Halifax aircraft NP 692 was badly damaged by enemy flak whilst over the target Bottrop, Germany. Flight Lieutenant Woodward was very seriously wounded in the attack with severe shrapnel wounds on the upper and lower right side of his body. Despite these wounds he flew the damaged aircraft back to make an emergency landing at Woodbridge, England; by his actions all the other members of the crew returned safe and uninjured. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after landing.
Woodward, John Adair (Flight Lieutenant)
Killed in Action 1944-September-27
Birth Date: 1920
Born:
Parents: Son of Wilfrid and Anna Olivia Woodward; husband of Margaret Bertha Woodward, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Spouse: Husband of Margaret Bertha Woodward, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Home: Stratford, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
East Moor
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/9115
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP692
Bombing Bottrop Germany 1944-September-27 to 1944-September-27
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
175 aircraft - 96 Halifaxes, 71 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the Ruhroel A.G. synthetic-oil plant in the Welheim suburb ofBottrop. The target was almost entirely cloud-covered and most of the bombing was aimed at Oboe sky-markers, although a few aircraft were able to bomb through small breaks' in the cloud. Explosions and black smoke were seen. No aircraft lost.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
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 NP692 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Bottrop Germany - 1944-09-27 to 1944-09-27
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-09-27
Completion Date: 1944-09-27
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Bottrop Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 07.37
Squadron Code: QO D
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group September 27, 1944
239 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426,427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons were joined by 44 Lancasters from 419 and 428 squadrons on an attack of the oil plants at Bottrop and Sterkrade. The crews were over the targets at between 16,000 and 21,000feet, releasing 2,117,000 lbs of high explosives. There was thick cloud over the target and some crews bombed the alternate target at Duisberg. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
175 aircraft - 96 Halifaxes, 71 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the Ruhroel A.G. synthetic-oil plant in the Welheim suburb ofBottrop. The target was almost entirely cloud-covered and most of the bombing was aimed at Oboe sky-markers, although a few aircraft were able to bomb through small breaks' in the cloud. Explosions and black smoke were seen. No aircraft lost.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
