Zareikin, Joseph (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-October-05

Pilot Officer Joseph Zareikin RCAF

Birth Date: 1908

Born:

Parents: Son of David and Pola Zareikin, of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. His brother Samuel also died on service.

Spouse:

Home: Los Angeles, California, USA

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

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

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

C/88488

Home
Google MapLos Angeles, California, USA
Target
Google MapGardening
Final Burial
Google MapStonefall Cemetery
Sec G Row A Grave 14
433 Porcupine Squadron (Qui S'y Frotte S'y Pique). BROTHER to Samuel Zareikin. Halifax aircraft NP 944 was one of 10 engaged in moonlight mine-laying operations off Heligoland and was attacked by an enemy JU-88 night fighter aircraft. Pilot Officer Zareikin was killed during the attack and was the only casualty. The mid-upper gunner, P/C. Cochrane of Jackson, Michigan, USA. shot the enemy aircraft down when it made its next attack. The pilot, Flying Officer W.T. Watson of Toronto, Ontario managed to make a crash landing of the badly damaged aircraft at the Ford aerodrome, England.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Mission

Halifax B.Mk.III NP944

Minelaying 1944-October-05 to 1944-October-05

(B) BG (RAF)

On 1944-10-05, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 424/433 Sqns at Skipton on Swale, wrote in his diary:

"433 Squadron were on a mining or "gardening" effort today with 10 kites. Things went very smoothly & we got them all off in good time. The weather closed in here however later on & we couldn't get them back so 8 were diverted to Tholthorpe and 2 went to Carnaby. M-Mike of 433 was badly shot up with a night fighter & is a cat B. The tail gunner had his head blown off with a 20mm cannon explosive shell. However the MU gunner claimed the JU88 as a "probable" so we hope he knocked it down Ok."

Museum Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWM

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.