# Lest we forget. F/O Clifford G Jessup AFC CD



## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

With Remembrance Day just around the corner, I thought this might be a appropriate time to post this.
I was in Red Deer and paid a visit to the local surplus store and found this tunic at the end of a rack full of DEU's.







A little patience and a good research contact and I came up with the owner.


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## 17thRecceSgt (10 Nov 2006)

Looks like an AirNav set of wings.

AFC?


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Though not one of the "Glory boys" flying fighters and racking up kills and fame, nor one of the "Bomber boys" bringing it deep into the lair of the beast. He fought the war by flying countless hours in what would have to have been mind numbing patrols, probably interspersed with moments of terror flying through weather systems in the North Atlantic.

Clifford Gerald Jessup was born in Cache Bay, Ontario on the 3rd of Nov 1916.

Cache Bay is situated on the shores of Lake Nipissing. It gets its name from early voyageurs because the spot was a natural hiding place for fur traders to "cache" their supplies. There are many camps, lodges and outfitters around the lake as well as on the French River System, which flows down to Georgian Bay. The Sturgeon River House Museum, 4 km off Hwy. 17 between Sturgeon Falls and Cache Bay, is an actual site of a Hudson's Bay post (1848-1879) located on the west bank of the river, 1 km from Lake Nipissing.


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Civilian occupation prior to enlistment, he worked as an underground driller in a mine, it might explain his joining up in 1941 as he was probably waiting for "Rosie the riveter" to show up and relive him. A typical canadian - like's to play hockey


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

He joined up at North Bay.


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

First part of his service record 10.1.41 to 18.5.44, Some of it blacked out for some reason, from 10.7.42 till 25.3.43. He was with 119 Sqn, and 120 Sqn, flew to the US a fair bit. Floyd Bennet Field was one stopover. 

Floyd Bennett Field was an important US Naval Air Station during World War 2. It was an embarkation point for newly manufactured Naval aircraft. The field was also the home of many operational combat units including several long-range anti-submarine patrol squadrons. http://www.geocities.com/floyd_bennett_field/ww2.html.[/URL] 












WAVE Operating Radio Equipment at the Control Tower
at NAS New York during World War 2 (Official US Navy Photo)


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

A different section shows he was with 119 Sqn during that time


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

The later part of the war..went to Bermuda lots, 

Kindley Field is now Bermuda's main airport. 
The airfield was intended to be a joint US Army/Royal Air Force facility, to be used by both primarily as a staging point for trans-Atlantic flights by landplanes. When the US Army occupied the area, it created Fort Bell. 
The next two years were spent levelling Longbird Island, and smaller islands at the North of Castle Harbour, infilling waterways and part of the harbour to make a land-mass contiguous with St. David's Island. This added 750 acres to Bermuda's land mass, bringing the the total area of the base to 1,165 acres. The airfield was completed in 1943, and known as Kindley Field, for Great War aviator Field E. Kindley. 
Most of the base was taken up by the US Army Air Forces. The Western end of the airfield was taken up by the RAF. RAF Air Transport Command, formerly based at Darrell's Island, re-located to the landplane base, leaving only RAF Ferry Command operating on Darrell's Island.


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

For service in WW2 he was awarded the Air Force cross
How he is listed in the Air Force Association of Canada's Honours and Awards section:

JESSUP, P/O Clifford Gerald (J46883) - Air Force Cross - Eastern Air Command Meteorological Flight - Award effective 21 April 1945 as per London Gazette dated 24 April 1945 and AFRO 802/45 dated 11 May 1945. Born in Cache Bay, Ontario, 3 November 1916. Enlisted in North Bay, 9 January 1941. Went to No.1 Manning Depot (19 March to 24 April 1941) and No.4 Manning Depot (25 April to 4 May 1941). Trained at No.1 WS, Montreal (24 June to 7 November 1941; graduated 8 November 1941) and No.3 BGS (graduated 8 December 1941). To No.120 Squadron (17-20 December 1941) and No.119 Squadron (30 December 1941 to 6 October 1943). To Station Yarmouth, 6 October 1943 to 24 September 1945. Served in postwar RCAF. AC2, 9 January 1941; LAC, 25 July 1941;Sergeant, 8 December 1941; FS, 8 June 1942; WO2, 8 December 1942; P/O 20 March 1943; F/O 20 September 1944. Governor General's Records (RG.7 Group 26 Volume 58, file 190-I, dossier 6) has citation. When recommended he had flown 2,020 hours, 824 of them operational (168 sorties).

His citation

Throughout a long period on operational and meteorological flying this officer has proved himself to be a most efficient and resolute wireless operator and crew member. He has flown hundreds of hours on operational and meteorological flights under difficult and hazardous weather conditions and has at all times demonstrated his keenness and devotion to duty which is worthy of the highest praise.

A copy of the Globe and Mail for 22 Apr 1945 with him listed for the award of the Air Force Cross


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Air Force Cross (AFC) 

Terms
The cross is awarded to an officer or a Warrant Officer for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, but not while in active operations against an enemy.

Bar
A bar is awarded for an additional act which would have warranted the AFC. The straight slip-on silver bar has an eagle in the centre. The year of the award is engraved on the reverse.

Description
A silver cross (1.625" across), shaped as a thunderbolt in the form of a cross, the arm terminates with a bomb. The cross is surmounted by another cross composed of aeroplane propeller blades, with the ends of the four blades enscribed with the Royal Cypher. For the WWII DFCs the letters G (top), R (left), VI (bottom), and I (right) and for the Korea DFCs E (top), II (left), R (right), and the bottom blank. The top arm is ensigned by an Imperial Crown.

Obverse
In the centre of the obverse is a roundel displaying Hermes, mounted on a hawk in flight, bestowing a wreath.

Reverse
Within a central circle, the current Royal Cypher (GV, GVI, EIIR) above the date 1918. The year of award appears on the lower arm.

Mounting
A small link at the top of the crown attaches to a slot in two sprigs of laurel firming the underside of a straight clasp.

Ribbon
The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide, and consists of alternating red and white stripes (0.125 wide) leaning to the left at 45 degrees from the vertical. The red colour is to appear in the bottom left and upper right corners when viewed on the wearer's chest. Until 1919, the stripes were horizontal. 

Naming
The medals are issued unnamed.

Dates
The award was established on 03 June 1918, the birthday of King George V.

Issued
First World War: 70 to Canadians in the RAF
Second World War: 428 to RCAF 1 bar to RCAF (S/L John HONE, AFC*) 34 to Canadians in the RAF (no bars)
Korea: 4 to RCAF (EIIR types)
Post War: 22 to RCAF (11 GVI and 11 EIIR) 2 to Canadians in the RAF 2 bars to Canadians in the RAF


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Receipt for his WW2 medals


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Here is a photo of him after the war
P/O C.G. Jessup AFC


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

He re-upped after the war and continued with the RCAF


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

His TD sheet with the flights into Japan and I would guess Korea??? during that conflict. Haneda AFB is now the Tokyo Airport.


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

About this time he decided to get married
F/L and Mrs C.G. Jessup of Cache Bay Ont, sign the register shortly after being joined together in holy matrimony at the RCAF chapel, Rockcliffe, 15 Mar 1952


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Some final postings. Placed on the retired officers list 2.1.63


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Commands and experience


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Honours and awards:


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

UN Service Medal card


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Service Award card


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Length and types of service engagements


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Just because their not well known doesn't mean their not hero's in my book. This man certainly did a great service to our country and much more!

Thanks for looking at a piece of our history.


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## 17thRecceSgt (10 Nov 2006)

Larry Strong said:
			
		

> Just because their not well known doesn't mean their not hero's in my book. This man certainly did a great service to our country and much more!
> 
> Thanks for looking at a piece of our history.



Thanks for taking the time to post all that.  As my father was one of those Air Force types that go unnoticed or unmentioned too, I appreciated it.

How did you get your hands on all the documentation?

I can't believe his tunic ended up in a surplus store....


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## larry Strong (10 Nov 2006)

Hi Mud Recce Man.
Thank you. 
Actually I lost out on his parade uniform, complete with trousers and forage cap. From what I have learned his medals disappeared during the move from his residence to the Seniors Lodge.

The documentation was retrieved for me by a man named Arnie Kay.

He can get doc's on DND and RCMP. If any one would like his e-mail please PM me. His average turn around is about 30 days and in the neighborhood of 30-35 Can
Here is what I got, there was about 18 pages and 2 photo's.


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## OldTanker (11 Nov 2006)

Excellent work, and so timely. I grew up as an Air Force "brat" and remember well WWII veterans like F/L Jessup (and my father, for that matter). Perhaps not heroes in the classic sense, but they did their duty, and did it well. We can be proud of them all. Thank you for sharing this with us.


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## Paul Gagnon (11 Nov 2006)

Awsome thread, great research! Thanks for posting this.


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