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Paton, James Peter (Warrant Officer 2nd Class)

Prisoner of War 1942-April-09

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date (age unknown)

Home: Westmount, Quebec

Service
RCAF
Unit
419 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Moosa Aswayita Beware of Moose
Rank
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
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
Service Numbers
R/56314
PoW: 24824

Wellington Mk. III X3467

Bombing Hamburg Germany 1942-April-09 to 1942-April-09

419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Mildenhall

272 aircraft- 177 Wellingtons, 41 Hampdens, 22 Stirlings, 13 Manchesters, 12 Hali¬faxes, 7 Lancasters - on yet another record raid for aircraft numbers to 1 target. 4 Wellingtons and l Manchester lost.

Icing and electrical storms were again encountered. Although 188 aircraft reported bombing in the target area, the raid was a failure. According to Hamburg's records, bombs equivalent to only 14 aircraft loads fell on the city, causing 8 fires - 3 large; no particular incidents of property damage are mentioned. 17 people were killed and 119 injured.

Bremen reports a load of incendiaries dropped very accurately on the Vulkan shipyard where 4 U-boats under construction and several surrounding buildings were damaged by fire. Minor Operations: 13 Wellingtons to Le Havre, 3 Blenheims Intruding over Holland, 24 aircraft minelaying near Heligoland, 16 aircraft on leaflet flights to Belgium and France. l Manchester on a leaflet flight was lost in the sea.

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

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Wellington aircraft X 3467 missing during a bombing trip to Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft had the port engine catch fire and the bomb load was jettisoned in an attempt to maintain altitude. The fire was put out and the engine restarted but the starboard engine caught fire, the fire was extinguished and the propeller feathered. Shortly after this the port engine again burst into flame and the crew was ordered to bail out, all but Pilot Officer Howard jumped to safety.Warrant Officer MacWilliam, Sergeants Brooks, Paton, Parker, and Pilot Officer Crighton were taken Prisoners of War. The aircraft blew up just after these five jumped.

Took off from Mildenhall. Abandoned aircraft following fires in both engines and crashed 01:32 on marshy ground between Roggenburg and Barssel 18 km SE of Leer Germany.

Killed: Pilot Officer Ernest Richard Howard RCAF J/15150 KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 5. D. 7.

POWs: Flt Sgt Hubert BROOKS (R/56265) Wellington III X3467 1942-04-08 419 Sqdn Stalag 8B Teschen Fg Off Arthur Bligh CRIGHTON (J/6217) Wellington III X3467 1942-04-08 419 Sqdn Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria Flt Sgt William Ralph MACWILLIAM (R/73436) Wellington III X3467 1942-04-09 419Sqdn Stalag 344 Lamsdorf Flt Sgt Winston Churchill PARKER (R/60366) Wellington III X3467 1942-04-08 419 Sqdn Stalag 344 Lamsdorf.

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Target
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Wellington X3467

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