Frank Edward William Hanton 1920 – 2002 Last revised November 13 2019 Frank Edward William Hanton, son of Francis “Frank” William Hanton and Lillie Mawdsley, was born 18 Aug 1920 in Kenora the fifth child of Frank William Hanton born 25 Apr 1876 in Stratford, Essex, England. Frank Senior married his first wife Mary Henrietta Craig on 23 Jan 1903 in Leyton, Essex, England. They immigrated to Canada leaving the port of Liverpool and arriving in Montreal, Quebec on June 9 1907 recruited and transportation paid by the Canadian Government C.G.E. A. no 8446. They moved to Kenora and had Agnes May Frances Hanton b. 19 Mar 1908 in Kenora, m. Joseph Henry Blanchard 10 Dec 1925 in Kenora, d. 05 Apr 1988 in Pointe-Claire, Quebec William “ Ed” George Hanton b. 16 Apr 1910 In Kenora, m. Irene Mary Sinclair 15 May 1929 in Kenora, d. 20 May 1983 in Kenora Albert Hanton b. 22 Apr 1915 in Kenora , m. Joan (Surname Unknown)1943, d. 23 Aug 1999 in Thunder Bay, Ontario Charles Hanton b. 13 Nov 1917 in Kenora, m. Joan Pamela Plomer 19 Aug. 1945 England, d. 28 Mar 2001 Thunder Bay Frank’s first wife Henrietta died 31 Dec 1917 in Kenora. He married his second wife Lillian Mawdsley 28 Nov 1919 in Kenora. They had additional 5 children, Frank Edward William Hanton b. 18 Aug 1920 in Kenora, m. Joyce M. (Surname Unknown) d. 16 Apr 2002 in Regina, Saskatchewan Lloyd George Hanton b. 20 Oct 1923 in Kenora d. 24 Nov 1943 (Missing in Action) Leonard James Hanton in 03 Jul 1931 in Kenora, m. Celine Joyce, (Date Unknown) d. 20 May 1999 in Kenora Robert Melvin Hanton b. 20 May 1934 in Kenora, Ontario, d. 07 Jul 1934 Muriel Rosa Hanton b. Oct 1937. d. 15 Jan 1938in Kenora, Ontario, Canada This family grew up in a house located 623 ½ Third Street South, Kenora and played hockey on Laurenson Creek. He eventually earned a position on the Kenora Thistles Junior Hockey Team of the Manitoba Hockey League. In the1939/40 season the team won the Turnbull Cup as Manitoba Junior Hockey League Champions, the Abbott Cup as Western Junior Hockey champions and then lost to the Oshawa Generals in the Canadian Junior Hockey Championship. The following season Frank went to the Hibbing Monarchs of the International Hockey League finishing the season with 48 goals, 59 assists, 107 points and the International Hockey League’s Scoring Championship in his rookie year. He received an invitation to the Boston Bruins training camp the next season1 He entered the RCAF in Winnipeg on May 19, 1941 and Hanton graduated as a pilot from No. 13 Service Flying Training School at St. Hubert Quebec on January 16, 1942 2 By 22 October 1943, Flying Officer Hanton had destroyed at least two enemy aircraft. In Great Britain, he was assigned to Squadron 400 (“City of Toronto”), a unit specializing in tactical reconnaissance missions. It was during one of these missions that he managed to win the first victory of the unit on Mustang I, November 7, 1942. He receives the DFC whose announcement appears on October 29, 1943. 1 Research of Warren Hanton, Nephew of Frank Hanton 2 http://www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/HantonFE.htm He participated in the Dieppe Raid as well as D- Day On July 17 1944 on board an unarmed Spitfire PR XI, the PL797, he was forced to parachute above Bayeux when he was badly burned on his face, arms and legs, and had to be hospitalized for some time. He was also a member of the Guinea Pig Club, members of whom were the earliest recipients of plastic surgery during the Second World War. Once on his feet, he is assigned to Squadron 402 as Flight Lieutenant.3 He won two more successes with this unit including a confirmed victory. By the end of the war he was recognized as the top train buster in the allied forces. He destroyed 9 enemy aircraft and 54 trains 4 He was repatriated to Canada in April 1946 and left the RCAF in June. He met his wife Joyce in England. They were married in Canada in 1948. They took up residence in Lac du Bonnet Manitoba. They had three children, Lloyd, Craig and Tracy Hanton. He continued his flying career with the Manitoba Government Air Services until his retirement in 1978. He then moved to Regina, Saskatchewan where he assumed the Directorship of the Saskatchewan Government Executive and Air Ambulance service. He retired from this position in 19845 Frank was active in the Royal Canadian Legion, the Lions Club. He was active in the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association and a member of the Air Force Association of Canada. He coached minor hockey and baseball6 He was appointed Aide de Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan in 1983 and served two terms. In 1988 he was appointed Honourary Colonel of Air Command Moose Jaw training base7 He died 16 Apr 2002 in Regina, Saskatchewan and is buried in the Riverside Memorial Park, Regina. Sources Materials prepared by Celine Hanton, sister-in-law, prepared by newphew Warren Hanton https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-68865/HANTON_FRANK https://www.thehistoryhangar.ca/400-squadron-bay/Members/Profiles/sl-frank-hanton http://www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/HantonFE.htm http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2019/02/flight-officer-frank-hanton.html https://discoverlacdubonnet.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/one-of-the-great-ones/ https://www.eastgrinsteadmuseum.org.uk/patients/frank-edward-hanton/ https://kenoraonline.com/local/this-ll-be-good-coach-s-corner-from-the-thistle-rink 3 http://www.cieldegloire.com/003_hanton_f_e_w.php, accessed August 8 2019 4 Canada Veteran’s Hall of Valour, http://www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/HantonFE.htm accessed on August 8 2019 5 Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press , 22 Apr 2002, https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id- 68865/HANTON_FRANK accessed August 8 2019 6 Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press , 22 Apr 2002, https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id- 68865/HANTON_FRANK accessed August 8 2019 7 Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press , 22 Apr 2002, https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id- 68865/HANTON_FRANK accessed August 8 2019 https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official- military-history-lineages/official-histories/book-1944-rcaf-4-years.html Official History of R.C.A. See Volume 1 & 3, Download volumes and search using tag “Hanton” https://www.thehistoryhangar.ca/400-squadron-bay/Members/Profiles/sl-frank-hanton https://www.thehistoryhangar.ca/400-squadron-bay/Members/Profiles/sl-frank-hanton .