Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock page 358
McIntyre, George Wesley (Flight Lieutenant)
Prisoner of War 1944-March-24
Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
429 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Fortunae Nihil Nothing to chance
Base
RAF Leeming
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Position
Flight Engineer
Service Numbers
C/18367
PoW: 4006
Target
Berlin Germany
Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax LV914
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.III LV914
Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-March-24 to 1944-March-24
429 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming
429 Bison Sqn (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax III aircraft LV 914 AV-L lost during a night trip against targets in Berlin, Germany. Extremely strong winds on this night caused major difficulties for aircrews, scattering the bomber stream, especially on the homeward flight. Of the 811 aircraft involved in this operation, 72 aircraft and crews (8.9%) were lost to flak and night fighters. This was the last major RAF raid on Berlin during the war
The cause of loss was not established, but pilot Flying Officer RF Conroy (RCAF) maintained control of his aircraft and stayed at the controls while the crew abandoned the Halifax. He was unable to get clear himself and was killed in action
Squadron Leader JW Bell DFC (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant GW McIntyre (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant AP Smith (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 OD McLean (RCAF), Sergeant LCP Spencer (RCAF) and Sergeant G Wilton (RAFVR) survived and all were taken as Prisoners of War
Previously, as a Flight Sergeant, Conroy had survived two events in 1943. He had been injured when 429 Squadron Wellington X aircraft BJ 755 AL-Z had crashed during take-off from RAF East Moor for an operation to Essen, Germany, 1943-03-05. Three months later, Flying Officer Conroy had been the sole survivor of 429 Squadron Wellington X aircraft HE 593 AL-Z shot down by a night fighter 1943-06-12 on a raid to Dusseldorf, Germany. Flying Officer Conroy survived as an Evader and with the help of various people in the Bourgogne Escape Line made his way to Gibraltar, returning to the UK and his unit 1943-10-02
An article by his niece on Flying Officer Conroy and his loss appears in the June 2018 issue of Airforce magazine
There were three 429 squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials LK 805 AL-H and LW 688 AL-J for additional information
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock pages 243,358,359,405,408,437The Bomber Command War Diaries, by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
The Battle of Berlin, Bomber Command Over the Third Reich 1943-1945 by Martin W Bowman page 329
Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire
Flying Officer Gerald Conroy, 429 sqn, Berlin raid-24 Mar 44 I WW2Talk
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.
Halifax LV914 B.Mk.III - Bombing Berlin Germany - 1944-03-24 to 1944-03-24
Squadron: 429 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-03-24
Completion Date: 1944-03-24
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Berlin Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Leeming
Take Off Time: 18:59
Squadron Code: AV-L
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: unspecified
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
429 Bison Sqn (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax III aircraft LV 914 AV-L lost during a night trip against targets in Berlin, Germany. Extremely strong winds on this night caused major difficulties for aircrews, scattering the bomber stream, especially on the homeward flight. Of the 811 aircraft involved in this operation, 72 aircraft and crews (8.9%) were lost to flak and night fighters. This was the last major RAF raid on Berlin during the war
The cause of loss was not established, but pilot Flying Officer RF Conroy (RCAF) maintained control of his aircraft and stayed at the controls while the crew abandoned the Halifax. He was unable to get clear himself and was killed in action
Squadron Leader JW Bell DFC (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant GW McIntyre (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant AP Smith (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 OD McLean (RCAF), Sergeant LCP Spencer (RCAF) and Sergeant G Wilton (RAFVR) survived and all were taken as Prisoners of War
Previously, as a Flight Sergeant, Conroy had survived two events in 1943. He had been injured when 429 Squadron Wellington X aircraft BJ 755 AL-Z had crashed during take-off from RAF East Moor for an operation to Essen, Germany, 1943-03-05. Three months later, Flying Officer Conroy had been the sole survivor of 429 Squadron Wellington X aircraft HE 593 AL-Z shot down by a night fighter 1943-06-12 on a raid to Dusseldorf, Germany. Flying Officer Conroy survived as an Evader and with the help of various people in the Bourgogne Escape Line made his way to Gibraltar, returning to the UK and his unit 1943-10-02
An article by his niece on Flying Officer Conroy and his loss appears in the June 2018 issue of Airforce magazine
There were three 429 squadron Halifax aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials LK 805 AL-H and LW 688 AL-J for additional information
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock pages 243,358,359,405,408,437The Bomber Command War Diaries, by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
The Battle of Berlin, Bomber Command Over the Third Reich 1943-1945 by Martin W Bowman page 329
Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire
Flying Officer Gerald Conroy, 429 sqn, Berlin raid-24 Mar 44 I WW2Talk