Robert Upcott

Robert Upcott
Captain
Royal Canadian Air Force

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Robert F. “Bob” Upcott of Windsor, Ontario was just 21 years old when he became a central figure in one of the most daring and compassionate missions of the Second World War. As pilot of the Lancaster bomber Bad Penny, Upcott was chosen for the first test flight of Operation Manna, an Allied relief effort to drop food to the starving population of the Netherlands. On April 29, 1945, he and his crew risked their lives to bring survival and hope to a country still under German occupation.

Flying at dangerously low altitudes, Bob’s Lancaster carried flour, powdered milk, eggs, and chocolate instead of bombs. The mission was perilous—no formal truce had yet been signed, and German anti-aircraft guns were still manned. Upcott was told to fly without ammunition and to stay within a narrow flight corridor. As they approached the Dutch coast, German guns tracked them closely. At less than 400 feet, Bob lowered the flaps and wheels to slow the plane for an accurate drop over Utrecht. Despite the threat, no major gunfire erupted—though later, a small 9mm round was found embedded in the tail of the aircraft.

Bob’s skill and courage were further tested when an American Flying Fortress nearly collided with his Lancaster mid-flight. With only seconds to react, Bob dove as the other plane climbed, avoiding catastrophe by mere inches.

The mission succeeded. Hours later, the BBC announced the start of Operation Manna, and hundreds of bombers followed Bob’s lead in the days that followed. When the food bundles began to fall from the sky, the Dutch people cheered, waved, and spelled out “Thanks Boys” with flowers.

After the war, Bob returned to Windsor and worked for the city. He remained deeply moved by the mission, remembering how, for once, he flew not to destroy, but to save lives. He died on August 27, 2001, at the age of 78. In the Netherlands, he is remembered not only as “Pilot Bob,” but as a quiet hero whose compassion reached people at their most desperate hour.

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Windsor, Ontario

Photo & Story: Timothy Young, Faces to Graves