Burton, James Roberts (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-October-26

Flying Officer James Roberts Burton RCAF

Birth Date: 1923

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

166 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity

Base

RAF Kirmington

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/25377

Home
Google MapToronto, Ontario
Memorial Location
Google MapRunnymede Memorial Surrey
Panel 245

Took off 17:20 from Kirmington tasked to lay mines in the waters adjacent to Heligoland (Eglantine Region). Lost without trace.

The 7-man crew was lost: Flying Officer James Roberts Burton RCAF J/25377 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 245. W/O Peter William Byers RAF 421158 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 259. Sergeant Aubrey Edward Eades RAF 1605781 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 228. Flight Sergeant George Stanley Elders RAF 748485 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 217. Flying Officer James Burleigh Hill RCAF J/35779 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 246. Flight Sergeant Victor Tarbard RAF 928795 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 222. Flying Officer Donald Edward Walker RCAF J/36320 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 248.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

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

Unit Desciption

166 (B) Sqn Tenacity (Huddersfield's Own)

No 166 Squadron RAF was originally formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk on June 13, 1918, designed as a heavy bomber unit, to fly the Handley Page V/1500 aircraft. The squadron was never fully mobilized because the Armistice intervened. The squadron was re-formed in November 1936 as a heavy bomber unit, flying Handley Page Heyfords, later equipping with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire from November 1936 to January 1937, when it moved to Leconfield, Yorkshire. The squadron became part of an air observer's school on June 7, 1938, and then became a 1 Group pool squadron in May 1939. From September 1939 it was based at Abingdon, Berkshire until April 1940. In that month the squadron merged with no. 97 Squadron to form No. 10 OTU.

In January 1943 the squadron was re-formed at Kirmington, Yorkshire (53.578,-0.344, now Humberside Airport), from flights of Nos. 150 and 170 squadrons, when parts of these squadrons were posted to the Middle East. It was again bomber squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons in No. 1 Group of Bomber Command. It remained at Kirmington until the end of WWII, later re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. In the period 27/28 January 1943 and 25 April 1945, it dropped 27,287 tons of bombs and laid 333 tons of mines. The squadron won "at least" 2 DSOs, 2 CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the course of WWII. The squadron was disbanded on November 18, 1945.