576 Sqn Flt/Sgt Danny Ranchuk

The information on this page was supplied by Mrs Marlene Randal from Canada. her Father was a Rear Gunner with 576 Sqn and flew from Fiskerton.Many thanks to Marlene for supplying these images on her Father.

He was Flight Sergeant Dan Ranchuk,(later Randal,)R.C.A.F.

576 Sqn crew of F/O B H O'Neil (4th from left), Danny Ranchuk on far right. Air Bomber - F/O Haakstad , Navigator Sgt Ogilvie, WOP Sgt Smith, Flt Eng Sgt Durran, Mid upper gunner Sgt George.

Newspaper clipping from a Windsor, Ontario newspaper. These Royal Canadian Air Force recruits are shown as they prepared to leave Windsor for the manning pool. Dan Ranchuk is far left in the back row.

Danny during training at Moncton New Brunswick Canada April 1943

Crew member beside mid upper turret on the lancaster at fiskerton:Mid Upper Gunner Sgt George

(Marlene added these comments to this picture of her parents.) I believe this was mom & dad's "original" wedding picture. They were married on August 20, 1945 at the register office in Horncastle, Lincoln. She was 17 and he was 22. When mom arrived in Canada, her Romanian mother-in-law would not accept her as dad's wife until they had a church wedding blessed by the priest. At that time, they were living in my grandparent's home in Windsor, Ontario so they had to remarry in the Romanian Church in August of 1946. Grandma Ranchuck was finally happy!

The picture of mom on the ship coming to Canada:Danny's bride was issued a Canadian Travel Certificate in London, England on January 26, 1946. She left from Southampton, England on June 20, 1946 to join her husband and begin her new life in Canada. She made the voyage on a ship called the "Lady Nelson" which carried war brides and their children. Many of the travellers were seasick and Betty was one of many that had to help care for the children on board.

When Betty arrived in Canada, her Romanian mother-in-law would not accept her as Danny's wife until they had a church wedding blessed by the priest. At that time, they were living on the farm with Danny's parents in Windsor, Ontario so they had to remarry in the Romanian Church in August of 1946. Danny's mother was finally happy!

Danny with fellow sqn members and Local girls during his service at Fiskerton

Crewmember Sgt Ogilvie in 1995 with friends in his home town of Dundee enjoying a BBQ

Air crew reunion picture from the 60's.Danny 2^nd from right

Combat report relating to night fighter attack on 576 sqn lan lancaster I-Item on 23 Feb 1945, during the main force attack on the German town of Pforsheim. Having engaged the fighter at a range of 300 yards Danny fired 50 rounds of .303 calibre rounds before having a blockage preventing futher firing of the 4 browning machine guns fitted to the lancasters rear turret

The Three following files show the Sqn makeup as of 19 January 1945

The numbers bracketed after the aircrews names refer to the number of operational Tours that each airman had completed (30 operations per Tour)

The numbers unbracketed refer to the number of operations undertaken whilst at the Sqn