JOHN E. AVISE, FO, RCAF

John Avise '34

Date of birth: October 3, 1912

Date of death: October 17, 1942

Age: 30

Lucky Bag

From the 1934 Lucky Bag:

JOHN ELLSWORTH AVISE

Mason City, Iowa

"Johnny" "Bucko" "AVice"

JOHNNY, for no good reason at all, decided to come to the Naval Academy, and by some strange fate which he, himself can hardly describe, he arrived. He learned many things during his Plebe Summer and was always one of those privileged few who had the "Dope." But even on those few occasions when he failed to get the word, he did not let it bother him. He settled down to enjoy himself and did a good job of it.

The academics have not bothered him, but he has bothered them by the innumerable times which they have had to put Bucko at the top of their "trees." However he managed to make the grade up to Second Class Year without aid from the academic board. In an attempt to get a little more sleep than allotted, pull sat in "steam" and play basketball at the same time, he failed to recognize the significance of the math exams and was requested to take an additional one.

Always friendly and with an everlasting desire to take it easy, John manages to get along with the least amount of effort. He is of the type who are on one side of the fence or the other, but never in the middle. But whether you are on the same side, the other side, or even in the middle, you cannot help liking him and worrying over his troubles perhaps more than he does.

G.P.O.

JOHN ELLSWORTH AVISE

Mason City, Iowa

"Johnny" "Bucko" "AVice"

JOHNNY, for no good reason at all, decided to come to the Naval Academy, and by some strange fate which he, himself can hardly describe, he arrived. He learned many things during his Plebe Summer and was always one of those privileged few who had the "Dope." But even on those few occasions when he failed to get the word, he did not let it bother him. He settled down to enjoy himself and did a good job of it.

The academics have not bothered him, but he has bothered them by the innumerable times which they have had to put Bucko at the top of their "trees." However he managed to make the grade up to Second Class Year without aid from the academic board. In an attempt to get a little more sleep than allotted, pull sat in "steam" and play basketball at the same time, he failed to recognize the significance of the math exams and was requested to take an additional one.

Always friendly and with an everlasting desire to take it easy, John manages to get along with the least amount of effort. He is of the type who are on one side of the fence or the other, but never in the middle. But whether you are on the same side, the other side, or even in the middle, you cannot help liking him and worrying over his troubles perhaps more than he does.

G.P.O.

Loss

John was lost on or about October 17, 1942 while ferrying a Hurricane plane to a base in North Africa. He was a Flying officer (FO) of the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed with No. 103 Maintenance Unit (RAF) at RAF Aboukir.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

John graduated from Mason City high school in 1929 and was Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook. His joke appeared on page 132 of the yearbook:
Mr. Avise: “John, if you had a little more spunk, you would stand better in your classes. Now, do you know what spunk is?
John: “Yes, sir. It’s the past participle of spank.”
As a junior, he was Assistant Editor of the yearbook and the Junior Class. His joke appeared on page 112:
John Avise: “If a man in a drug store ordered two hot dogs, an orangeade, and a glass of water, how would I know he was a soldier?”
Fred Beck: “I’ll bite.”
J. A.: “By his uniform.”

He has a memory marker in Iowa.

Career

IA Gen Web has an extensive series of reports on John's career:

John Avise Passes Entry Examinations To U. S. Naval Academy
Results of entry examinations for the United States Naval Academy of Annapolis receive in Mason City show that John Avise, now a student in the Junior college, received the highest ranking in the examinations taken here. His best grade was received in mathematics, being ranked 100 per cent in geometry. He received his appointment thru Representative G. N. Haugen. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Thursday, February 13, 1930, Page 22

John E. Avise Passes Entrance Examination To Annapolis Academy
John E. Avise, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis E. Avise, local barber who resides at 710 North Federal, was among the seven boys nominated for appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis who have passed their entrance examinations, according to information filed by the Navy Department with the Iowa members of the house Friday.
He is in his first year of Junior college and won the Legion Scholarship for Junior college this year. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Tuesday, May 17, 1930, Page 8

Bits About ‘Em
Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Avise and son, Dean, 710 North Federal avenue, have left for Annapolis, Md., to attend graduation exercises at the U. S. Naval academy. John Avise, son of Mr. and Mrs. Avise, is a member of the class which will be graduated Thursday morning. Mrs. Wiley Ransom, 218 Fourth street northwest, accompanied them. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Monday, May 28, 1934, Page 6

Avise a Canadian Pilot
Mason Cityan Now on Duty With Air Force in England
Pilot Officer Avise Leaves With Canadian Convoy for Service
Above, Mr. and Mrs. John Avise are shown as they visited at the home of Mr. Avise’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Avise, of Mason City. Pilot Officer Advise joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in August of last year and recently completed his training to leave for active duty in England. He completed his training course of the air corps in a period of nine months.
Pilot Officer John Avise, 28, formerly of Mason City, is now on active duty with the Royal Canadian Air Force "somewhere in England." On the Fourth of July his wife received a cable from Advise notifying her that he was stationed for a time at Bournemuth, England.
Advise is the son of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Avise, 10 Seventh street northwest. He was graduated from Mason City high school and went one year to junior college here. In 1934 he was graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Advise was a public accountant in San Francisco and in 1935 was married to Louise Leach, formerly of Mason City.
While on vacation in Vancouver, B. C., last summer, Avise decided to join the R. C. A. F., according to his mother. He had done some flying but had not received his pilot’s license. The R. C. A. F. wasted no time in calling Avise and on Aug. 19, within two weeks after he enlisted, he received a call at his home in San Francisco.
All of his training for the air corps was done in Ontario near Toronto. Within nine months he received his commission as pilot officer from the school at Dunnville, Ont.
After graduation he and his wife came to Mason City for a short visit and then Avise left for Halifax, Nova Scotia. He departed from there in a large convoy for England.
Enlistment in the R.C.A.F. is for a "year of the duration of the war." United States citizens do not lose their citizenship by joining the R.C.A.F. according to Mrs. D. C. Avise. Allegiance is just to the air force and not to the king of England.
At the time Avise was here he estimated that one-fifth of all the pilots taking the flying course were United States citizens. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Tuesday, July 08, 1941, Page 4

Again Flying With R.A.F. in Egypt After Illness
Pilot Officer John Avise of the Royal Air Force was believed to be back in action with the R.A.F. in Egypt after recovering from pneumonia, while stationed in that near eastern bastion. Avise, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Avise, 10 Seventh street northwest, was transferred from England to Alexandria, Egypt, in January, and more recently has been located near Cairo. Formerly pilot of one of the British Spitfires, he has now indicated that he may be flying a Tomahawk, another of the prize British pursuit planes. The last letter received by his parents was dated April 1 and reached Mason City in 25 days. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Wednesday, April 29, 1942, Page 819

Pilot John Avise Serves With RAF in Middle East
Flying Officer Is Pilot Of Pursuit Planes in Egypt
Serving on the middle eastern battle front is Pilot Officer John Avise of the royal air force, stationed in Egypt, according to last reports. He is believed to have taken part in the fierce Libyan battle.
Avise, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Avise, 10 Seventh street northwest, found his way into the RAF by way of the Canadian air force, which he joined in August, 1939. He received his commission as pilot officer after nine months training in Ontario and left for England in a large convoy.
In December, 1941, Avise was sent to Egypt. First he was based at Alexandria and later at Cairo.
In the middle eastern activity, Avise has been piloting the British Spitfires and Tomahawks, prize pursuit planes which carried him into the thick of the action.
Another son of Mr. and Mrs. Avise, Maj. Dean Advise, is stationed in Washington, D. C., army hospital division. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, October 30, 1942, Page 25

Pilot Officer John Avise Is Reported Missing Overseas
Former Local Man Fighter Pilot With Canadian Air Force
Pilot Officer John Avise, son of Mrs. D. E. Avise, 10 Seventh street northwest, a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian air force, has been reported missing in air operations overseas by officials of the R.C.A.F. in Ottawa, Canada.
Word that Avise was missing was received some time ago, but officials asked that the news be withheld for five weeks, lest the information might in some way hinder his being found.
Avise was graduated from Mason City high school and attended junior college here. In 1934 he was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Before joining the R.C.A.F. he was a public accountant in San Francisco, where his wife, the former Louise Leach, now lives.
Nine months after joining the Canadian air force in 1939, Avise received his commission as pilot officer from the school at Dunnville, Ont., where he received all his training.
Soon after graduation he left Halifax, Nova Scotia, in a large convoy for England, where he was stationed until he was transferred to Egypt. In letters home, Avise told of piloting British Spitfires and Tomahawks. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Saturday, November 28, 1942, Page 1

Announce Death of John Avise
Mrs. John E. Avise, 212 Fourth street northwest, and Mrs. D. E. Avise, 10 Seventh street northwest, wife and mother respectively, of Flying Officer John Ellsworth Avise of the Royal Canadian air force, have been notified by the casualties officer at Ottawa, Ont., that “for official purpose, he is presumed to have died Oct. 17, 1942.”
Flying Officer Avise was stationed at the RAF base at Aboutkir, just west of Alexandria in North Africa and took off at 11:20 a. m. on Oct. 17 to deliver a Hurricane plane to Wadi Natrun, about 100 miles away, according to his squadron officer.
Another plane took off a short time afterward to pick him up and return him to his base but it reached Wadi Natrun without seeing him or his plane and he had not arrived. Search was begun immediately and continued for many days but no trace ever was found of him or his plane.
The allied push westward from El Alamein began on Oct. 23.
A brother, Major Reginald Dean Avise, is with the army postal division in London, England. The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Monday, June 28, 1943, Page 5