Birth Date: 1920-July-12
Born: Montreal, Montreal Region, Quebec, Canada
Parents: Son of Gerald Patrick and Sarah Albina Burns, of Outremont, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Spouse:
Home: Outremont, Quebec
Enlistment: Montreal, Quebec
Enlistment Date: 1940-October-21
Service
RCAF
Unit
433 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique Who opposes it gets pricked
Base
RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Rank
Flying Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/16496
Outremont, Quebec
Dusseldorf Germany
Merzenich Community Cemetery, Germany, near crash site
Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied
Home in Outremont, Quebec. Enlisted Montreal, 21 October 1940. Trained at No 1 ITS (graduated 4 March 1941), No 13 EFTS (graduated 6 May 1941) and No 6 SHS (graduated 27 July 1941). Killed in action 22 April 1944 (Halifax LV990); buried in Germany
Addendum: - Mention in Despatches - No 433 Squadron - Award effective 14 January 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 874/44 dated 21 April 1944. Detail provided by H Halliday, Orleans, Ontario
433 Porcupine Squadron (Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft LV 990 BM-J missing during night operations, a raid against Dusseldorf, Germany. The cause of loss was not established
Flying Officer GC Burns MiD (RCAF), Pilot Officer ASF Holmes (RCAF), Pilot Officer DC MacDougall (RCAF), Sergeant JJ Bedard (RCAF) and Sergeant JW Dunford (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer JP Desroches (RCAF) was missing, presumed killed in action
Pilot Officer Desroches Has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede MemorialSergeant TN Morris (RAFVR) was the only survivor from his crew and was taken as Prisoner of War
There were three 433 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials HX 291 BM-W and LV 840 BM-E for additional information
6 Group Bomber Command, An Operational Record by Chris Ward page 244
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Halifax LV990 433 Squadron - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces...
Philip F Plant's Contribution - John Austin's fourteenth operation I ...
433 Squadron was the 14th and last bomber squadron of the RCAF to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed in September 1943 as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of Bomber Command. It flew from Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK for the whole of its operational career. With the squadron code letters BM, it originally flew Handley Page Halifax Mk III heavy bombers on its bombing missions, but these were replaced by Lancaster Mks I and III in January 1945. After the cessation of hostilities the squadron was retained in England as a unit of No 1 Group RAF from August 1945, and took part in the airlift of PoWs back to England (Operation EXODUS) and the bringing back of troops from Italy (Operation DODGE). The squadron was disbanded at Skipton in October 1945.
In the course of its operations, the squadron flew 209 missions involving 2316 individual sorties for the loss of 38 aircraft , dropping 7486 tons. Awards to crew members included 132 DFCs, 2 Bars to DFC, 9 DFMs, 1 BEM, 14 MiDs and 1 Air Medal (USA). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1944-45, Baltic 1944-45, Fortress Europe 1944, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1944-45, Berlin 1944, German Ports 1944-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1944.Wikipedia, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
The squadron re-formed as an All-Weather (Fighter) unit at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta , on 15 November 1954, as one of nine CF-100 squadrons to defend Canadian airspace. It moved to CFB North Bay, Ontario , in October 1955, the squadron flew CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American air defence. However, in 1961 the Government decided to reduce the number of CF-100 squadrons from nine to five and 433 Squadron was dissolved for a second time on July 31st, 1961.
Reformed post-unification on 15 August 1968, as No. 433 Escadrille tactique de combat it was a French language squadron of Mobile Command based at CFB Bagotville, Quebec . The squadron flew the CF-5 Freedom Fighter in the tactical and reconnaissance role until it converted to the CF-188 Hornet fighter jets in 1984. The squadron was deactivated in 2005, and its assets and personnel amalgamated into 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Besides being originally designated as one of two bases of NATO's Rapid Reaction Force, the 433 Squadron was entrusted a NORAD role in December 1988. The 433 Squadron members in Bagotville played an important role in the Gulf War conflicts, better known under the names Operation FRICTION in 1991 and Operation ECHO in 1999. By September 2001, the Squadron was actively participating with NORAD in the fight against terrorism through Operation NOBLE EAGLE. On July 14th, 2005, the standards of the Squadron were once again laid aside almost 62 years after its initial formation. .Wikipedia
The squadron was reactivated on 9 June 2015, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on 15 September 2018.
23 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were joined by 114 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 429, 431, 432, and 433 squadrons on an attack at Dusseldorf. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 284,000 lbs of high explosives and 469,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused.
While most of the group went to Dusseldorf, 40 Halifaxes from 419, 428, and 434 squadrons were ordered to attack the rail yards at Laon. The crews were over the target at between 6,000 and 8,000 feet, releasing 378,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
433 Porcupine Squadron (Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft LV 990 BM-J missing during night operations, a raid against Dusseldorf, Germany. The cause of loss was not established
Flying Officer GC Burns MiD (RCAF), Pilot Officer ASF Holmes (RCAF), Pilot Officer DC MacDougall (RCAF), Sergeant JJ Bedard (RCAF) and Sergeant JW Dunford (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer JP Desroches (RCAF) was missing, presumed killed in action
Pilot Officer Desroches Has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede MemorialSergeant TN Morris (RAFVR) was the only survivor from his crew and was taken as Prisoner of War
There were three 433 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials HX 291 BM-W and LV 840 BM-E for additional information
6 Group Bomber Command, An Operational Record by Chris Ward page 244 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Halifax LV990 433 Squadron - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces...
Philip F Plant's Contribution - John Austin's fourteenth operation I ...
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
