Goderich, Ontario
166 Squadron (Tenacity). Lancaster aircraft PB 635 was shot down by enemy flak and crashed thirty miles north-east of Poitiers, France whilst engaged in a raid against Nuremberg, Germany.
Warrant Officer Class 1 RV Weston (RCAF), FS(s) LE Riggs (RCAF), M Leyland (RAF), Flying Officer H Burgoyne (RAF), Sgt(s) WE Lane (RAF), and TF Stewart (RAF) were killed.
There were two 166 Squadron aircraft lost this night. Please see Baker N for information regarding the other crew and aircraft.
Weston, Richard Verdun (Warrant Officer 1st Class)
Killed in Action 1945-January-02
Birth Date: 1920
Born:
Parents: Son of Edgar Richard and Nina Elizabeth Weston, of Goderich, Ontario.
Spouse:
Home: Goderich, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
166 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity
Base
Rank
Warrant Officer 1st Class
Position
Air Gunner
Service Numbers
R/99738
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Lancaster PB635
Unit Desciption
166 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.