Thompson, Gordon William (Flight Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1943-May-30
Birth Date: 1922
Born:
Parents: Son of Sam and Charlotte Thompson, of Zealandia, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Spouse:
Home: Zealandia, Saskatchewan
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Position
Air Gunner
Service Numbers
R/118765
Target
Wuppertal Germany
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)
Mission
Wellington B. Mk. X LN435
Bombing Wuppertal Germany 1943-May-29 to 1943-May-30
432 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Battle of the Ruhr
719 aircraft- 292 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, 118 Stirlings, 113 Wellingtons, 11 Mosquitoes. 33 aircraft - I0 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 7 Lancasters - lost, 4.6 per cent of the force.
This attack was aimed at the Barmen half of the long and narrow town of /Wuppertal and was the outstanding success of the Battle of the Ruhr. Both Pathfinder marking and Main Force bombing was particularly accurate and a large fire area developed in the narrow streets of the old centre of the town, It is probable that this fire was so severe that the first small form of what would later become known as a 'firestorm' developed. Because it was a Saturday night, many of the town's fire and air-raid officials were not present, having gone to their country homes for the weekend, and the fire services of the town - in their first raid - were not able to control the fires.
Approximately 1,000 acres - possibly 80 per cent of Barmen's built-up area - was destroyed by fire. 5 out of the town's 6 largest factories, 2II other industrial premises and nearly 4,000 houses were completely destroyed. The number of buildings classed as seriously damaged - 71 industrial and 1,800 domestic - indicates the high proportion of complete destruction. Various figures were given for the number of people killed but our expert on Ruhr raids, Norbert Kruger, advises that the figure of 'approximately 3,400' is the nearest reasonable estimate.
The above figures indicate that the property damage in this raid was about twice as severe as any previous raid on a German city, while the number of people killed in this comparatively unprepared backwater of the Ruhr was about 5 times greater than any previous city raid.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Wellington aircraft LN 435 missing over Holland. One of the crew, not Canadian, was killed. Sergeant W.H. Grigg, and two crew members, not Canadians, taken Prisoners of War.
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.
Wellington LN435 B. Mk. X - Bombing Wuppertal Germany - 1943-05-29 to 1943-05-30
Squadron: 432 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1943-05-29
Completion Date: 1943-05-30
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of the Ruhr
Target City: Wuppertal Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Take Off Time: 22.39
Squadron Code: QO J
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Numansdorp (Zuid Holland)
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group May 29/30, 1943
38 Halifaxes from 408, 419, and 427 Squadrons were joined by 55 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Wuppertal. The crews were over the target at between 12,000 and 19,000 feet, releasing 98,000 lbs of high explosives and 213,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was done. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
719 aircraft- 292 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, 118 Stirlings, 113 Wellingtons, 11 Mosquitoes. 33 aircraft - I0 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 7 Lancasters - lost, 4.6 per cent of the force.
This attack was aimed at the Barmen half of the long and narrow town of /Wuppertal and was the outstanding success of the Battle of the Ruhr. Both Pathfinder marking and Main Force bombing was particularly accurate and a large fire area developed in the narrow streets of the old centre of the town, It is probable that this fire was so severe that the first small form of what would later become known as a 'firestorm' developed. Because it was a Saturday night, many of the town's fire and air-raid officials were not present, having gone to their country homes for the weekend, and the fire services of the town - in their first raid - were not able to control the fires.
Approximately 1,000 acres - possibly 80 per cent of Barmen's built-up area - was destroyed by fire. 5 out of the town's 6 largest factories, 2II other industrial premises and nearly 4,000 houses were completely destroyed. The number of buildings classed as seriously damaged - 71 industrial and 1,800 domestic - indicates the high proportion of complete destruction. Various figures were given for the number of people killed but our expert on Ruhr raids, Norbert Kruger, advises that the figure of 'approximately 3,400' is the nearest reasonable estimate.
The above figures indicate that the property damage in this raid was about twice as severe as any previous raid on a German city, while the number of people killed in this comparatively unprepared backwater of the Ruhr was about 5 times greater than any previous city raid.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Wellington aircraft LN 435 missing over Holland. One of the crew, not Canadian, was killed. Sergeant W.H. Grigg, and two crew members, not Canadians, taken Prisoners of War.
