Dryden, Robert Page (Flying Officer)
Prisoner of War 1944-July-18
Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
RAF East Moor
Rank
Flying Officer
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
J/24224
PoW: 5171
Target
Caen France
Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax NP706
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP706
Bombing Caen France 1944-July-18 to 1944-July-18
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
Battle of Normandy
942 aircraft - 667 Lancasters, 260 Halifaxes, 15 Mosquitoes - to bomb 5 fortified villages in the area east of Caen through which British Second Army troops were about to make an armoured attack, Operation Goodwood.
The raids took place at dawn in clear conditions. 4 of the targets were satisfactorily marked by Oboe and, at the target where Oboe failed, the Master Bomber, Squadron Leader E. K. Creswell, and other Pathfinder crews used visual methods. American bombers also attacked these targets and a total of' 6,800 tons of bombs were dropped, of which Bomber Command dropped more than 5,000 tons. Elements of two German divisions, the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division and the 21st Panzer Division were badly affected by the bombing, the Luftwaffe Division particularly so. Operation Goodwood made a good start. This raid was either the most useful or one of the most useful of the operations carried out by Bomber Command in direct support of the Allied armies.*
The aircraft bombed from medium heights, 5,000--9,000 ft, but army artillery and naval gunfire subdued many of the Flak batteries and only 6 aircraft- 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster - were shot down. No German fighters appeared; Allied air superiority over the battlefield by day was complete.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax VII aircraft NP 706 QO-J was shot down by flak fourteen miles north-east of Falaise, France, at Boulogne during operations to Caen, France.
Pilot Officer RE Burton (RCAF) survived the crash but died from his wounds. Buried initially near the crash site, he was exhumed and reburied at the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France.
Four Canadians, Flight Lieutenant JH Cooper (RCAF), Flying Officer RP Dryden (RCAF),Sergeant SD Wright (RCAF), and Warrant Officer Class 1 KE Elliott (RCAF) were taken as Prisoners of War Warrant Officer Class 2 A Zacharuk (RCAF), Sergeant HE Oakeby (RAF) were Evaders.
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 NP706 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Caen France - 1944-07-18 to 1944-07-18
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-07-18
Completion Date: 1944-07-18
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Normandy
Target City: Caen France
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 03.26
Squadron Code: QO J
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: fourteen miles north-east of Falaise, France, at Boulogne
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flak
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group July 18, 1944
42 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 were joined by 155 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and434 squadrons on a number of attacks in the Caen and Mondeville areas.These attacks were made at dawn in direct support of the army. All the crews were over the targets from between 7,000 to 9,000 feet, unloading1,750,000 lbs of ordinance. The German troops on the ground were hit hard and this was one of the best bombing raids that supported the army. A total of 6,800 tons of ordinance was dropped.
Later on in the day 28 Halifaxes from431 and434 squadron attacked the rail yards at Vaires. This attack was made from between 12,000 and 13,500 feet. A total of 223,000 lbs of ordinance was dropped. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
942 aircraft - 667 Lancasters, 260 Halifaxes, 15 Mosquitoes - to bomb 5 fortified villages in the area east of Caen through which British Second Army troops were about to make an armoured attack, Operation Goodwood.
The raids took place at dawn in clear conditions. 4 of the targets were satisfactorily marked by Oboe and, at the target where Oboe failed, the Master Bomber, Squadron Leader E. K. Creswell, and other Pathfinder crews used visual methods. American bombers also attacked these targets and a total of' 6,800 tons of bombs were dropped, of which Bomber Command dropped more than 5,000 tons. Elements of two German divisions, the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division and the 21st Panzer Division were badly affected by the bombing, the Luftwaffe Division particularly so. Operation Goodwood made a good start. This raid was either the most useful or one of the most useful of the operations carried out by Bomber Command in direct support of the Allied armies.*
The aircraft bombed from medium heights, 5,000--9,000 ft, but army artillery and naval gunfire subdued many of the Flak batteries and only 6 aircraft- 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster - were shot down. No German fighters appeared; Allied air superiority over the battlefield by day was complete.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax VII aircraft NP 706 QO-J was shot down by flak fourteen miles north-east of Falaise, France, at Boulogne during operations to Caen, France.
Pilot Officer RE Burton (RCAF) survived the crash but died from his wounds. Buried initially near the crash site, he was exhumed and reburied at the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France.
Four Canadians, Flight Lieutenant JH Cooper (RCAF), Flying Officer RP Dryden (RCAF),Sergeant SD Wright (RCAF), and Warrant Officer Class 1 KE Elliott (RCAF) were taken as Prisoners of War Warrant Officer Class 2 A Zacharuk (RCAF), Sergeant HE Oakeby (RAF) were Evaders.
