the pages of the Ottawa Journal.

Service Book

Certificate of Death

John Richard Patterson – John R. Patterson (1923-1944)

Works Cited

John Richard Elbert Patterson- The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2040993 . Accessed 1 November 2023.

“Second World War Service Files – War Dead, 1939 to 1947.” Collection Search, http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=kia&id=27765&lang=eng . Accessed 26 October 2023.

The biographies appearing on this website have been written by students, roughly the same age as the soldiers they are studying, using primary source evidence from Library and Archives Canada, in addition to primary source documents from The Virtual War Memorial on veterans.ca. We welcome any corrections or additions you may have to these biographies.

'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.

Glebe Collegiate Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada