Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Danny Rycroft fonds |
| Reference code: | 0292 |
| Date: | 1941-1997 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 1 cm textual records
57 photographs |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processed by Karen Burgess, August 2008 Added to new database June 2024 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
Daniel Rycroft was born in Spirit River on October 24, 1923 to Helen and Robert Henry Rycroft. In 1928 the family left the area to eventually reside in Smoky Heights where Danny took all of his school. In November 1942, shortly after his eighteenth birthday, he enlisted in the RCAF. He was on duty overseas in 1944 when he was reported missing in action. A month later his mother received news that he was alive. His plane had been forced down but he had bailed out and had been taken in by a French family. The French underground were able to assist his return to England where he was hospitalized for a fractured spine and ribs. After returning home, he married Violet Spry in May 1945. They raised a family of six children: Loraine, Greg, Bill, Neil, Jean, and Jack. Danny became a grain buyer for National Grain Co. and then Alberta Wheat Pool for eighteen years. In 1974 he went to work for the County of Grande Prairie. Danny Rycroft died on April 13, 2011.
Custodial history
The records were donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by Danny Rycroft in 2008.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of Danny’s memoirs (highlighting war time career during World War II and his return visit to France in 1997), 57 photographs scanned from two of his albums, a digital copy of one album, photocopies of two other albums, newspaper articles (most of them photocopies), and a silk map of Europe.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Conditions governing use
Photographs were donated as digital files of varying quality. Not all photographs are suitable for reproduction.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)
- Cartographic material (documentary form)
- Military (subject)
Table of contents
0292.01, Danny Rycroft Personal Stories, 1944-1997
0292.02, Photographs, 1941-1997
Series descriptions
| Series 0292.01: Danny Rycroft Personal Stories
Date: 1944-1997 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of Danny’s memoirs (highlighting war time career during World War II and his return visit to France in 1997), photocopies of two albums, newspaper articles (most of them photocopies), and a silk map of Europe. Physical description: 1 cm textual records 1 map Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) • Cartographic material (documentary form) |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0292.01.01 | Item – Danny Rycroft’s Silk Map | 1944 | 72 x 72 cm |
| Scope and content:
The silk map (worn as a scarf) contained details of roads, terrain and borders through Belgium, Germany, France, Holland, Switzerland. It helped airmen who survived being shot down find their location and try to make their way to friendly territory. |
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| Series 0292.02: Photographs
Date: 1941-1997 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of digital copies of 57 photographs related to Danny’s World War II experience and his 1997 reunion with the French family who harboured him after his plane was shot down in 1944. Physical description: 57 TIFFs Access points: • Graphic material – photograph (documentary form) Conditions governing use: Photographs were donated as digital files of varying quality. Not all photographs are suitable for reproduction. |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0292.02.01 | Item – 1649 Aircraft A. Gray R.C.F. |
ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
1649 R.C.A.F. – World War II fighter plane. |
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| 0292.02.02 | Item – R.C.A.F. Crew | [1944] | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
R.C.A.F. Crew: Top Row: John Kinsey (Engineer), Pop Powel (Mid Upper Gunner), Will Nesbit (Wireless Operator). Jack Porter (Pilot) Bottom Row: David Jones (Navigator), Dan Rycroft (Rear Gunner), Mickey McLeod (Bomb Aimer) |
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| 0292.02.03 | Item – Local Boys Who Enlisted | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
“Local” boys who enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. |
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| 0292.02.04 | Item – Wireless Operator | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Wireless Operator, Will Nesbit. |
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| 0292.02.05 | Item – Original Crew of Five | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
R.C.A.F. – Original crew of five, Danny Rycroft is second from the right. |
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| 0292.02.06 | Item – Home on Christmas Leave | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Home on a Christmas leave in Sexsmith. Picture taken at Sexsmith Train Station. From Left: Ross, Hawkstead, J. Johnson, Danny Rycroft, Sorken |
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| 0292.02.07 | Item – Crew from First Course | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Royal Canadian Air Force Crew on their first course. |
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| 0292.02.08 | Item – C- Patrol | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Sam Rycroft ( Dan’s brother) is front row second from left. |
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| 0292.02.09 | Item – Air Gunner Graduation | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Quebec graduation as Air Gunners. Danny Rycroft is third from the left. |
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| 0292.02.10 | Item – Bessent Twins | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Bob and Bill Bessent. |
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| 0292.02.11 | Item – Crashed Lancaster | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
September 16, 1944 photograph of Dan in front of the Lancaster that crashed August 25, 1944. |
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| 0292.02.12 | Item – Boult-Aux-Bois | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Boult-Aux-Bois village next to Belleville-Sur-Bar. |
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| 0292.02.13 | Item – Street Scene | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Street in French town. |
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| 0292.02.14 | Item – Belleville-Sur-Bar | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Belleville-Sur-Bar from Rene Bocquet. |
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| 0292.02.15 | Item – Burial Place of 7 Crew Members | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Arial photograph of the cemetery where 7 of the crew members from “S” crew were buried. Cemetery is between Boult-Aux-Bois and Belleville-Sur-Bar. |
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| 0292.02.16 a-g | Item – Grave Markers for the Crew of Seven | n.d. | 7 TIFFs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Photographs of the original grave markers and grave site for the 7 crew members. |
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| 0292.02.17 | Item – Rene Bocquet | 1959 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Rene Bocquet, photographed on July 6, 1959 (Robert and Germaine Bocquet’s son). The Bocquets hid Danny Rycroft after his plane crashed in France. |
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| 0292.02.18 | Item – Rene Bocquet | ca. 1950 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Rene Bocquet (Robert and Germaine Bocquet’s son). The Bocquets hid Danny Rycroft after his plane crashed in France. |
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| 0292.02.19 | Item – Children Placing Flowers on Graves | ca. 1950 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Local children putting flowers on the graves of the 7 crew members. |
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| 0292.02.20 | Item – The Bocquets and Dan Rycroft | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
(From left) Germaine Bocquet, Dan Rycroft, Robert Bocquet in Bellville-Sur-Bar, September 1944. |
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| 0292.02.21 | Item – The Bocquets and Dan Rycroft | 1986 | 1 TIFF : colour |
| Scope and content:
From left : Robert Bocquet, Dan Rycroft, Dr. Rene ? , Germaine Bocquet, in Belleville-Sur-Bar. |
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| 0292.02.22a, b | Item – The Bocquets House | 1986 | 2 TIFFs : colour |
| Scope and content:
Bocquets house in Belleville-Sur-Bar where Dan Rycroft was hidden in 1944. Upstairs window shows the room where Dan was hidden. |
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| 0292.02.23 | Item – French Girls on a Woodpile | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
From left: Yvette Garrer, Amie Marie Moffit, Denise Debourer (Mayor’s daughter). |
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| 0292.02.24 | Item – Danny Rycroft and the Bocquets | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Danny Rycroft (center), with Germaine and Robert Bocquet September 19, 1944, right before Dan left for England. |
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| 0292.02.25 | Item – Friends of Danny Rycroft | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Back of photo states: “a l’aviateur Canadien Daniel.” |
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| 0292.02.26 | Item – Friends of Danny Rycroft | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Back of photo states: “Pierre Garrec, Jean Garrec, Vive le Canada.” |
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| 0292.02.27a, b | Item – Dan with Local Residents | 1944 | 2 TIFFs : b&w |
| Photos of Dan Rycroft with local residents. Lady is Denise (Mayor’s daughter) and a Polish Jew and her husband that were also been hidden. | |||
| 0292.02.28a-c | Item – Photos of Young Men | 1944 | 3 TIFFs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Photographs of young men from Belleville-Sur-Bar that were given to Dan Rycroft. |
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| 0292.02.29 | Item – Neighbor from Bault-Aux-Bois | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Neighbor from Bault-Aux-Bois, Germaine Bocquet, Dan Rycroft and Robert Bocquet. |
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| 0292.02.30a, b | Item – Cous Family | n.d. | 2 TIFFs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Cous family from England who went back to France to visit the graves and sent Dan Rycroft pictures. |
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| 0292.02.31 | Item – David Jones and Family | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
David Jones and his family. |
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| 0292.02.32a, b | Item – Chris Nesbit | ca. 1944 | 2 TIFFs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Chris Nesbit, wife of Will Nesbit. |
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| 0292.02.33 | Item – Friend of Chris Nesbit | ca. 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Betty, friend of Chris Nesbit. |
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| 0292.02.34 | Item – Chris Nesbit and her Sister | ca. 1945 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Chris Nesbit and her sister after the war. |
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| 0292.02.35 | Item – Chris Nesbit | n.d. | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Chris Nesbit after she remarried. |
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| 0292.02.36 | Item – Graduation Class | 1941 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Graduation class, Jack Spry front row middle. |
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| 0292.02.37 a, b | Item – Danny and Fellow Airmen | n.d. | 2 TIFFs : b&w |
| Scope and content:
A couple of Danny’s airmen friends and a group of four of them. |
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| 0292.02.38 | Item – Danny Rycroft | 1943 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Danny Rycroft in uniform at Souris, Manitoba |
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| 0292.02.39 | Item – Airforce Recruits | 1942 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Front Row: Bill Bessent, Danny Rycroft, Bob Bessent. Back: Dave Pickering. November, 1942. |
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| 0292.02.40 | Item – Sexsmith Recruits | 1942 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Gordon Rycroft, Ted Murray ready to enlist. Ted Murray was too young and was sent home. |
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| 0292.02.41a | Item – Sexsmith Boys Home for Christmas | 1942 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Ken Nelson, Gordon Rycroft, Allen Tink come home for Christmas. |
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| 0292.02.41b | Item – Danny Rycroft | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Danny Rycroft |
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| 0292.02.42 | Item – Will and Chris Nesbitt | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Will and Chris Nesbitt on their wedding day. |
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| 0292.02.43 | Item – Home From Duty | 1944 | 1 TIFF : b&w |
| Scope and content:
Ken Nelson, Violet Spry, Gordon Rycroft, Jean Mc Kenzie, Allen Tink, and Margaret Mc Kenzie stand in front of a car on Sexsmith main street. |
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