Menzies, Howard John (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-May-28
Birth Date: 1923
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home: Vancouver, British Columbia
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/86541
Prev: R/157627
Target
Bourg-Leopold Belgium
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax LK811
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.III LK811
Bombing Bourg-Leopold Belgium 1944-May-27 to 1944-May-28
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
331 aircraft - 267 Halifaxes, 56 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - to attack the military camp. 9 Halifaxes and I Lancaster lost, 3·0 per cent of the force.
Oboe-aimed target indicator fell right on the target and the bombing which followed caused severe damage to the camp. No further details are available.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft LX 811 missing during night ops. against Bourg-Leopold, Belgium. Pilot Officer Menzies maintained control of the aircraft so that his crew could bail out; he went down with the aircraft. Pilot Officer H.H. Rodgers, Sergeants J. Clarke (RAF), and T.F. McClay (RAF) were also killed. Three Canadians, Sergeant Hall, F/Os Gouinlock, and Rutherford, were either Evaders or were taken Prisoners of War. One other member of the crew, not Canadian, missing believed 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 LK811 B.Mk.III - Bombing Bourg-Leopold Belgium - 1944-05-27 to 1944-05-28
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-05-27
Completion Date: 1944-05-28
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Bourg-Leopold Belgium
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 23.50
Squadron Code: QO N
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Budel, 9 kilometres west-north-west of Weert, Holland
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group May 27/28 1944
32 Lancasters from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 117 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432 Squadrons on an attack of the military camp at Bourg Leopold. The crews were over the target at between 8,000 and 12,000 feet, releasing 1,191,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was accurate.
While most crews went to Bourg Leopold, 43 Halifaxes from 431, 433, and 434 Squadrons were ordered to attack the coastal guns at Le Clipon. The crews were over the target at between 6,000 and 7,500 feet, releasing 339,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the guns were accurately bombed.
21 Halifaxes from 428 and 433 Squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Heligoland, St. Malo and Brest. The crews were over the gardens at between12,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 44@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
331 aircraft - 267 Halifaxes, 56 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - to attack the military camp. 9 Halifaxes and I Lancaster lost, 3·0 per cent of the force.
Oboe-aimed target indicator fell right on the target and the bombing which followed caused severe damage to the camp. No further details are available.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft LX 811 missing during night ops. against Bourg-Leopold, Belgium. Pilot Officer Menzies maintained control of the aircraft so that his crew could bail out; he went down with the aircraft. Pilot Officer H.H. Rodgers, Sergeants J. Clarke (RAF), and T.F. McClay (RAF) were also killed. Three Canadians, Sergeant Hall, F/Os Gouinlock, and Rutherford, were either Evaders or were taken Prisoners of War. One other member of the crew, not Canadian, missing believed killed.
