Crum, Wallace Watson (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-May-23

Pilot Officer Wallace Watson Crum RCAF

Birth Date: 1923-January-24

Born:

Parents: Roy & Lena Crum

Spouse:

Home: Dawson Creek, British Columbia (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

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

Base

RAF Leeming

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

J/90054
Prev: R/198697

Home
Google MapDawson Creek, British Columbia (parents)
Target
Google MapLe Mans France railway yard
Final Burial
Google MapWest Cemetery
Plot 38. Row C. Coll. grave 38-42.

Took off from East Moor at 00:10 in Halifax Mk III (Sqn code QO-X Bomber Command) tasked to attack the railway facilities at Le Mans, France.

Aircraft was shot down by flak near the target during a raid on the Le Mans Railway Yards.

Killed includes Crum: Pilot Officer Eric Patrick Boutilier RCAF J/88414 KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 29. Pilot Officer Joseph Eugene Gerard Desmarais RCAF J/88152 KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 34. Sergeant Edward Derek Horton RAF KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Coll. grave 38-42. Pilot Officer Stephen Kuleski RCAF pilot J/87624 Le Mans West Cemetery Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Coll. grave 38-42. Flying Officer Walter Henry Matthews RCAF J/25198 KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Coll. grave 38-42. Flight Sergeant Bruce Stanley Richmond RAAF KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 33. Pilot Officer Michael Wiwsianski RCAF J/90949 KIA Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 43.

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)

Crew or Other Personnel

Halifax MZ506

Pilot Officer Eric Patrick Boutilier RCAF

Pilot Officer Boutilier, Eric Patrick (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Pilot Officer Wallace Watson Crum RCAF

Pilot Officer Crum, Wallace Watson (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Pilot Officer Joseph Eugene Gerard Desmarais RCAF

Pilot Officer Desmarais, Joseph Eugene Gerard (RCAF)
WOp-AG
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Sergeant Edward Derek Horton RAF

Sergeant Horton, Edward Derek (RAF)
Flt. Engineer
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Stephen Kuleski RCAF

Pilot Officer Kuleski, Stephen (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Flying Officer Walter Henry Matthews RCAF

Flying Officer Matthews, Walter Henry (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Flt Sergeant Bruce Stanley Richmond RCAF

Flt Sergeant Richmond, Bruce Stanley (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Michael Wiwsianski RCAF

Pilot Officer Wiwsianski, Michael (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-May-23
West Cemetery, Avenue Francois Chancel, Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.III MZ506

Bombing Le Mans France 1944-May-23 to 1944-May-23

(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor

133 aircraft- 112 Halifaxes, 13 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups again attacked the railway yards. The local report confirms that the bombing was accurate, with much damage to the railways and the nearby Gnome & Rhone factory. Only 2 'French people were injured. 1 Halifax lost.

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

Halifax aircraft MZ 506 was shot down during night operations over Le Mans Flying Officer W.H. Mathews, P/Os J.E. Desmarais, S. Kuleski, E.P. Boutilier, W.W. Crum, M. Wiwsianski, and Sergeant ED. Horton (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.