One of the thirteen ??? - “Nuts for Nazis”

It’s curious that a Canadian [American pilot] Halifax bomber aircrew would choose to paint a simian [Ape or Monkey] as its symbolic representation, but that is what the crew of F/O C. Lesesne added to the nose of their aircraft. Photos – Richard Koval	Note – this impressive Canadian Nose Art was photographed by F/L Harold Lindsay at Rawcliffe before the Halifax was scrapped. Clarence Simonsen is 100% positive this art work was saved and returned to Canada in 1946. Where is it today?

Halifax Mk. III, serial NR271, was the first built in a batch of twenty, completed on 23 November 1944 and delivered the next day to No. 425 [Alouette] Squadron, No. 6 [RCAF] Group, based at No. 62 Base at Tholthorpe, Yorkshire, England. 

The aircraft completed her first operation on 4/5 December 1944, target - Karlsruhe, piloted by F/O A. Martel. A second operation was flown by the crew of F/Lt. T. Chapman on 5/6 December 44 to Soest. The Halifax was now assigned to a regular crew - American pilot F/O Lesesne [Chuck], Flt/Engineer Sgt. M. Wilson, Navigator F/O J. Tessier [Bill], Bomb Aimer F/Sgt. L Laliberte [Al], Wireless Operator F/Sgt. I. Pigeon [Pigeon], Mid-upper gun F/Sgt. R. Trudeau, and rear gunner Sgt. J. Paradis. This crew picked the name “Nuts for Nazis” and the monkey aircrew art, spiting nuts, one for each operation flown.

The aircraft was flown by 14 different RCAF aircrew, [seven men in crew], which totaled 99 Canadians and one American (see below), who completed 43 operations beginning on 4 December 1944 to 25 April 1945. 2^nd pilot P/O Miller flew with crew on 24 March 45 and the next day a second bomb aimer WO2 Laliberte flew one operation. The Lesesne crew completed a total of 19 operations in their bomber, until 31 March. They were shot down in another Halifax, with pilot and crew killed.

With the end of World War Two the Halifax was ordered for disposal on 27 April 1945, flown to No. 43 Group at Rawcliffe, Yorkshire, England. Struck off charge by the Royal Air Force on 16 May 45, the proud Canadian bomber was soon scrapped.

Nuts for Nazis reproduction by "Mr. Nose Art" Simonsen.	Another reproduction of Nuts for Nazis.

Charles [Chuck] P. Lesesne was born on 4 March 1911 at Orangeburg, North Carolina, USA. He attended Columbia secondary school, the Citadel in Charleston and the University of South Carolina.

From 1934 to 1939 he was aviation editor of the Charlotte Observer. In February 1941, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as a flying instructor at Mossbank, and Hagersville, Ontario.

In 1943 he was posted to England where he joined No. 425 [Alouette] Squadron of the RCAF stationed at Tholthorpe, Yorkshire. He flew his first combat operation in early December 1944, and was assigned his own Halifax aircraft on 6 December 1944. The new Halifax had flown two operations to Germany, with F/O Lesesne becoming the third pilot to fly her on 6/7 December 44, to attack Osnbruck, Germany. The aircraft was now named “NUTS FOR NAZIS” with a painting of a crewmember spitting nuts down at Germany.