Remembering Squamish WW II airmen who did not return - The...
Martin, George Bernard (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-July-26
Birth Date: 1924-May-08
Born: Calgary, Calgary Census Division, Alberta, Canada
Parents: Son of Arthur Daniel Martin and Lucy Mary (nee Gorman) Martin, of Squamish, British Columbia
Spouse:
Home: Squamish, British Columbia
Enlistment: Vancouver, British Columbia
Enlistment Date: 1942-December-01
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
RAF East Moor
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Air Gunner (Rear)
Service Numbers
J/90929
Prev: R/204939
Target
Stuttgart Germany
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax NP688
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP688
Bombing Stuttgart Germany 1944-July-25 to 1944-July-26
432 (B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
Battle of Normandy
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft NP 688 QO-X failed to return from an operation against targets in Stuttgart, Germany. The cause of loss was not determined but there are both night fighter and flak claims for this loss. The Halifax crashed at Breteniere, near Thorey-en-Plaine, 13 km SE of Dijon, France
Pilot Officer JR Giles (RCAF), Pilot Officer GB Martin (RCAF), Flying Officer KL Moss (RCAF), Flying Officer F Wittmack (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant DW Johnson (RCAF)(USA) and Sergeant FD Crawford (RAFVR) were all killed in action
The Navigator, Flying Officer GR Ellis (RCAF) was the sole survivor from this crew and was taken as a Prisoner of War
There were two 432 Squadron Halifax VII aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial NP 687 QO-A for additional information on this aircraft and crew
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Research of France-Crashes 39-45
Halifax NP688 (bois) - Thorey-en-Plaine le 26 July 1944 I Aerosteles
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 NP688 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Stuttgart Germany - 1944-07-25 to 1944-07-26
Squadron: 432 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-07-25
Completion Date: 1944-07-26
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Normandy
Target City: Stuttgart Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 21:08:00
Squadron Code: QO-X
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: France
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flakfighter
Flak Battery: unspecified
Enemy Claim: unspecified
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group July 25/26, 1944
37 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 squadrons were joined by 140 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons on an attack at Stuttgart. The crews were over the target at between 16,000and 21,000 feet, releasing 829,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, this attack was successful and severe damage was caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft NP 688 QO-X failed to return from an operation against targets in Stuttgart, Germany. The cause of loss was not determined but there are both night fighter and flak claims for this loss. The Halifax crashed at Breteniere, near Thorey-en-Plaine, 13 km SE of Dijon, France
Pilot Officer JR Giles (RCAF), Pilot Officer GB Martin (RCAF), Flying Officer KL Moss (RCAF), Flying Officer F Wittmack (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant DW Johnson (RCAF)(USA) and Sergeant FD Crawford (RAFVR) were all killed in action
The Navigator, Flying Officer GR Ellis (RCAF) was the sole survivor from this crew and was taken as a Prisoner of War
There were two 432 Squadron Halifax VII aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial NP 687 QO-A for additional information on this aircraft and crew
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Research of France-Crashes 39-45
Halifax NP688 (bois) - Thorey-en-Plaine le 26 July 1944 I Aerosteles