Footprints on the Sands of Time. RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock, page 418
Thompson, Jack Harvey (Squadron Leader)
Prisoner of War 1945-February-15
Birth Date: 1911-April-29
Born: Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Parents:
Spouse:
Home: White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
RAF East Moor
Rank
Squadron Leader
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/11269
Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax RG449
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII RG449
Bombing Chemnitz Germany 1945-February-14 to 1945-February-15
432 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF East Moor
Thunderclap
499 Lancasters and 218 Halifaxes of 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups to continue Operation Thunderclap. 8 Lancasters and 5 Halifaxes lost.
·This raid took place in two phases, 3 hours apart. A very elaborate diversion plan succeeded in keeping bomber casualties down but Chemnitz - now called Kurl¬Marx-Stadt ~ was also spared from the worst effects of its first major RAF raid, Both parts of the bomber force found the target area covered by cloud and only sky-marking could be employed. Post-raid reconnaissance showed that many parts of tho city were hit but that most of the bombing was in open country. The Stadtarchiv ol' Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to provide a local report
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft RG 449 QO-S was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Heinz Rokker of 2/NJG 2 flying a Junkers Ju 88 G-6 during an operation against communications and supply centers in Chemnitz, Germany
The Halifax crashed at Schonau an der Brend, about 11km NW of Neustadt/Saale, GermanyOne crew member was killed in the night fighter attack before the bomber was abandoned. The remaining crew members survived and were taken Prisoners of War
Flight Engineer Sergeant GL Sorrell (RAFVR) was killed in action
Squadron Leader JH Thompson (RCAF), Flying Officer RAA Borland (RCAF), Flying Officer RJ stringer (RCAF), Flying Officer JJ Serne (RCAF), Pilot Officer RD Thomson (RCAF) and Flying Officer SA Harrison (RCAF) all survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
Prisoner of War detail for those aircrew captured needs further research as POW information for the time period nearing the end of the war in Europe was not recorded with the same level of detail as earlier in the war
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
432 Squadron Halifax VI RG449 QO-S Sq/Ldr Thompson RAF East Moo...
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 RG449 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Chemnitz Germany - 1945-02-14 to 1945-02-15
Squadron: 432 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1945-02-14
Completion Date: 1945-02-15
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Thunderclap
Target City: Chemnitz Germany
Target Specific: Communications and supply centers
Base: RAF East Moor
Take Off Time: 16:49
Squadron Code: QO-S
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: Schonau an der Brend, about 11km NW of Neustadt/Saale
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: Hauptmann Heinz Rokker of 2/NJG 2
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group February 14/151945
66 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432Squadrons were joined by 52 Lancasters from 419, 424, 428, 431, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Chemnitz. The crews were over the target at between18,000and 20,000 feet, releasing 431,000 lbs on incendiaries and 291,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was cloud covered with some damage caused.
While some crews were attacking Chemnitz, 10 Lancasters from424 and433 Squadrons were joined by 10 Halifaxes from 427 and 429 Squadrons on a mining operation to the Kattegat. The crews were over the garden at15,000feet, sowing 90@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
499 Lancasters and 218 Halifaxes of 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups to continue Operation Thunderclap. 8 Lancasters and 5 Halifaxes lost.
·This raid took place in two phases, 3 hours apart. A very elaborate diversion plan succeeded in keeping bomber casualties down but Chemnitz - now called Kurl¬Marx-Stadt ~ was also spared from the worst effects of its first major RAF raid, Both parts of the bomber force found the target area covered by cloud and only sky-marking could be employed. Post-raid reconnaissance showed that many parts of tho city were hit but that most of the bombing was in open country. The Stadtarchiv ol' Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to provide a local report
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft RG 449 QO-S was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Heinz Rokker of 2/NJG 2 flying a Junkers Ju 88 G-6 during an operation against communications and supply centers in Chemnitz, Germany
The Halifax crashed at Schonau an der Brend, about 11km NW of Neustadt/Saale, GermanyOne crew member was killed in the night fighter attack before the bomber was abandoned. The remaining crew members survived and were taken Prisoners of War
Flight Engineer Sergeant GL Sorrell (RAFVR) was killed in action
Squadron Leader JH Thompson (RCAF), Flying Officer RAA Borland (RCAF), Flying Officer RJ stringer (RCAF), Flying Officer JJ Serne (RCAF), Pilot Officer RD Thomson (RCAF) and Flying Officer SA Harrison (RCAF) all survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
Prisoner of War detail for those aircrew captured needs further research as POW information for the time period nearing the end of the war in Europe was not recorded with the same level of detail as earlier in the war
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
432 Squadron Halifax VI RG449 QO-S Sq/Ldr Thompson RAF East Moo...