October 4, 1944
A new letter was sent to the crew member's families on the same day as the bombing attack on the submarine base. The letter to Max Firestone read as follows:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Ottawa, Canada, 4th October, 1944.
Mr. Max Firestone
6105 Durocher Avenue
Outremont, P.Q.
Dear Mr. Firestone:
It is with deep regret that I must confirm our recent telegram informing your that your son, Warrant Officer Second Class Elliott Harvey Firestone, is reported missing on Active Service.
Advice has been received information from the Royal Canadian Air Force Casualties Officer, Overseas, that your son and the entire crew of his aircraft failed to return to their base after taking off at 12:50 a.m. on September 26th, 1944, on an anti U-Boat patrol. The last message received from the aircraft, was at 0600 A.M., which stated that they were unable to reach their base and that they were altering their course to land in Norway.
The term “missing” is to indicate that his whereabouts is not immediately known and does not necessarily mean that your son has been killed or wounded. He may have reached enemy territory and might be a Prisoner of War; and should you receive any card or letter from him please forward it at once to the Royal Canadian Air Force Casualties Officer, Air Force Headquarters, Ottawa. Inquiries have been made through the International Red Cross Society and all other appropriate sources and I wish to assure you that any further information will be communicated to you immediately.
Attached is a list of the members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who were in the crew of the aircraft, together with names and addresses of their next-of-kin. Your son's name will not appear on the official casualty list for five weeks. You may, however, release to the Press or Radio the fact that he is reported missing, but not disclosing the date, place or his unit.
Your son was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer Second Class, with effect from August 29th, 1944.
Permit me to extend to you my heartfelt sympathy during this period of uncertainty, and I join with you and the members of your family in the hope that better news will be forthcoming in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
I.E. Thompson
R.C.A.F. Casualty Officer
for Chief of the Air Staff
A new letter was sent to the crew member's families on the same day as the bombing attack on the submarine base. The letter to Max Firestone read as follows:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Ottawa, Canada, 4th October, 1944.
Mr. Max Firestone
6105 Durocher Avenue
Outremont, P.Q.
Dear Mr. Firestone:
It is with deep regret that I must confirm our recent telegram informing your that your son, Warrant Officer Second Class Elliott Harvey Firestone, is reported missing on Active Service.
Advice has been received information from the Royal Canadian Air Force Casualties Officer, Overseas, that your son and the entire crew of his aircraft failed to return to their base after taking off at 12:50 a.m. on September 26th, 1944, on an anti U-Boat patrol. The last message received from the aircraft, was at 0600 A.M., which stated that they were unable to reach their base and that they were altering their course to land in Norway.
The term “missing” is to indicate that his whereabouts is not immediately known and does not necessarily mean that your son has been killed or wounded. He may have reached enemy territory and might be a Prisoner of War; and should you receive any card or letter from him please forward it at once to the Royal Canadian Air Force Casualties Officer, Air Force Headquarters, Ottawa. Inquiries have been made through the International Red Cross Society and all other appropriate sources and I wish to assure you that any further information will be communicated to you immediately.
Attached is a list of the members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who were in the crew of the aircraft, together with names and addresses of their next-of-kin. Your son's name will not appear on the official casualty list for five weeks. You may, however, release to the Press or Radio the fact that he is reported missing, but not disclosing the date, place or his unit.
Your son was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer Second Class, with effect from August 29th, 1944.
Permit me to extend to you my heartfelt sympathy during this period of uncertainty, and I join with you and the members of your family in the hope that better news will be forthcoming in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
I.E. Thompson
R.C.A.F. Casualty Officer
for Chief of the Air Staff