Capuston, Anthony (Flight Sergeant)

Evader 1944-June-08

Male Head

Birth Date: 1916-July-23

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home: Strong Pine, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

429 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Fortunae Nihil Nothing to chance

Base

RAF Leeming

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Navigator

Service Numbers

R/176117

Home
Google MapStrong Pine, Saskatchewan
Target
Google MapAcheres France

Took off from Leeming at . Halifax Mk III 'Impatient Virgin' took off at 23:15 from Leeming on an operation to bomb the rail yards at Acheres France.

Aircraft crashed while returning from the raid to Acheres, in aid of the D-Day landings.

Hit by flak on the outbound leg F/Lt Anderson maintained control of the aircraft long enough for three of his crew to bail out

Three men stayed with the aircraft to assist Anderson in flying back to England, lead by Sergeant Gilbert Ebenezer James Steere (DCM) RAF, Sergeant John Mangione (DFM) RCAF R/195860 and Sergeant Gordon John McDowell Ritchie (DFM) RCAF R/211243..

Anderson had been weakening and as they passed the coast of England Steer who had never piloted before took control of the aircraft while the other two prepared Anderson to be dropped by parachute to get medical attention. He was dropped by static line and he was alive when he landed but medical attention was unable to reach him before he died.

Steere had contacted the nearest RAF aerodrome to report Anderson's position before he and Sergeants Mangione and Ritchie also abandoned the aircraft over RAF Benson. All three landed safely. The aircraft crashed in a field a half mile past this base.

Killed: F/Lt William Brodie Anderson RCAF J/8924 pilot unconscious and ejected in parachute from the aircraft by static line by remaining crew and later died of injuries. Brookwood Military Cemetery grave 49. G. 9.

POWs: Pilot Officer Joseph David James Banning RCAF J/87192 POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia.

Flight Sergeant Leland S O'Leary RCAF R/number POW camp not listed.

Evader: Capuston

Unit Desciption

429 (B) Sqn Fortunae Nihil ("Bison")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington III, X, Halifax II, V, III, Lancaster I, III)

No 429 Squadron was the 10th bomber unit and 27th squadron formed by the RCAF overseas in WWII. It was formed in November 1942 at East Moor, Yorkshire, UK as part of No 4 Group of RAF Bomber Command. On April 1, 1943 it became part of No 6 (RCAF) Group at No 62 (RCAF) Base, still remaining at East Moor until August 1943, when it moved to Leeming, Yorkshire as part of no 63 (RCAF) Base: it remained at Leeming until its disbandment in May 1946. It undertook strategic and tactical bombing operations. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, it remained in England and transferred to No 1 Group, where it was engaged in transporting troops from Italy (Operation DODGE).

The squadron, with squadron code AL, flew Vickers Wellington Mks III and X until August 1943, when it re-equipped with Handley-Page Halifax Mk II, which it flew between August 1943 and January 1944, and Mk V between November 1943 and March 1944. These were superseded by Halifax Mk III aircraft in March 1944. In March 1945, the squadron re-equipped with Lancaster Mk I and III. In summary of its activities, it flew 3221 sorties, including airlifting 1055 PoWs back to England, for the loss of 71 aircraft. 9356 tons of bombs were dropped. The squadron was awarded45 DFCs and 2 Bars to DFC, 1 AFC, 1 CGM and 7 DFMs. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943-45, Baltic 1943-45, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1943-44, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943-44. Wikipedia,Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 429 Squadron 1942-46

MAP 1: 429 Squadron Bases 1942-46 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab

429 Squadron History Summary 1942-46

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Buffalo, Hercules, Globemaster)

The squadron was reactivated at St. Hubert, Quebec on 21 August 1967 as a Tactical Transport Unit. It flew de Havilland CC-15 Buffalo aircraft for the Canadian Forces Mobile Command and was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces on 1 February 1968. In August 1981 it was renamed 429 Transport Squadron and moved to CFB Winnipeg . The final move was in 1990 to 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario . The squadron was disbanded in 2005.

Two years later in August 2007, 429 Squadron was again re-activated, this time operating the CC-177 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft. It used these new aircraft in support of Canada's operations in Afghanistan.