The son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Denomy of Pegley Street, Chatham, ON. It was reported that the Chatham city council was to arrange an official reception to honour “the gallantry of the courageous young Chatham officer”. CDN 25/07/44.  

LAC Denomy R 101730 trained at Brandon, Dauphin MB, Regina SK and Vancouver BC., and had his “Wings Parade” at Yorkton SK. He received his commission as a Pilot Officer at Charlottetown, PEI. where he received additional training in advanced navigation. It was reported that P/O Denomy spent a furlough in Chatham in May of 1942.

Bernard  completed his course in sea navigation and Naval reconnaissance with honours at Charlottetown and had a furlough to visit family and fiends in Chatham. He departed Chatham to return to Charlottetown to resume his duties. CDN 22/08/42. In December of 1942 P/O. Denomy was preparing to leave his parents home after spending Christmas in Chatham. He was returning to RCAF station at Summerside, PEI. CDN 30/12/42

CDN 18/05/42. Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Hinnegan had a going away party for P/O Denomy before he left for Charlottetown at their summer home at Erie Beach, also in attendance were Corporal Maurice Doyle and Sergeant Pat Drohan also leaving to rejoin their units at Carling Heights, London and the Pacific coast respectively.

Served in Canada three years and two months. Went overseas and served in Iceland, Scotland, Ireland and England. Promoted to Aircraftman to Flight Lieutenant. Was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the 1939 to 1945 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Pacific Star and the C.V.S.M. and one wound Stripe.

The sinking of the German submarine U1225 at 63.00. North / 00.50West as follows:

While flying in a Canso flying boat (9754-P) piloted by Capt. David Ernest “Bud” Hornell attached to 162 Sqd. RAF Coastal Command at Reykjavik, Iceland.

After 10 hours of patrolling over the North Atlantic without seeing anything they were on the way back to base 1,000 miles away when they spotted a surfaced German submarine travelling at high speed. 

‘Action Stations’ was immediately sounded and the crew prepared for an attack. The Submarine made a quick alteration to starboard and opened fire on the Canso. A jammed forward machinegun finally responded in the Canso raking the conning-tower killing most of the crew there.

However canon fire from the submarine had ripped two gaping holes in the starboard wing of the Canso and had set the engine and main plane on fire. Additional strikes made the aircraft increasingly difficult to control.    

The weather beginning to worsen but the sub did not try to submerge but altered course and opened a fierce and accurate fire on the aircraft.

Hornell’s perfect depth-charge straddled U1225 from 50 feet above the submarine. The explosion lifted the bow of the submarine out of the water. The crew of U1225 jumped or were thrown overboard and the U1225 sank quickly.

When the crew ditched the sea was very rough and one of the two dinghies blew up so the crew was down to only one. The crew of the Canso spent 21 hours awaiting rescue. F/L Hornell lost his life when he gave up his place in the dinghy to a wounded crew member and for the attack on U1225 he was awarded the Victoria Cross.  

The dinghy was spotted after five hours of search but the sea was too rough for a landing. A rescue call had been put out to ships at sea. An aircraft after many hours was able to drop a lifeboat but the wind blew that away and the crew after so many hours in the cold lacked the strength to try to recover the lifeboat.  

Finally a small rescue ship arrived after twenty-one hours to retrieve the crew of the downed aircraft. Hornell did aboard the rescue ship four hours of being rescued. 

Flt. Lieut. Denomy was reported in the CDN 20/12/44 he had received his Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his actions “When as co-pilot to the late Flt. Lieut. David Hornell the only Victoria Cross winner of this war, they carried out a successful attack on a German U-boat near Iceland after flak from the submarine had shot out one engine of the Catalina / Canso flying boat and set fire to the right wing. The crew spent 22 hours adrift before being picked up. Hornell and two crew members died of exposure before being rescued.   

Bernard arrived in Chatham in time to spend New Years 1945 with his wife at their home at 223 Grand Ave., Chatham.  The CDN 8/06/45 reported that Bernard had arrived in Chatham from Halifax to spend a short leave with his wife and his parents.

The CDN 19/09/44(P) reported that FO. Denomy had been appointed to the Personal Staff Officer to Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Air Vice Marshal A. O. Johnson VD MC. In Halifax.

 Still active in Service (June 10th, 1946)

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards

1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Pacific Star

Birthplace	Chatham, Ontario
Religion	Roman Catholic
When Enlisted	July 7th, 1941
Next of Kin	Mother- Mrs. Annie Denomy

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