This was Warrant Officer Green's 13th operation.
Green, Arthur Stanley (Warrant Officer 2)
Killed in Action 1943-May-24
Birth Date: 1916
Born:
Parents: Son of William Arthur and Mary Ellen Green, of Delisle, Saskatchewan.
Spouse:
Home: Delisle, Saskatchewan
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
419 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Moosa Aswayita Beware of Moose
Base
RAF Middleton St George
Rank
Warrant Officer 2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/107004
Target
Dortmund Germany
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax JB862
Mission
Halifax B/GR.Mk.II JB862
Bombing Dortmund Germany 1943-May-23 to 1943-May-24
419 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St. George
Battle of the Ruhr
After a 9-day break in major operations, Bomber Command dispatched 826 aircraft on this raid, the greatest number in a 'non- I ,ooo' raid so far in the war and the largest raid of the Battle of the Ruhr. The force comprised: 343 Lancasters, 199 Halifaxes, 151 Wellingtons, 120 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitoes. 38 aircraft - 18 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 6 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons - were lost, 4·6 per cent of the force.
The Pathfinders marked the target accurately in clear weather conditions and the ensuing attack proceeded according to plan. It was a very successful raid. Large areas in the centre, the north and the east of Dortmund were devastated. Nearly 2,000 buildings were completely destroyed. Many industrial premises were hit, par¬ticularly the large Roesch steelworks, which ceased production. 599 people were killed, I ,275 were injured and the bodies of about 25 other people were never found. Dortmund was not attacked in strength again by Bomber Command until exactly year after this raid.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Dortmund, Germany. Halifax aircraft JB 862 arrived over the target on three engines, after dropping its bombs the aircraft was coned by searchlights and slightly damaged by flak. The Halifax dove to escape the searchlights but was soon set on fire by more flak. The order to bail out was given but Sergeant Dunn was trapped in the aircraft, he survived the crash and was the only member of the crew to live.
Unit Desciption
419 (B) Sqn Moosa Aswayita ("Moose")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington IC, III, Halifax II, Lancaster X)
419 (Bomber) Squadron formed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK in 1941 as part of No 3 Group of Bomber Command. It got its name from its first commanding officer, Wing Commander John "Moose" Fulton, DSO, DFC, AFC. The squadron operated Vickers Wellington, then Handley Page Halifax and finally Avro Lancaster bombers through the course of WWII, with the squadron code letters VR. It was the third RCAF bomber unit to be formed in England. It started operations in January 1942, converting almost immediately from Wellington Mk ICs to Wellington Mk IIIs and then moving north to Leeming, Yorkshire, as part of 4 Group Bomber Command in August 1942. After short stays at Topcliffe and Croft , it moved to Middleton St. George, County Durham in November 1942, from which it flew until the end of hostilities. Here in November 1942 it was re-equipped with Halifax Mk IIs, which it flew for the next 18 months on the night offensive against Germany. In January 1943 it joined the newly formed 6 (RCAF) Group of Bomber Command.
In April 1944 the squadron began to convert to the Avro Lancaster Mk X, which was produced in Canada and flown across the Atlantic. The squadron remained continuously on the offensive until 25 April 1945, when it flew its last sortie. Squadron personnel flew a total of 4,325 operational sorties during the war from Mannheim to Nuremberg, Milan to Berlin and Munich to Hanover, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy. On completion of the war in Germany, the squadron was earmarked to become part of the proposed "Tiger Force" to continue the war against Japan. However, the Japanese surrender in August 1945 led to the disbandment of the squadron in at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia September 1945.
As a result of its wartime record, 419 Squadron became one of the most decorated units under the RCAF during the war. Over a span of roughly three-and-a-quarter years it logged 400 operational missions (342 bombing missions, 53 mining excursions, 3 leaflet raids and 1 "spoof") involving 4,325 sorties. A total of one hundred and twenty nine aircraft were lost on these operations. Members of the squadron accumulated 1 VC, 4 DSO's, 1 MC, 150 DFC's, 3 bars to DFC, 1 CGM, 35 DFM's: the VC was awarded posthumously to Flight Sergeant Andrew Mynarski for his attempts to help a fellow crew member escape from their burning aircraft. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1942-44, Baltic 1942-44, Fortress Europe 1942-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1942-44, Ruhr 1942-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1942-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1942; 1944. Wikipedia, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum)
Maps for Movements of 419 Squadron 1941-45
MAP 1: 419 Squadron Movements Dec 1941-Aug-42 (right-click on image to display enlarged new tab)
|
MAP 2: 419 Squadron Movements Aug 1942-Jun 1945
|
MAP 3: 6 Group Bomber Bases 1943-1945
|
419 Squadron History Summary 1941-45
419 Squadron History Summary 1941-45 Page 2
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Canuck, Silver Star, Freedom Fighter, Hornet)
The squadron was reactivated on 15 March 1954 at North Bay, Ontario , as an all-weather fighter squadron flying the CF-100 Canuck. It moved to the NATO Air Division base at Baden-Soellingen, Germany shortly after being formed. The squadron remained there until its disbandment in December 1962.
The squadron was again re-formed in December 1970, when it relocated to Cold Lake, Alberta as No. 1 Canadian Forces Flight Training School. It initially flew the T-33 Silver Star but then transitioned to the Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter. The squadron was on full active duty in November 1975 but disbanded again 20 years later when the CF-5’s were retired in June 1995.
The squadron was again reactivated as 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadron on 23 July 2000. The squadron has since conducted Phase IV of the NATO Flying Training Canada (NFTC) program for the air forces of Canada, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. This program trains basic jet pilots to become fighter pilots and prepares them for training on CF-188 class aircraft through instruction in Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground combat tactics over a six month period.
Halifax JB862 B/GR.Mk.II - Bombing Dortmund Germany - 1943-05-23 to 1943-05-24
Squadron: 419 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1943-05-23
Completion Date: 1943-05-24
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of the Ruhr
Target City: Dortmund Germany
Target Specific:
Base: Middleton St. George
Take Off Time: 23.00
Squadron Code: VR U
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flak
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group May 23/24, 1943
28 Halifaxes from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 63 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Dortmund. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 135,000 lbs of high explosives and 195,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the weather was good and the target was severely damaged. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
After a 9-day break in major operations, Bomber Command dispatched 826 aircraft on this raid, the greatest number in a 'non- I ,ooo' raid so far in the war and the largest raid of the Battle of the Ruhr. The force comprised: 343 Lancasters, 199 Halifaxes, 151 Wellingtons, 120 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitoes. 38 aircraft - 18 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 6 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons - were lost, 4·6 per cent of the force.
The Pathfinders marked the target accurately in clear weather conditions and the ensuing attack proceeded according to plan. It was a very successful raid. Large areas in the centre, the north and the east of Dortmund were devastated. Nearly 2,000 buildings were completely destroyed. Many industrial premises were hit, par¬ticularly the large Roesch steelworks, which ceased production. 599 people were killed, I ,275 were injured and the bodies of about 25 other people were never found. Dortmund was not attacked in strength again by Bomber Command until exactly year after this raid.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Dortmund, Germany. Halifax aircraft JB 862 arrived over the target on three engines, after dropping its bombs the aircraft was coned by searchlights and slightly damaged by flak. The Halifax dove to escape the searchlights but was soon set on fire by more flak. The order to bail out was given but Sergeant Dunn was trapped in the aircraft, he survived the crash and was the only member of the crew to live.
