Hayes, Edwin Alfred (Squadron Leader)
Killed in Action 1945-March-06
Birth Date: 1918
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home: Norton, Kings County, New Brunswick
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
East Moor
Rank
Squadron Leader
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/3489
Target
Chemnitz Germany
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
International Bomber Command Centre
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax RG475
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII RG475
Bombing Chemnitz Germany 1945-March-05 to 1945-March-06
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
760 aircraft - 498 Lancasters, 256 Halifaxes, 6 Mosquitoes - to continue Operation Thunderclap. The operation started badly when 9 aircraft of 6 Group crashed near their bases soon after taking off in icy conditions. 426 Squadron, at Linton-on-Ousc, lost 3 out of their 14 Halifaxes taking part in the raid in this way, with only I man surviving. 1 of the Halifaxes crashed in York, killing some civilians. 22 further aircraft were lost in the main operation - 14 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes.
The city of Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to supply any local details but it Is known that the centre and the south of the city suffered severe fire damage. Several important factories were situated in the fire area and the Siegmar factory, which made tank engines, was destroyed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax VII aircraft RG 475 QO-L was returning from an operation over Chemnitz, Germany when it was shot down by flak from an Allied Coastal Defense Battery over England. The aircraft crashed north of Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, England with the loss of the entire crew
Pilot Officer JD Ringrose (RCAF), Pilot Officer GM Orser (RCAF), Pilot Officer MB Nielson (RCAF), Squadron Leader EA Hayes (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant GR Harris (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant JG Clothier (RCAF), Flying Officer CM Hay DSO (RCAF) and Pilot Officer DM Cooke (RAFVR), were all killed in action
RAF losses 5./6. March 1945 [Archive] - Luftwaffe and Allied Air...
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.
Halifax RG475 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Chemnitz Germany - 1945-03-05 to 1945-03-06
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1945-03-05
Completion Date: 1945-03-06
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Chemnitz Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 16.30
Squadron Code: QO L
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group March 5/6, 1945
86 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 429, and 432 Squadrons were joined by 84 Lancasters from 419, 424, 428, 431, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Chemnitz. The crews were over the target at between 15,000and 18,000 feet, releasing 1,064,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, severe damage was caused by this attack. There was severe icing over England and this was a factor in most of the crashes. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
760 aircraft - 498 Lancasters, 256 Halifaxes, 6 Mosquitoes - to continue Operation Thunderclap. The operation started badly when 9 aircraft of 6 Group crashed near their bases soon after taking off in icy conditions. 426 Squadron, at Linton-on-Ousc, lost 3 out of their 14 Halifaxes taking part in the raid in this way, with only I man surviving. 1 of the Halifaxes crashed in York, killing some civilians. 22 further aircraft were lost in the main operation - 14 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes.
The city of Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to supply any local details but it Is known that the centre and the south of the city suffered severe fire damage. Several important factories were situated in the fire area and the Siegmar factory, which made tank engines, was destroyed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax VII aircraft RG 475 QO-L was returning from an operation over Chemnitz, Germany when it was shot down by flak from an Allied Coastal Defense Battery over England. The aircraft crashed north of Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, England with the loss of the entire crew
Pilot Officer JD Ringrose (RCAF), Pilot Officer GM Orser (RCAF), Pilot Officer MB Nielson (RCAF), Squadron Leader EA Hayes (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant GR Harris (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant JG Clothier (RCAF), Flying Officer CM Hay DSO (RCAF) and Pilot Officer DM Cooke (RAFVR), were all killed in action
RAF losses 5./6. March 1945 [Archive] - Luftwaffe and Allied Air...