Teasdale, Thomas Leo Whigham (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-March-25

Flying Officer Thomas Leo Whigham Teasdale RCAF

Birth Date: 1922-October-28

Born: Drumheller, Alberta

Parents: Son of James Robert Whigham and Maude Ethel (nee Aram) Teasdale, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brother of Flying Officer Harry Leo Teasdale, RCAF, killed in action 19 February 1945, James Frederick,

Spouse:

Home: Edmonton, Alberta

Enlistment: Calgary, Alberta

Enlistment Date: 1941-September-29

Service

RCAF

Unit

166 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity

Base

RAF Kirmington

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/23404

Home
Google MapEdmonton, Alberta
Target
Google MapBerlin Germany
Temporary Burial
Google MapKempen

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial
Google MapReichswald Forest War Cemetery
Plot 25 Row E Grave 6

Took off from Kirmington at 18:40 in Lancaster Mk III (Sqn code AS-T2 Bomber Command) on an operation to Berlin Germany.

Homebound crashed near Kempen Germany where those killed were buried 27 Mar 1944.

Killed includes Teasdale: Sergeant Walter Dawson RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. E. 4. Sergeant Leslie Gammage RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. E. 2. Sergeant Desmond Edward Hunt RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. E. 3. Warrant Officer Class 2 Fusi Eric Johnson RCAF R/128478 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. E. 1. WO John Skeel RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery grave 25. E. 5.

POW: Flight Sergeant Jack Barton Auld RCAF J/24026 POW Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Unit Desciption

166 (B) Sqn Tenacity (Huddersfield's Own)

No 166 Squadron RAF was originally formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk on June 13, 1918, designed as a heavy bomber unit, to fly the Handley Page V/1500 aircraft. The squadron was never fully mobilized because the Armistice intervened. The squadron was re-formed in November 1936 as a heavy bomber unit, flying Handley Page Heyfords, later equipping with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire from November 1936 to January 1937, when it moved to Leconfield, Yorkshire. The squadron became part of an air observer's school on June 7, 1938, and then became a 1 Group pool squadron in May 1939. From September 1939 it was based at Abingdon, Berkshire until April 1940. In that month the squadron merged with no. 97 Squadron to form No. 10 OTU.

In January 1943 the squadron was re-formed at Kirmington, Yorkshire (53.578,-0.344, now Humberside Airport), from flights of Nos. 150 and 170 squadrons, when parts of these squadrons were posted to the Middle East. It was again bomber squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons in No. 1 Group of Bomber Command. It remained at Kirmington until the end of WWII, later re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. In the period 27/28 January 1943 and 25 April 1945, it dropped 27,287 tons of bombs and laid 333 tons of mines. The squadron won "at least" 2 DSOs, 2 CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the course of WWII. The squadron was disbanded on November 18, 1945.