Labelle, Joseph Gaston Gustave Andre (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-September-16
Birth Date: 1920-March-17
Born:
Parents: Son of Gustave and Berthe Labelle, of Montreal, Quebec.
Spouse:
Home: Montreal, Quebec
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Wireless Air Gunner
Service Numbers
J/90935
Prev: R/185439
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax NP719
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP719
Bombing Kiel Germany 1944-September-15 to 1944-September-16
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
490 aircraft- 3rn Lancasters, 173 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitoes - of I, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.
The evidence of returning crews and of photographs caused Bomber Command to record this as 'a highly concentrated raid' with 'the old town and modern shopping centre devastated'. The local report confirms this as a heavy attack, and records damage in the centre and port areas, but describes how much of the bombing fell outside Kiel. Unusually low numbers of 12 deaths and 28 people injured were recorded.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 719 missing during a night trip, an attack against Kiel, Germany. P/O.s J.G.G.A. Labelle, D.R. MacCarthy, J.C. Gallagher, H.N. McLeod, C.D. Crowe, F/O. J.E. LeBlanc, and Sgt. C.F. Gill (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.
Halifax NP719 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Kiel Germany - 1944-09-15 to 1944-09-16
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-09-15
Completion Date: 1944-09-16
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Kiel Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 22.16
Squadron Code: QO N
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group September 15/16, 1944
172 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433 and 434 Squadrons were joined by 28 Lancasters from 419 and 428 Squadrons on an attack at Kiel. The crews were over the target at between 16,500and 21,500 feet, releasing 442,000 lbs of high explosives and 913,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the weather was clear and severe damages were caused.
While some crews went to Kiel, 20 Halifaxes from 424, 427, and 429 squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Kiel Bay and Oslo. The crews were over the garden at between 10,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 76@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
490 aircraft- 3rn Lancasters, 173 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitoes - of I, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.
The evidence of returning crews and of photographs caused Bomber Command to record this as 'a highly concentrated raid' with 'the old town and modern shopping centre devastated'. The local report confirms this as a heavy attack, and records damage in the centre and port areas, but describes how much of the bombing fell outside Kiel. Unusually low numbers of 12 deaths and 28 people injured were recorded.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 719 missing during a night trip, an attack against Kiel, Germany. P/O.s J.G.G.A. Labelle, D.R. MacCarthy, J.C. Gallagher, H.N. McLeod, C.D. Crowe, F/O. J.E. LeBlanc, and Sgt. C.F. Gill (RAF) were killed.
