Johnny Yanota

Warrant Officer John Joseph Stephen Yanota RCAF, Observer (Navigator)

Johnny Yanota was born in Bankhead, Alberta, Canada, but raised in Blairmore. After completing high school and training in forestry, Johnny worked in the mine before he was called up in 1941 and trained as a navigator. On arrival in the United Kingdom in 1943 he was posted to 60 Operational Training Unit at RAF High Ercall for the Mosquito Night Intruder Course. There, he was teamed up with New Zealander Pilot Officer Cliff Emeny. Cliff and Johnny were posted to India, ferrying a new Mosquito FB VI out from the UK in November 1943.

Johnny and Cliff initially flew some intruder and strike operations with No. 27 Squadron out of Agartala and Parashurum. However, with 27 Squadron preparing to stand down from operations, in April 1944, their Mosquitos, with their crews, were transferred to 45 Squadron at Yelahanka. This squadron was just starting role conversion from dive bombing in the Vultee Vengeance to low-level intruder operations in the Mosquito. 

On 24 June, whilst training in HP867 to fly low-level ‘intruder style’, Cliff strayed so low that he struck a branch of a tree, damaging the mainplane, tailplane and starboard engine, resulting in a partial loss of control. Johnny explained, ‘The plane shot up to about 600ft, stalled, then climbed, then stalled three times. As we were over rice paddies, Cliff attempted a belly landing. The plane completely broke up when we hit the walls between the paddy fields.’ Both men were hospitalised for a short while. Less than three months later 45 Squadron was declared operational.  

On 7 November, during Johnny’s seventeenth op, he and Cliff were attacking at low-level the heavily defended Japanese airfield at Meiktila when they were hit by anti-aircraft fire in the left engine and fuselage. Their compromised Mosquito was then repeatedly attacked by an Oscar fighter. Cliff radioed to their wingman, ‘We’ve had it.’ Johnny continued, ‘As our port engine was on fire, we had no choice but to crash-land. I jettisoned the door and escape hatch, but my parachute and navigator’s bag were immediately sucked out of the plane.’ Johnny managed to belly-land the stricken Mosquito and both he and Johnny escaped from the shattered aircraft with ‘minor’ injuries. However, they were soon captured by hostile forces and, within days, Johnny and Cliff had become POWs in the infamous Rangoon Jail.

After Rangoon was liberated in May 1945, Johnny was evacuated from India on the hospital ship Karapara, returning via the UK to his hometown, Blairmore. After a short time working in the local coal mines, he started a career in the Canadian Unemployment Agency. Johnny married Helen Pozzi in 1948 and they raised seven children. He changed to working with the Canadian Postal Service, retiring in 1983.