The Airmen's Stories - P/O R H Dibnah

Roland Harold Dibnah of of Winnipeg, arrived in Liverpool from Quebec on 9th May 1939 aboard the ss Athenia.

He gave his age as 19 and profession as Printer. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in June 1939 and began his elementary training on 10th July.

After completing his training, he arrived at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge, converted to Hurricanes and was posted to No 1 Squadron at Vassincourt in France on 27th April 1940.

On 29th May Dibnah was wounded in the thigh in a combat over Ochamps and made a forced-landing at Nancy. He rejoined No. 1 Squadron, then based at Tangmere, on 19th July.

On 31st August 1940 he damaged a Me110 near Chelmsford and on 6th September he destroyed a Me110 in the Kenley/Tunbridge Wells area. Dibnah was posted to 242 Squadron at Coltishall on 21st September and remained with the squadron until 30th December 1940, when he was posted to CFS Upavon, probably for an instructors course.

He is recorded as instructing at 41 OTU Hawarden in December 1943 and it must have been here that he met his future wife (below).

In January 1944 Dibnah joined 91 Squadron at Tangmere.

He transferred to the RCAF on 18th January 1945 and was released on 21st October 1947 as a Flight Lieutenant.

Dibnah died in February 1990 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.