Fernyhough, Walter (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-June-29

Pilot Officer Walter Fernyhough RCAF

Birth Date: 1923-March-19

Born:

Parents: Son of Richard and Flora Fernyhough, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Spouse:

Home: Victoria, British Columbia

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Distinguished Flying Cross

Service

RCAF

Unit

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

Base

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/85610

Home
Google MapVictoria, British Columbia
Target
Google MapMetz France
Final Burial
Google MapCommunal Cemetery
Plot 3 Grave 27

Born Clyde, Alberta 1923. Home Victoria, B.C. Enlisted Vancouver 10 March 1942. Trained at No.7 ITS (graduated 12 September 1942), No.6 EFTS (graduated 7 November 1942), and No.4 SFTS (graduated 19 March 1943). Commissioned March 1944. Killed in action 28/29 June 1944; buried in France.

Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross - No.432 Squadron (deceased) - Award effective 27 June 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 January 1946 and AFRO 244/46 dated 8 March 1946. DHist file 181.009 D.5557 (RG.24 Vol.20668) has recommendation dated 26 June 1944 when he had flown 30 sorties (175 hours ten minutes), 25 November 1943 to uncertain date (document torn; last target was Sterkrade). The recommendation reads - "Pilot Officer Fernyhough, as pilot and captain of aircraft, completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty." Detail provided by FL Halliday, Orleans, Ontario.

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 MZ591

Pilot Officer Walter Fernyhough RCAF

Pilot Officer Fernyhough, Walter (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1944-June-29
Communal Cemetery, Criel, Oise, France

Pilot Officer Henry John Kennedy RCAF

Pilot Officer Kennedy, Henry John (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-June-29
Cimetiere de Verdun de Creil, Rue de Verdun, Creil, France

Pilot Officer Ronald Alexander McEwan RCAF

Pilot Officer McEwan, Ronald Alexander (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-June-29
Cimetiere de Verdun de Creil, Rue de Verdun, Creil, France

Pilot Officer John Vernon Musser RCAF

Pilot Officer Musser, John Vernon (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1944-June-29
Cimetiere de Verdun de Creil, Rue de Verdun, Creil, France

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.III MZ591

Bombing Metz France 1944-June-28 to 1944-June-29

(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor

Battle of Normandy

202 Halifaxes of 4 and 6 Groups with 28 Pathfinder Lancasters attacked yards at Blainville and Metz. Both targets were hit. 20 aircraft were lost, 1 I Halifaxes of 4 Group and I Lancaster from the Blainville raid and 7 Halifaxes of 6 Group and 1 Lancaster from Metz. The combined loss rate was 8·7 per cent

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

Halifax aircraft MZ 591 missing during night operations against Metz, France. Pilot Officer(s) W Fernyhough DFC,, H.J. Kennedy, J. Musser, R.A. McEwan, J. Hembry (RAF), and Flight Lieutenant J.I. Williams (RAF) were killed. One of the crew, not Canadian, taken Prisoner of War.

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.