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Croucher, Gordon DFC (Flight Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1944-July-29

Birth Date: 1916-January-02 (age 28)

Born: Montreal, Quebec

Ernest Henry & Ann Douglas Croucher

Home: Verdun, Quebec (parents)

Enlistment: Montreal, Quebec

Enlistment Date: 1942-07-07

Decorations: DFC, MiD


Distinguished Service CrossMentioned in Dispatches
Service
RCAF
Unit
408 (B) Sqn- Squadron
For Freedom
Base
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
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
Wireless Air Gunner
Service Numbers
J/26857

Took off from Linton-on-Ouse on a raid to Hamburg, Germany.

Aircraft was shot down (means not found) thirty-five miles south of the target at Bremervorde, near Spreckens, Germany.

Killed includes Croucher: Pilot Officer Joseph Laurent Andre Blais RCAF J/89105 KIA Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany, grave 17. D. 6. Pilot Officer Alan Howard Durnin RCAF J/85681 KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 17. D. 8. Pilot Officer John Alexander Kay Imrie RCAF J/88662 KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 17. D. 4. Flying Officer Donal Thomas Ryan RCAF J/21669 KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 17. D. 7. Pilot Officer Harold Edmund Truscott RCAF J/88730 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 253. Pilot Officer Robert Daniel Whitson RCAF J/87973 KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 17. D. 5.

POWs: Sergeant David Scott RAF POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia.

General 408 Squadron Lancaster II LL687 EQ:M Fg.Off. Ryan, RAF Linton-on-...

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Commonwealth War Graves Commission International Bomber Command Centre

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

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

Flight Lieutenant Gordon Croucher has no known grave.

Home
Google MapVerdun, Quebec (parents)
Target
Google MapHamburg Germany

Google MapRunnymede Memorial Surrey
Panel 244

Lancaster LL687

Previous Events

1944-June-07 Flight Lieutenant Survived

Lancaster Mk.IIEQ-J

408 B Sqn RCAF

408 Goose Squadron (For Freedom) RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Lancaster II aircraft DS 768 EQ-J on return from sortie to bomb rail and communication links at Coutances, France in support of the D-Day landings, ran off runway at Honeybourne airfield, Worcestershire, England, crashed and was damaged beyond repair. The crew all survived, safe

Flight Lieutenant G Croucher MiD DFC (RCAF), Flying Officer D T Ryan (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 R D Whitson (RCAF), Pilot Officer A H Durnin (RCAF), Sergeant H E Truscott (RCAF), Sergeant J A Imrie (RCAF), Sergeant D Scott (RAF) and Sergeant F J Ward (RAF) all survived, safe

Flight Lieutenant Croucher, Pilot Officer Durnin, Sergeant Imrie, Flying Officer Ryan, Sergeant Truscott and Warrant Officer Class 2 Whitson would all be killed in action, 1944-07-29 on 408 Squadron Lancaster LL 687 EQ-M on a raid to Hamburg, Germany

General Military crashes in the south west Midlands-1944

Avro Lancaster

Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.

The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia

YouTube Lancaster Bomber

Wkikpedia Wikipedia

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

last update: 2021-09-18 14:32:33

Lancaster Mk.II LL687

EQ-M;OW-L 15 operations flown with No. 426 Squadron as "OW*L". 12 operations flown with No. 408 Squadron, as "EQ*H" and "EQ*M" when lost. Failed to return from operation over Hamburg on 29 July 1944.

1944-07-29 Failed to Return Failed to return from operation over Hamburg 2019-08-20

408 (B) Sqn For Freedom ("Goose")

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

The squadron was the second Canadian bomber squadron to be formed in WWII. It was formed at Lindholme, Yorkshire, UK in June of 1941 as part of Bomber Command No 5 Group, flying Handley Page Hampden Mk I bombers from Syerston, Nottinghamshire, Balderton, Newark and North Luffenham, Rutland. Its squadron code letters were EQ. In September 1942 the squadron was moved to No 4 Group, re-equipping with Halifax Mk II aircraft and flying from Leeming, Yorkshire. On January 1, 1943, by this time equipped with Lancaster Mk II bombers, the squadron joined No. 6 Group (RCAF) and flew from Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire from August 27 1943 to the end of WWII. In September 1944 it converted to Halifax Mk III and VII aircraft and flew these for the remainder of hostilities. It was slated to be part of the "Tiger Force" to attack Japan and had re-equipped with Lancaster Mk X aircraft, but the Japanese surrender ended all plans for the Tiger Force and the squadron was disbanded in September 1945 at Greenwood, Nova Scotia .

Altogether, the squadron logged 4610 operational sorties with 25,500 operational hours, in the course of which 11,430 tons of bombs were dropped. 146 aircraft were lost in the course of these operations. Awards included 161 DFC's and 6 bars to DFC, 32 DFM's, 1 MBE and 10 MiD's. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1941-43, Baltic 1941-43, Fortress Europe 1941-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1941-44, Ruhr 1941-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1941-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1942-43. Wikipedia, Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 408 Squadron 1941-45

MAP 1: 408 Squadron Movements 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)
MAP 2: 6 Group Bomber Bases in Durham and Yorkshire 1943-45

408 Squadron History Summary

408 Squadron History Summary Page 2

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Lancaster X, Canso A, Norseman VI, Otter, Dakota III & IV, Boxcar, Silver Star, Hercules, Griffon, Chinook)

On 10 January 1949, the squadron was reformed as 408 (Photographic) Squadron at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario . Equipped with eight Lancaster Mark X photographic aircraft equipped with SHORAN, a short-range navigational device. It was tasked with the mapping of Canada, specifically the far North. It also flew Canso, Norseman, Otter and Dakota aircraft on this mission, for photography and to maintain the SHORAN stations. Once the task was complete, the squadron was re-designated 408 (Reconnaissance) Squadron and flew Lancasters on Arctic surveillance patrols. In 1964, equipped with the Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, it was again re-designated 408 (Transport Support and Aerial Reconnaissance) Squadron and moved to Rivers, Manitoba. In 1964, the squadron formed a flight of Canadair CT-133 Silver Star aircraft. In 1965, the Boxcars were replaced by CC-130 Hercules aircraft.

On January 1, 1971, 408 Squadron was once again re-activated at Namao in Edmonton, Alberta , as a tactical helicopter squadron (THS) and equipped with CH-135 Twin Huey and CH-136 Kiowa helicopters. Its primary tasking is to provide tactical aviation to the army. The mission includes air mobile assault, air ambulance, air observation, reconnaissance insertions, troop movement, airborne command and control platform and dropping paratroopers. In September 1996, the squadron was re-equipped with CH-146 Griffon helicopters. Personnel from 408 Squadron deployed to Afghanistan nearly continually from 2006 until 2011. Initially forming a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) detachment using the CU-161 Sperwer. From 2008, 408 members were deployed to Kandahar airfield operating the CH-146 Griffon and CH-147D helicopters as part of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing. The primary role of the JTF-A Air Wing was to provide transportation, reconnaissance, armed escort, and fire support to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In July of 2018, 408 THS deployed to Mali as part of Task Force Mali on Operation Presence. In Mali, 408 THS operated the CH-146 Griffon in the armed escort role, providing support to MEDEVAC and utility missions. 408 THS completed its tour in Mali in January of 2019, having participated in 7 medical evacuation missions. It is now co-located with 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at the 3rd Canadian Division Support Base, Edmonton, Alberta.

General 408 “Goose” Squadron Association

General Government of Canada RCAF Website

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