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Carson, Sidney Thomas (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1945-February-27

Birth Date: 1925 (age 20)

Gerald & Henryetta Carson

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
429 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Fortunae Nihil Nothing to chance
Base
RAF Leeming
Rank
Flying Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
J/40896
Prev: R/223320

Halifax B/Met.Mk.III RG347

Ferry Flight 1945-February-27 to 1945-February-27

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Leeming

458 aircraft - 311 Halifaxes, 131 Lancaster, 16 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 groups, 1 Halifax and 1 Mosquito lost.

Mainz was covered by cloud and the bombing was aimed at sky-markers dropped on Oboe. No results were seen by the bomber crews but the bombing caused severe destruction in the central and eastern districts of Mainz; this was the city's worst raid of the war. 1,545 tons of bombs were dropped. 5,670 buildings were destroyed, including most of the historic buildings in the Altstadt, but the industrial district was also badly hit. At least 1,122 people were killed; other accounts say r,200. The 1,122 figure was made up of: 647 women, 437 men, 5 children, 21 servicemen and· 12 foreigners; most of the city's children had probably been evacuated. Among the dead were 41 nuns in a convent which was bombed; there were only 3 survivors. This was the last heavy raid on Mainz. The city's total number of air-raid deaths in 14 major R.A.F. and U.S.A.A.F. raids and several minor raids numbered 2,482.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Halifax B/Met. Mk. III s/n RG347 and coded ZL*G. Was lost on the 27th of February, 1945. The aircraft commenced its take off at 12:40 hours from R.C.A.F. Station Leeming, Yorkshire for a daylight op against Mainz, Germany. Prior to lift-off the starboard tire blew. Control of the aircraft was lost resulting in a crash. The bombs exploded and destroyed the aircraft. Sadly six of the seven- man crew were killed. The only survivor was the tail gunner Flight Sergeant J. H. MacKachern. He was rushed to the R.A.F. hospital at Northallerton. Only one aircraft had gotten airborne before the accident which caused the runway to become un-serviceable.

The aircraft was actually on loan to No. 429 'Bison' (B) Squadron from No. 427 'Lion (B) Squadron for the operation. Both squadrons were based at Leeming.

source: Chris Charland

Took off from Leeming on a night operation to Mainz Germany.

Blew starboard main tire on take off, swerved 90 degrees to runway, main undercarriage failed, aircraft momentarily lifted before smashing unto runway and detonating the bomb load, killing crew instantly except for tail gunner in severed empennage.

Killed: Flight Sergeant Morley Junior Brewer RCAF R/212339 KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowrate Sec. G. Row G. Grave 5. Flying Officer Sidney Thomas Carson RCAF J/40896 KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. G. Row G. Grave 3. Flight Sergeant Frederick George Fisher RCAF R/275323 KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. G. Row G. Grave 6. Pilot Officer Angus Mackie RCAF J/94615 KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. C. Row G. Grave 4. Flying Officer Richard Mcdiarmid Scott RCAF J/41118 pilot KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. G. Row G. Grave 2. Flying Officer Kenneth Frank Whitehouse RCAF J/40342 KIA Stonefall Cemetery Harrowgate Sec. G. Row G. Grave 1.

Injured: Flight Sergeant John Hugh MacKachern RCAF R/number injured but survived.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Home
Google MapToronto, Ontario
Target
Google MapMainz Germany
Burial
Google MapStonefall Cemetery
Sec G Row G Grave 3

Halifax RG347

Handley Page Halifax

(RAF Photo, 1942)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)A Royal Air Force Handley Page Halifax Mk. II Series I (Serial No. W7676), coded TL-P, of No. 35 Squadron, RAF, based at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire in the UK, being piloted by Flight Lieutenant Reginald Lane, (later Lieutenant-General, RCAF), over the English countryside. Flt Lt Lane and his crew flew twelve operations in W7676, which failed to return from a raid on Nuremberg on the night of 28/29 August 1942, when it was being flown by Flt Sgt D. John and crew.

The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.

The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry's Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use." The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its maiden flight, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of Bomber Command, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis Powers, many of them at night. Arthur Harris, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster (in part due to its smaller payload) though this opinion was not shared by many of the crews that flew it, particularly for the MkIII variant. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other Allied and Commonwealth nations, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Free French Air Force and Polish forces. Wikipedia

YouTube Halifax Heavy Bomber WWII

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Halifax Bomber

Museum National Air Force Museum of Canada

last update: 2023-12-08 20:34:11

Halifax B/Met.Mk.III RG347

ZLRAF RoundelG


429 (B) Sqn Fortunae Nihil ("Bison")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington III, X, Halifax II, V, III, Lancaster I, III)

No 429 Squadron was the 10th bomber unit and 27th squadron formed by the RCAF overseas in WWII. It was formed in November 1942 at East Moor, Yorkshire, UK as part of No 4 Group of RAF Bomber Command. On April 1, 1943 it became part of No 6 (RCAF) Group at No 62 (RCAF) Base, still remaining at East Moor until August 1943, when it moved to Leeming, Yorkshire as part of no 63 (RCAF) Base: it remained at Leeming until its disbandment in May 1946. It undertook strategic and tactical bombing operations. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, it remained in England and transferred to No 1 Group, where it was engaged in transporting troops from Italy (Operation DODGE).

The squadron, with squadron code AL, flew Vickers Wellington Mks III and X until August 1943, when it re-equipped with Handley-Page Halifax Mk II, which it flew between August 1943 and January 1944, and Mk V between November 1943 and March 1944. These were superseded by Halifax Mk III aircraft in March 1944. In March 1945, the squadron re-equipped with Lancaster Mk I and III. In summary of its activities, it flew 3221 sorties, including airlifting 1055 PoWs back to England, for the loss of 71 aircraft. 9356 tons of bombs were dropped. The squadron was awarded45 DFCs and 2 Bars to DFC, 1 AFC, 1 CGM and 7 DFMs. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943-45, Baltic 1943-45, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1943-44, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943-44. Wikipedia,Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 429 Squadron 1942-46

MAP 1: 429 Squadron Bases 1942-46 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

429 Squadron History Summary 1942-46

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Buffalo, Hercules, Globemaster)

The squadron was reactivated at St. Hubert, Quebec on 21 August 1967 as a Tactical Transport Unit. It flew de Havilland CC-15 Buffalo aircraft for the Canadian Forces Mobile Command and was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces on 1 February 1968. In August 1981 it was renamed 429 Transport Squadron and moved to CFB Winnipeg . The final move was in 1990 to 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario . The squadron was disbanded in 2005.

Two years later in August 2007, 429 Squadron was again re-activated, this time operating the CC-177 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft. It used these new aircraft in support of Canada's operations in Afghanistan.

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