Squadron LeaderNorville
E. 'Molly' Small, DFC AFC
In
his wartime service, Squadron Leader N. E. (Molly) Small was one of the
outstanding officers of Eastern Air Command, RCAF. He served with 10(Bomber
Reconnaissance) Squadron, No.s 116, 162 and with No. 113. He was
a keen student of anti-submarine warfare and in his short operational career
he would carry out attacks on 5 submarines, more than any other EAC captain.
One of these spelled the end of U-754, the first to be sunk by an aircraft
of EAC. For his dedicated work he was awarded tbe AFC, (Air Force
Cross) and the DFC,
(Distinguished Flying Cross). The citations which follow show some of the
details of his service.
SMALL,
F/L Norville Everett (C1379)
Air Force Cross - No.116 Squadron (Canada)
Award effective 11 June 1942 as per London Gazette
dated 11 June 1942 and AFRO 1000-1001/42 dated 3 July 1942. Born at Allandale,
Ontario, 7 December 1908. Enlisted at Camp Borden, 23 May 1928. Awarded
wings at Vancouver, 2 June 1931. Spent much of the 1930s in commercial
aviation. Credited with several attacks on U-boats, summer of 1942 including
Eastern Air Command's first sinking of a submarine. AFC presented 3 December
1942. Killed in flying accident, 6 January 1943 (Canso 9737). Photos PMR
77-197, PL-6880 and PL-12610 show him.
Flight Lieutenant Small is an outstanding pilot
who has been utilized as an advanced instructor and ferry pilot most of
the time since the start of the war. He is extremely keen in all phases
of his work. He was picked to captain the Catalina which did a reconnaissance
flight around the Labrador Coast, Hudson Strait and Hudson's Bay this fall.
During the spring and summer of 1941 he made five ferry flights from Bermuda
to the United Kingdom, one of them in record time, and has completed 125
hours of flying on this type of work. He has flown a total of 1,224 hours.
This officer's devotion to duty deserves recognition, and I strongly recommend
him for the above award.
SMALL,
F/L Norville Everett (C1379)
Distinguished Flying Cross - No.113 Squadron
(Canada)
Award effective 1 January 1943 as per London
Gazette of that date and AFRO 55/43 dated 15 January 1943.
This officer has displayed outstanding airmanship,
courage and devotion to duty on operational flying in the face of the enemy
over the sea off the coast of Nova Scotia. During the last few months he
has carried out five attacks on enemy submarines carrying armament considerably
superior to that of the aircraft. Three of these attacks were successful;
two of the successful attacks were made within a recent period of six days
on fully surfaced submarines with their decks manned.
In the course of 335 hours operational flying
during the last four months, this officer has on several occasions distinguished
himself by his initiative and by the completion of difficult tasks under
adverse weather conditions; in particular he has been of prime assistance
in effecting more than one sea rescue of survivors of sunken or damaged
vessels.
In early 1942 the RCAF decided to form a unit
at Yarmouth and equip it with Consolidated PBY-5A Cansos which were now
being produced in Canada. These aircraft had a much longer range than the
Lockheed Hudsons of 113 (BR) presently located there. The new unit was
commanded by Flight Lieutenant N. E. “Molly” Small and the initial air
and ground crews were supplied by 10 (BR) Squadron, which was still flying
Douglas Digbys from Gander.. It was designated 10(BR) Detachment.
The
arrival at Yarmouth of the new Detachment Commander on 20 March, 1942
was not as dignified as he might have wished. Canso 9750 landed first without
incident, but 9749, flown by F/L Small, suffered a nose wheel collapse
and finished its landing run on the main wheels and the nose. Fortunately,
little damage was done and it was not long before the aircraft was ready
to fly again. Canso 9748 arrived a few days later and by April 1st the
unit was ready to commence operational patrols.
It was not long before contact
with the enemy was made and it was by F/L Small and crew, once again in
CANSO 9749. On April 28 they sighted a U-boat cruising with 6 to 8 feet
of the conning tower above the surface.As the submarine submerged Small
dove in to attack from low level and dropped his depth charges. Unfortunately
only two of the four released. Although traces of oil and debris came to
the surface, it is doubtful if much damage was done. In his report Small
wrote, " The captain of the aircraft feels
that though the possibility of a clean kill is not very strong, he is certain
that he definitely made their back teeth "
The official existance of
10(BR) Detachment came to an end on 18 May 1942 and it was designated 162(BR)
Squadron, effective 19 April. at the end of the month F/L Small was appointed
to the acting rank of Squadron Leader.He would remain with 162 for just
one month and on 18 June he was named Officer Commanding 113(BR), also
located at Yarmouth, operating Lockheed Hudson aircraft.
S/L Small had influence on EAC in another way. It
was on his iniative that they adopted the new scheme of white undersurfaces
and fuselage for their aircraft, similar to that of Coastal Command of
the Royal Air Force. CANSO 9749, pictured here, returned from repairs carried
out at Dartmouth, "looking very glamourous
in its new camouflage".
He was not long in his new command before he once
again engaged the enemy. On 31 July, 1942 he took off in a Hudson to patrol
an area south east of Cape Sable. He spotted a U-boat running on the surface
three miles ahead and dived in to attack. He dropped four depth charges
which straddled the submarine forward of the conning tower as the vessel
began to submerge.The U-boat attempted to resurface, but went down again.
Soon an underwater explosion sent U-754 to the bottom with the loss of
all hands.Small had scored the first kill for EAC.
U-754
Type
VIIC
Laid Down 8 Jan 1940,
Kriegsmannewerft, Wilhelmshaven
Commissioned - 28 Aug, 1941
Commanders - Aug, 41 - Jul,
42, Kptlt. Hans Oestermann
Career - 3 patrols, 28 Aug,
41 - 30 Nov, 41 5 Flotille
(training)
1 Dec, 1941 - 31 Jul, 1942 1 Flotille
(front boat)
Successes - 13 ships sunkfor
a total of 55,659 tons, 1 ship damaged for a total of 490 tons
Fate - Sunk 31 July, 1942
in the North Atlantic in position 43.02N, 64.52W, by a Canadian Hudson
aircraft
(RCAF Sqdn. 113). 43 dead (all hands lost)
Hans Oestermann
Born on 19 May, 1913 in Bremervörde.
Crew 1933. Kapitänleutnant (1 Dec, 1940).
Died on 31 Jul, 1942, north-east of Boston, USA
For the remainder of 1942,
113(BR) Squadron was engaged mainly in operations against the U-boat menace
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During this time S/L Small is credited with
three more submarine attacks, but none of them proved to be successful.
At years end, although still OC 113 Squadron, he was in Gander
. Under the direction of Squadron
Leader N.E. Small, 113 (BR) Squadron’s innovative Commanding Officer, No.
5 (BR) crews worked to extend the range of their Canso A's beyond their
normal 500 mile (830 km) range by stripping their aircraft of excess weight,
including extra guns, ammunition and stores. Without the blister guns,
they needed only two wireless air gunners, (WAGs), instead of the usual
three. In all, about 1200 pounds (540 kg) were removed, which permitted
the Canso A's to operate out to about 700 miles (1170 km).
Iin this endevour, he took
off on 7 January, 1943, in CANSO 9737, belonging to 5(BR). His crew,
all members of 162(BR), were F/O A. M. Tingle, 2nd pilot - F/Sgt. J. T.
Mangan, WAG - F/Sgt. D.L. Hudson, WAG - F/Sgt J.E. Banning, WAG - Sgt.
H.E White, F/Eng. - Sgt. W.H. Wilson, F/Eng
.
The aircraft crashed shortly
after takeoff. Banning and Wilson were the only survivors.
Small's tragic and untimely
death ended a very promising career in the RCAF. He was a leader EAC could
ill afford to lose.