Bonter, Stewart Millen (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1945-March-15

Flying Officer Stewart Millen Bonter RCAF

Birth Date: 1918-September-24

Born: Marmora, Ontario

Parents: John Wadsworth Bonter and Ada Lough Bonter

Spouse:

Home: Marmora, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment: Montral, Quebec

Enlistment Date: 1944-November-03

Service

RCAF

Unit

432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light

Base

RAF East Moor

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/42472

Home
Google MapMarmora, Ontario (parents)
Target
Google MapHagen Germany
Final Burial
Google MapReichswald Forest War Cemetery
Plot 31. Row D. Grave 18.

Took off from East Moor at 17:07 in Halifax Mk VII (Sqn code QOM Bomber Command) on an operation to Hagen Germany.

Hit by an incendiary bomb dropped by one of the bombers above them. Aircraft took fire and was going down when the order to abandon was given.

Killed: Flying Officer Stewart Millen Bonter RCAF J/42472 Pilot KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 31. D. 18. Sergeant Douglas Colquhoun RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 31. D. 17. Pilot Officer Darwin Cameron Lawton RCAF J/95383 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 31. D. 16. Sergeant (latrer P/O) Thomas Delmer Scott RCAF J/95497 murdered by members of the local Gestapo Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 22. A. 14.

POWs: Flight Sergeant Eiler Villy Andersen RCAF R/129717 POW camp not listed. Flying Officer A T Hinchcliffe RCAF J/41608 POW camp not listed. Flying Officer H E Vachon RCAF J/41395 POW camp not listed.

Flying Officer Bonter was assigned to 432 Sqn and was temporarily attached to 405 Sqn at the time of his death

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax NP689

Warrant Officer 2 Eiler Villy Anderson RCAF

Warrant Officer 2 Anderson, Eiler Villy (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1945-March-15
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer Stewart Millen Bonter RCAF

Flying Officer Bonter, Stewart Millen (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1945-March-15
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Sergeant Douglas Colquhoun RAF

Sergeant Colquhoun, Douglas (RAF)
Flt. Engineer
Killed in Action
1945-March-15
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Darwin Cameron Lawton RCAF

Pilot Officer Lawton, Darwin Cameron (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1945-March-15
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Pilot Officer Thomas Delmar Scott RCAF

Pilot Officer Scott, Thomas Delmar (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Murdered
1945-March-15
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Flying Officer H E 'Vach' Vachon RCAF

Flying Officer Vachon, H E 'Vach' (RCAF)
Navigator
Prisoner of War
1945-March-15
cemetery unknown

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.VII NP689

Bombing Hagen Germany 1945-March-15 to 1945-March-15

(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor

267 aircraft - 134 Lancasters, l 22 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 6 Lancasters and 4 Halifaxes lost.

This area attack took place in clear visibility and caused severe damage; the local report estimated that the bomber force was 800 aircraft strong! The main attack fell in the centre and eastern districts. There were 1,439 fires, of which 124 were classified 11s large. 493 Germans and 12 foreigners were killed. 30,000-35,000 people were bombed out.

Halifax VII aircraft NP 689 QO-M "Moonlight Mermaid" was shot down by flak near the target over Germany (R Koval)

Flying Officer SM Bonter (RCAF), Sergeant DC Lawton (RCAF) and Sergeant D Colquhoun (RAFVR) were killed

Flying Officer HE Vachon (RCAF), Flying Officer AT Hinchcliffe (RCAF) and Warrant Officer Class 2 EEV Anderson (RCAF) baled safely and were taken Prisoner of War (R Koval). Sergeant TD Scott (RCAF) also baled out safely and evaded but fell into the hands of the Gestapo and was murdered April 3, 1945. This was NP 689's 84th or 85th sortie (letter, Airforce, Sept. 1983, which also gives the name as "Moonlight Maiden")

Unvetted Source March 1945 Daily Operations 6bombergroup.ca

Unvetted Source April I 2019 I Preserving the Past II

Unit Desciption

432 (B) Sqn Saeviter Ad Lucem ("Leaside")

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

The Squadron was the twelfth RCAF bomber squadron to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed on May 1, 1943 at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command: indeed, it was the first bomber squadron to be formed directly into No 6 Group. Using the squadron identification letters QO it flew Vickers Wellington Mk X medium bombers until it moved to East Moor, Yorkshire on 19th September 1943, when it re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk II aircraft. East Moor was part of No 62 (RCAF) Base. The squadron re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk III aircraft in February 1944, and with Halifax Mk VII in July of that year, and continued with them until the squadron was disbanded at East Moor on May 15, 1945.

In the course of operations the squadron flew 246 missions, involving 3130 individual sorties, for the loss of 73 aircraft. 8980 tons of bombs were dropped. Awards to squadron members included 2 DSOs, 119 DFCs,1 Bar to DFC, 1 CGM, 20 DFMs and 1 Croix de Guerre (France). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 432 Squadron 1943-45

MAP 1: 432 Squadron Bases 1943-45 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

432 Squadron History Summary 1943-45

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Canuck)

The squadron was re-formed at Bagotville, Quebec as an All-Weather Fighter unit on 1 October 1954. The squadron flew Avro CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American Air Defence until it was disbanded on 15 October 1961.