Russell, William Francis (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-March-25
Birth Date: 1920-May-30
Born: Zealandia, Saskatchewan
Parents: Son of James and Margaret Carnegie (nee Reid) Russell
Spouse:
Home: Marriott, Saskatchewan
Enlistment: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Enlistment Date: 1941-December-10
Service
RCAF
Unit
433 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique Who opposes it gets pricked
Base
Skipton-on-Swale
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/86605
Prev: R/139996
Target
Berlin Germany
Temporary Burial
Epe Catholic Cemetery, Gronau, Germany, near crash site
Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax HX284
Mission
Halifax B/GR.Mk.III HX284
Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-March-24 to 1944-March-25
433 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale
433 Porcupine Squadron (Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax aircraft HX 284 BM-B was shot down and crashed near Legden, SE of Ahaus, Germany near the Dutch border during a night operation against targets in Berlin, Germany. Cause of loss was believed to have been from a night fighter
The Pilot, Pilot Officer Russell maintained control of the aircraft so that his crew could bail out to safety, but could not get out himself and went down with the aircraft, killed in action
Pilot Officer DW Howell (RCAF) and Sergeant W Walmsley (RAFVR) were killed in action, both believed due to parachute malfunctions. Sergeant Walmsley was killed when he bailed. Pilot Officer Howell survived briefly but died on the way to a German hospital
Flying Officer JT Shea (RCAF) survived and evaded briefly until captured a few days later and taken as Prisoner of War
Sergeant RC Cossar (RCAF), Flying Officer M Topplin (RCAF),and Sergeant P McLuskie (RAFVR) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
There were two 433 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial LV 841 BM-H for additional information
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock pages 271,322,401,420
433 Squadron, RCAF, Skipton on Swale, Yorks. - Page 2 - Handley...
July I 2020 I RCAF 420 Snowy Owl
Unit Desciption
433 (B) Sqn Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique ("Porcupine")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Halifax III, Lancaster I, III)
433 Squadron was the 14th and last bomber squadron of the RCAF to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed in September 1943 as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of Bomber Command. It flew from Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK for the whole of its operational career. With the squadron code letters BM, it originally flew Handley Page Halifax Mk III heavy bombers on its bombing missions, but these were replaced by Lancaster Mks I and III in January 1945. After the cessation of hostilities the squadron was retained in England as a unit of No 1 Group RAF from August 1945, and took part in the airlift of PoWs back to England (Operation EXODUS) and the bringing back of troops from Italy (Operation DODGE). The squadron was disbanded at Skipton in October 1945.
In the course of its operations, the squadron flew 209 missions involving 2316 individual sorties for the loss of 38 aircraft , dropping 7486 tons. Awards to crew members included 132 DFCs, 2 Bars to DFC, 9 DFMs, 1 BEM, 14 MiDs and 1 Air Medal (USA). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1944-45, Baltic 1944-45, Fortress Europe 1944, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1944-45, Berlin 1944, German Ports 1944-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1944.Wikipedia, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
Maps for Movements of 433 Squadron 1943-45
MAP 1: 433 Squadron Bases 1943-45 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab
433 Squadron History Summary 1943-45
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Canuck, Freedom Fighter, Hornet)
The squadron re-formed as an All-Weather (Fighter) unit at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta , on 15 November 1954, as one of nine CF-100 squadrons to defend Canadian airspace. It moved to CFB North Bay, Ontario , in October 1955, the squadron flew CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American air defence. However, in 1961 the Government decided to reduce the number of CF-100 squadrons from nine to five and 433 Squadron was dissolved for a second time on July 31st, 1961.
Reformed post-unification on 15 August 1968, as No. 433 Escadrille tactique de combat it was a French language squadron of Mobile Command based at CFB Bagotville, Quebec . The squadron flew the CF-5 Freedom Fighter in the tactical and reconnaissance role until it converted to the CF-188 Hornet fighter jets in 1984. The squadron was deactivated in 2005, and its assets and personnel amalgamated into 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Besides being originally designated as one of two bases of NATO's Rapid Reaction Force, the 433 Squadron was entrusted a NORAD role in December 1988. The 433 Squadron members in Bagotville played an important role in the Gulf War conflicts, better known under the names Operation FRICTION in 1991 and Operation ECHO in 1999. By September 2001, the Squadron was actively participating with NORAD in the fight against terrorism through Operation NOBLE EAGLE. On July 14th, 2005, the standards of the Squadron were once again laid aside almost 62 years after its initial formation. .Wikipedia
The squadron was reactivated on 9 June 2015, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on 15 September 2018.
Halifax HX284 B/GR.Mk.III - Bombing Berlin Germany - 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-25
Squadron: 433 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-03-24
Completion Date: 1944-03-25
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Berlin Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Take Off Time: 18:41
Squadron Code: BM-B
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: near Legden, SE of Ahaus
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: unspecified
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group March 24/25, 1944
23 Lancasters from 408 and 426 Squadrons were joined by 90 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 429, 432, and 433 Squadrons on an attack at Berlin. The crews were over the target at between 19,000 and 24,000 feet, releasing 48,000 lbs of high explosives and 409,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, there was severely high winds and the attack was scattered. This was another terrible night as 72 crews failed to return due to being blown off course and over heavy flak defenses. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
433 Porcupine Squadron (Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique) RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Halifax aircraft HX 284 BM-B was shot down and crashed near Legden, SE of Ahaus, Germany near the Dutch border during a night operation against targets in Berlin, Germany. Cause of loss was believed to have been from a night fighter
The Pilot, Pilot Officer Russell maintained control of the aircraft so that his crew could bail out to safety, but could not get out himself and went down with the aircraft, killed in action
Pilot Officer DW Howell (RCAF) and Sergeant W Walmsley (RAFVR) were killed in action, both believed due to parachute malfunctions. Sergeant Walmsley was killed when he bailed. Pilot Officer Howell survived briefly but died on the way to a German hospital
Flying Officer JT Shea (RCAF) survived and evaded briefly until captured a few days later and taken as Prisoner of War
Sergeant RC Cossar (RCAF), Flying Officer M Topplin (RCAF),and Sergeant P McLuskie (RAFVR) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
There were two 433 Squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial LV 841 BM-H for additional information
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock pages 271,322,401,420 433 Squadron, RCAF, Skipton on Swale, Yorks. - Page 2 - Handley...
July I 2020 I RCAF 420 Snowy Owl
The Airmen of Aspull I WW2Talk