Cook, Gordon Thomas (Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1944-October-15

Sergeant Gordon Thomas Cook RCAF

Birth Date: 1922

Born:

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Cook

Spouse: Helen G. Cook, of Taymouth, York Co., NB

Home: Hamilton, Ontario

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

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

Base

RAF East Moor

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/267712

Home
Google MapHamilton, Ontario
Target
Google MapWilhelmshaven Germany
Final Burial
Google MapSage War Cemetery
grave 3 C 9

Took off from East Moor at 17:30 in Halifax Mk VII (Sqn code QO-D Bomber Command) on an operation to Wilhelmshaven Germany.

On the first leg of the mission NP723 collided with Halifax MX299, HD:H of 466Sqn

Killed NP723: Sergeant Gordon Thomas Cook RCAF R/267712 KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 3. C. 9. Flying Officer Thomas Francis Fisher RCAF J/40190 KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 3. C. 15. Flying Officer George Lyon Gilbert RCAF J/40032 KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 3. C. 7. Pilot Officer John Douglas Hogg RCAF J/95086 KIA Sage War Cemetery Coll. grave 3. C. 4-6. Sergeant Keith Earl Odobas RCAF R/269308 KIA Sage War Cemetery Coll. grave 3. C. 4-6. F/Lt Donald Wesley Speller RCAF J/12262 pilot KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 3. C. 8. Sergeant Colin Moss RAF KIA Sage War Cemetery grave 3. C. 11.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax NP723

Sergeant Gordon Thomas Cook RCAF

Sergeant Cook, Gordon Thomas (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Flying Officer Thomas Francis Fisher RCAF

Flying Officer Fisher, Thomas Francis (RCAF)
Navigator Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Flying Officer George Lyon Gilbert RCAF

Flying Officer Gilbert, George Lyon (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Pilot Officer John Douglas Hogg RCAF

Pilot Officer Hogg, John Douglas (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Sergeant Keith Earl Odobas RCAF

Sergeant Odobas, Keith Earl (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Flight Lieutenant Donald Wesley Speller RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Speller, Donald Wesley (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-October-15
Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Land Niedersachsen, Germany

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.VII NP723

Bombing Wilhelmshaven Germany 1944-October-15 to 1944-October-15

(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor

~506 aircraft+ 257 Halifaxes, 241 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - from all groups except 5 Group on the last of 14 major Bomber Command raids on Wilhelmshaven that began in early 1941.

Bomber Command claimed 'severe damage' to the business and residential areas. A short local report mentions only that the Rathaus was completely destroyed and that 30 people were killed and 92 injured. A further report from Wilhelmshaven giving overall air-raid details, shows that this port town - a major naval base escaped relatively lightly in the war. In 26 R.A.F. and American raids, only 510 civilians, 24 servicemen and 30 foreign workers were killed.

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

Halifax aircraft NP 723 was shot down near Wittmund, Germany during a night attack against Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Flight Lieutenant D.W.Speller, F/Os G.L. Gilbert, T.F. Fisher, Pilot Officer J.D. Hogg, Sergeants K.E. Odobas, G.T. Cook, and Sergeant C. Moss (RAF) were killed.

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.